14 N. Journal of the ‘Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XVIII, 
by Sultan Ghiyagu-d-din Muhammad, yet refrained from coin- 
ing independently. A Bihar inscription of the governor Ziau-l- 
Haq bin “Ala, as pointed out by Mr. Blochmann in the Jour- 
nal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal of 1873, lends confirmation 
to the theory that Malik Sara did not assume all the ensigns of 
royalty. The inscription bears the name of a Mahmud Shah 
who must be Mahmid Shah Tughlaq of Dehli. Firishta' and 
Yahya bin Ahmad? both give the date of his death as 4.H. 
802 (A.D. 1399). 
Among his retinue on the occasion of his departure from 
Dehli to take over the government of the*eastern provinces 
were two brothers each of whom was destined to succeed to 
independence. There is doubt as to their origin and as to 
the degree of relationship between, them. The one who im- 
mediately succeeded Malik Sara is called variously ‘‘ Malik 
Wasil’’ and ‘‘ Qaranful’’ and Firishta states that he was 
granted the title of “ Maliku-sh-sharqg ’’ when Malik Sara assum- 
ed the more magnificent one of ‘ Sultanu-sh-sharq.”’ 
On the death of Malik Sara ‘‘ Qsranful”’ set himself up 
extent of coining in his own name. No coins of his are how- 
ever forthcoming and it is extremely doubtful if any such 
issue was made. At any rate, whatever degree of indepen- 
dence he set up, it was sufficient to cause Iqbal Khan, who 
was then master of Dehli, to move an a:my against him in 
A.H. 803 (A.D. 1400). The movement achieved little, Mubarak 
Shah died suddenly, and his brother set himself up in his stead 
under the title of Shamsu-d-din Muzaffar Ibrahim Shah. 
Firishta gives the date of Mubarak’s death as A.H. 803 and the 
length of his reign as eighteen months, but the historical records 
of these years are very meagre. 
The records of the Shargi Kings are usually a mere 
recital of military operations, events indifferent!y described and 
not free from doubtful and confused statements. 
During his reign Ibrahim Shah was constantly engaged in 
war with his neighbours, Dehli, Bengal and Malwa but he 
found time also to embellish his capital with magnificent 
architecture. Ibrahim reigned probably from about the year 
A.H. 804 (A.D. 1401) to about the year A.H. 844 (A.D. 1440), 
but there is doubt both as regards the exact date of his acces- 
sion and the date of his death. It has hitherto been generally 
accepted that he succeeded to the Sharqi kingdom in A 
893 and the determination of this date has to a certain extent 
rested on the fact that a coin of Ibrahim Shah is catalogued in 

' Briggs, Vol. IV, p. 360. 
? Elliot and Dowson, Vol. IV, p. 37. 
