bo 
in name, perished at Delhi at the time of the Indian Mutiny. The 
grandson of Baber, who passed many years of his life as a home- 
less adventurer, the son of Hoomagoon, who was for five years 
ousted from his kingdom by the Afghan Dynasty of Soor, when 
Akber was raised to the throne in succession to his father on the 
15th of February, 1556, at the early age of thirteen years and 
three months, only those portions of his vast kingdom immediately 
contiguous to the capital could be said to be under complete 
control. Public affairs in Northern and Eastern India were by 
no means settled. Sikander Shah Soor, though defeated, was still 
in the field, at the head of some of the best old Patan chivalry. 
In the eastern provinces, the Patans still held royal power; and 
Mahomed Soor Adily, with his followers and clansmen, was a 
formidable antagonist. The Rajpoots and Hindoos of central 
India had as yet made no declaration, either of adherence to the 
old Mahomedan party, or recognition of the new; and while 
many new estates and dignities had been granted by Hoomagoon 
to those who had served him best, the estates and allowances of 
the nobles and officers of Putan Court were as yet unconfirmed. 
It is almost impossible to conceive of the existence of elements 
more profoundly disturbing or difficult to deal with; and to increase 
the embarrassment, the Mogul force in the country was singularly 
small, and may not at this period, even with reinforcements from 
Afghanistan, have exceeded 30,000 cavalry ; whereas, on the other 
hand, the united Patan clans could bring 100,000 into the field 
with ease; and Kabool and Kandahar, with Budukshan, ever 
restless and mutinous, were also to be controlled. Over this 
seething and unstable mass, a boy barely fourteen years of age, and 
his counsellors, inexperienced in Indian affairs, were to preside, 
and out of it to create one of the greatest empires in the world. 
It would be long and tedious upon the present occasion, to 
attempt to follow him through his conquests, second alone to 
subjugating his kingdom, was the difficulty of emancipating himself 
and his government, from the control of one or two able men 
by whom he was surrounded. Coming to the throne at so early 
an age, the chosen advisers and followers of his father, who had 
