the dominions of Mahmood extended as far as Isfahan westward, and their extent, already great, only perhaps prevented a permanent occupation of the greater part of India. Thirteen invasions of India are claimed for him; but ten only, as detailed, are of con sequence. CHAPTER III. FROM THE DEATH OF SOOLTAN MAHMOOD TO THE END OF Mahomed Sooltan Mahmood. THE GHUZNEVY DYNASTY, A.D. 1030-1186. MAHMOOD left twin sons, Mahomed and Musaood: and by his will, created Mahomed his successor. The brothers had succeeds never been on good terms, and while their father kept Mahomed near him, on account of his docile and tractable disposition, he conferred on Musaood the government of Isfahan, in order that his turbulent nature might find employment in the subjugation of the warlike tribes around him. On his father's death, Musaood wrote to his brother relinquishing his claim to succession, provided the Persian provinces were assigned to him, and his name were read first in the public prayers; this, however, was refused by Mahomed, who, contrary to the advice of the officers of state, marched with an army to meet his brother. By the way, Mahomed halted for the forty days' fast of the Rumzán, during which time a conspiracy was formed against him in camp by his uncle and two other chief officers, and he was seized and imprisoned. The confederates then marched to Herat with the army, and joining Musaood, swore allegiance to him. Musaood, however, though he did not release his brother, hanged one and beheaded the other of the two treacherous officers, and Mahomed, blinded and deposed, imprisoned his uncle for life. According to the cruel custom of the time, Mahomed was blinded and deposed, after a reign of five months, and Musaood became sooltan Musaood, 1031. of the whole Ghuznevy dominions. succeeded by his brother Masaood's India. From the period of his accession, in 1031 A.D., till 1033, Musaood was engaged in warfare with the Seljuk Tartars; but peace being concluded with them, he turned his attention to the invasion of affairs of India, whither he proceeded; captured the fort of Sursooty, in the Kashmere hills; and while he was engaged in this campaign, heard of the defeat of his general by the Seljuks, and was obliged to proceed to that part of his dominions to restore order. In the year Harold Hare 1036, having returned to India, Musaood reduced the England. fort of Hansy, before deemed impregnable, established Renews the expedition. foot king of defeated by the Seljuks. And is de army. Mahomed him. of Musaood, a garrison in it, and also in Sonput, near Dehly; and returning to Lahore, left his son Mâdood in possession, and pro- Musaood ceeded to Ghuzny. Here he found the kingdom in confusion from repeated attacks by the Seljuks, and in May 1040 himself received a sore defeat by them, by which posed by the he was so disheartened, that he determined to reside for the future in India. As he proceeded to Lahore succeeds in 1042, his army mutinied, deposed him, and put him to death, raising to the throne his blind brother Mahomed, whom he had brought with him. Musaood had reigned nine years. Though of a warlike temperament, he was fond of the society of learned men; he built and endowed schools and colleges, and for a period was very popular; but he lacked the energy of his father, and perhaps the Ghuznevy dominions, already spread over an immense tract of country, were become too large to be governed efficiently. Shortly after his deposition, Musaood was put to death by his cousin Soliman, in the fort of Kurry, where he had been confined. During his reign he had appointed his son Môdood governor of Balkh; who, on hearing of his father's murder, repaired to Ghuzny, where he was received with enthusiasm, assumed the crown, and immediately marched upon Lahore to avenge his father's death. Modood, son The blind king Mahomed opposed him at Duntoor, assumes the was defeated, and taken prisoner, and, with several crown, and officers who had taken part in the deposition of King India. Musaood, put to death. Finding his brother Mâdood, who had continued in charge of Lahore, was not disposed to accord his allegiance, Môdood marched against him; but, before any engagement occurred, Mâdood was found dead in his bed, and all opposition ceased. Meanwhile the Seljuks had recommenced He returns to hostilities, and the king left India to oppose them. oppose the During his absence, the Hindoo princes of