2 E. EL Oliver— Coin* of the Muhammadan Kings of Gujarat. [No. 1, 



csting particulars as told by the native historians in the Mirdt-i-Ahmadi 

 and the Mirdt-i-SikandaH. 



In both, however, there is a little blank between the assassination of 

 Mahmiid III., and the final incorporation of the State into the Mughal 

 Empire. This is a period regarding which most historians are silent ; 

 probably for the very excellent reasons, that there are no very accurate 

 materials, and the accounts of native writers are somewhat conflicting, 

 while it is perfectly accurate and more easy to sum up the whole, as 

 being " thirty years of anarchy." 



Briefly, the outline of those thirty years of anarchy is somewhat 

 as follows : Mahmiid III was murdered by a slave named Burhan in 

 Mahmudabad, on the 12th Rabi'u-l-awwal, 961 H. (the eve of the 13th 

 according to the Mirat-i-Sikandari), which slave in addition entrapped 

 and killed some twelve of the chief Gujarat nobles. Among those saga- 

 cious enough not to fall into Burhan's trap was one I'timad Khan. 

 Originally a Hindu servant, this I'timad, whose name may be taken to 

 signify " trusted," had risen under Mahmiid to a most confidential posi- 

 tion. His master even allowed him to enter the harem, and had put 

 him in charge of the women. He had been made an Amir, and is spoken 

 of as " prime minister." The morning after the murder, I'timad 

 collected a few followers, killed Burhan, managed to pacify the city and 

 restore order. It was to him that the court of Mahmudabad instinctively 

 looked, to act as regent and to set about finding a successor to the 

 throne. There seems little doubt, however, that whoever might be the 

 nominal successor, I'timad determined to retain the substance of power 

 in his own hands ; and for the whole thirty years he was really the "king- 

 maker " in the back-ground. 



The accounts as to the actual arrangements made by him vary some- 

 what. According to the Ain-i-Akbari, he raised Raziu-l-Mulk, " a son 

 of Sultan Ahmad, the founder of Ahmadabad," to the throne. But 

 Sultan Ahmad the first died in 846 H., 115 years before; and Razi is 

 Bpoken of as " very young ! " The more probable version is given in the 

 Mirdt-i-Sikandari, the author of which, Sikandari ibn Muhammad, was 

 bom in 961 H. ; and relates tbat the nobles having concerted to- 

 gether, asked I'timad Khan, who was acquainted with the Sultan's do- 

 mestic affairs, whether the Sultan had left any son, or if any of the 

 Sultan's wives were expecting a child : if so, they would wait till the 

 child's birth before deciding on any arrangements regarding the king- 

 dom. I'timad said no ; the Sultan had not left any son, nor were any 

 of his wives expecting a child. As he was well acquainted with the 

 Sultan's affairs, and denied the possibility of any direct heir, they then 

 asked him if there was any relative of the late Sultan who was fit to 



