31'6 Lieut. -Colonel Brig as on the Life and Writings ofFerishta. 



Ibrahim, enraged at this insolence, exclaimed, ' Will no one punish this 

 traitor ?' Upon which an inferior officer of the body guard, named Adlna 

 Khan, spurred his horse up to Dilawer Khan, gave iiim a wound M'ith his 

 sabre, and was preparing to inflict another, when the ministei-'s iiorse 

 rearing at the flashing of the weapon, threw him ; and some of his elephant 

 drivers urging their elephants between him and Adina Khan, gave him 

 time to escape to his own troops, whom he endeavoured to lead on against 

 the king ; but they hesitated to assault their sovereign, and many of them 

 even deserted to liim. Dilawer Khan, overwlielmed with confusion, efif'ected 

 his escape to Ahmudnuggur ; but his son Kumal Khan was overtaken at 

 Darasun by the royalists and put to death." 



In continuation of the life of Ferishta, we may mention tliat he attended 

 the Princess Begum Sultana, the daughter of Ibrahim Adil Shah II., from 

 Bijapur to Moongi Peitun, in tlie year A.D. 1604, and was present at her 

 nuptials with the prince Daniel, the son of Akber. In the year I606, he 

 proceeded as ambassador to tlie court of Jehangir, which he overtook at 

 Lahore, on its route to Kashmeer. The object of tliis embassy is not known ; 

 but it seems probable that it was a mere mission of condolence on account 

 of his father's death, and of congratulation on the prince's accession to the 

 throne of the most powerfid empire of the East. 



At a very early period of life, Ferishta conceived the idea of writing the 

 work which he has left to posterity, as appears from his preface ; which is 

 so full of simplicity and modesty, that I shall give it in his own words. 



" Muhamed Kasim Hindu Shah, the most humble subject of this realm, 

 begs to state to the learned, tliat in liis youthful days he was early in- 

 spired with a desire of compiling a history of the conquests of Islam in 

 Hind, and of giving some account of the holy personages who have 

 flourislied in that country ; but being unable to procure the materials neces- 

 sary for such a work at Alnnudnuggiu', where he tlien resided, his wish 

 still remained to be fulfilled ; when in the year 998 (A.D. 1589) he proceeded 

 from that city to Bijapur, and was introduced to the prince who was then 

 seated on the throne of the latter kingdom. That monarch devoted much 

 of his time to the study of history, and frequently heaped favours on this 

 author, urging him to complete the object which had ever been uppermost 

 in his mind. 



" In order to effect this end, he was directed to obtain historical works 

 from all quarters ; and in a short time a vast collection of materials was 