Northern India, taking advantage of the difficulties of the new king, organized an insurrection against the Mahomedans, which for a time threatened serious consequences. The Rajah of Dehly, in conjunction with other confederates, retook Hansy and Thanésur, with their dependencies. The fort of Na- insurrection, grakote capitulated, and an idol was replaced there with great pomp. This success encouraged other rajahs of the Punjab; who, having coalesced, invested Lahore; but it was desperately defended by its Mahomedan garrison, street by street; and when, in despair of re- The Hindoos ceiving aid, and in sore strait from famine, the garrison besiege sallied forth, the Hindoos fled, and the siege ceased. are defeated. This event seems to have broken up the Hindoo confederation; proceeds to Seljuks. Hindoo A.D. 1043. Turks conquer Persia. Labore, but for though the troubles on the western frontier of the kingdom never ceased, its Indian possessions remained at peace till the king's King Modood's death, A.D, 1049. 1951 by Ab Farokhzad 1032, and reigns till A.D. 1058. Ibrahim reigns till death, which occurred December 24, A.D. 1049. His son Musaood, a child of four years old, was proclaimed king, but almost immediately deposed by his uncle Pope Leo IX. A bool Hassan, who became king, and at once recovered the Punjab, Sinde, and other Indian territory from a rebel officer who had coalesced with the inhabitants. Abool Hassan was, Abool Hassan however, deposed in 1051 by Abdool Rusheed, a son of deposed A.D. the Sooltan Mahmood; who, after a reign of a year, dool Rusheed. was in time deposed by Farókhzád, son of King Musadeposes him ood, who reigned six years, and died in A.D. 1058; but no event of Indian interest is recorded of this period. He was succeeded by his brother Ibrahim without succeeds, and opposition, who reigned in peace till his death, in A.D. 1098, with the exception of one Indian campaign in A.D. 1079, which was confined to a portion of the Punjab. Ibrahim was a religious devotee, and employed himself in translating the Korán and other religious works. His son Musaood III., who succeeded him, was of a bolder and more martial character, and his love of justice was distinguished by the compilation of all existing laws of the kingdom into one code. Although he does not appear to have entered upon any Indian campaign in person, yet his generals carried the Mahomedan arms beyond the Ganges, and returned with much spoil of temples and cities. During the reign of Musaood III. Lahore became the real capital Lahore his of the Ghuznevy dynasty, and their possessions in India capital. had become consolidated. A.D. 1098. Edgar king of Scotland. succeeds, and Makes Arslan usurps the throne, 1118. Arslan, a son of the late king, now imprisoned his brothers, and was crowned; but the princes who had been put aside appealed through their mother, who was sister of Sanjur, sooltan of the Seljuks, to him for aid, which was promptly rendered, and Arslan defeated in a bloody battle by the sooltan in person. Arslan fled to India, and collecting all the troops there, attempted to recover Ghuzny, but was again defeated, Put to death, and put to death in the twenty-seventh year of his age and third of his reign. 1121. Béhrám When the Seljuk sooltan interfered, in 1118 A.D., on behalf of his nephews, and defeated Arslan, he placed another Booltan, 1118. nephew, Béhrám, brother of Arslan, upon the throne, and the date of his reign is reckoned from that period-there being then in fact two kings of the same kingdom. After quelling a rebellion in India, Béhrám reigned in peace for some time, but having executed one of the Ghoory family, his son-in-law, the Alla-ood-deen Prince of Ghoor, Seif-ood-deen Soor, in order to avenge his brother's death, invaded Ghuzny, when Béhrám was forced to fly, and Seif-ood-deen took possession of the city. Béhrám, however, recovered it during the winter, and took Seif-ood-deen prisoner, whom he executed in a barbarous manner. Alla-ood-deen, brother of Seif-ood-deen, now sooltan of Ghoor, marched at once to avenge the act, defeated Béhrám, and having taken possession Ghuzny of Ghuzny, gave it up to indiscriminate pillage and plundered by slaughter for seven days. Most of the noble edifices Seljuk. raised by the Ghuznevy kings were destroyed, and even learned and inoffensive men of high station were put to death in cold blood. The city never afterwards recovered from this spoliation, and Alla-ood-deen obtained the appellation of 'Jehan-soz,' or 'burner of the world,' by which, and for his infamous cruelties, he was afterwards distinguished. These events have perhaps no direct concern with Indian history, but it is necessary to relate them in regard to the family of Ghoor, which succeeded the Ghuznevies in India. After the engagement with Alla-ood-deen, Sooltan Béhrám fled towards India, but died by the way of a broken heart, in the year 1152, having reigned 35 years. Frederick I., Germany. A.D. 1152. Khoosroo, his son, succeeds. Lahore, The Ghoory conquer king of His son Khoosroo, who reached Lahore safely, was received with joy, and became king. He would have made an effort to regain Ghuzny, but owing to the defeat of the Seljuk sooltan by the Toorkomans, this became impossible, and he remained content with his Indian possessions, over which he ruled for seven years Dies at without troubles. He died at Lahore, in the year 1160, leaving his dominions to his son, Khoosroo Mullik, who was destined to be the last of the dynasty. family After a protracted struggle, the whole kingdom of Ghuzny. Ghuzny had fallen into the possession of the Ghoory Philip family, and in the year 1180, Shahab-ood-deen Ma- Augustus homed Ghoory, brother of Gheias-ood-deen, sooltan France of Ghoor, who had succeeded his uncle Alla-ood-deen, overran the Indian possessions of Sooltan Khoosroo, and invested Lahore, which he was unable to take, and peace was concluded between them, Sooltan Khoosroo giving up his son Khoosroo Mullik as a hostage. Four years afterwards Mahomed Ghoory invaded the Punjab again, and established some garrisons in the province, which Sooltan Khoosroo was unable to expel: and being desirous of getting the sooltan into his power, wrote to him that he had despatched his son with overtures of peace. The message was not open to suspicion, and the sooltan, very desirous of meeting the son from whom he had been so long separated, went to meet him, attended Mahomed Ghoory deposes Sooltan Khoosroo, and establishes the Ghoor. only by a small escort. Mahomed Ghoory's plan had so far succeeded: and by a rapid march, at the head of 20,000 cavalry, he threw himself between the sooltan and Lahore, and while part of the force surrounded the unfortunate sooltan's camp and made him prisoner, the rest, headed dynasty of by Mahomed Ghoory, passed on to Lahore, of which he took possession without opposition, in the name of his brother, the Sooltan of Ghoor. Thus the house of Ghuzny ceased to reign; Sooltan Khoosroo had reigned twenty-eight years, and was the last of the race of Subooktugeen who held royal power. He and his family were sent to Ghoor and confined there, and their ultimate fate is not known. The great Ghuznevy dynasty had lasted from A.D. 962 to 1186, or 224 years. OF THE CONQUESTS OF CHAPTER IV. SOOLTAN SHAHAB-OOD-DEEN, MAHMOOD GHOORY, COMMONLY CALLED MAHOMED GHOORY, A.D. 11561205. Ghoor dies, A.D. 1156. his son, reigns only a year. Sooltan Ghefas-ooddeen suc ALLA-OOD-DEEN, sooltan of Ghoor, who had taken possession of Sooltan Ghuzny, died in 1156 A.D., after a reign of four years. Alla-ood-doen He had confined his nephews Gheias-ood-deen and Shahab-ood-deen, and his son Seif-ood-deen became sooltan. Self-ood-deen, His first act was to release his cousins, and restore succeeds, and them to the government they had previously held; and having reigned barely a year, he was assassinated by a person whose brother he had put to death. To him Gheias-ood-deen succeeded; and it is a strange feature of those times, when the first act of every succeeding monarch seems to have been to slay, blind, or confine every possible pretender to the throne, that he should have trusted his brother Mahomed with powers virtually as extensive as his own; a trust which was fulfilled to the day of his death by Mahomed Ghoory with the most scrupulous and devoted faith. ceeds. Mahomed Mahomed Ghoory, after Ghuzny had been taken possession of First Indian by his brother, Sooltan Gheias-ood-deen, and the officers campaign of of the Ghuznevy kings displaced, was despatched to Ghoory. India, to annex the provinces which belonged to the subverted dynasty. Mooltan was taken, and the fort of Oocha, the scene of Alexander's memorable attack and severe wound, was invested. The gates were opened by the raja's widow, who desired to marry her daughter to the Mahomedan general, and |