£<2 
HINDOOSTA N. 
to keep his omrahs in awe. Rebellion become the inevi¬ 
table confequence of diffenfions in the ftate; and this 
weak fultan was thrown into prifon, where he was poi- 
foned, after a reign of only two years, A. D. 124.2. 
No jfooner had Byram drunk the fatal cup, than the el¬ 
der Balin raifed a faction, and, forcing his way into the 
palace, placed himfelf upon the throne. But the princes 
and nobility, diffatisfied with his fell-advancement, libe¬ 
rated Maffud, the fon of Ferole, from confinement, and 
placed him upon the throne the fame day in which Balin 
had feized it. Maffud, however, had no relifh but for 
wine and women ; and exercifed various adls of cruelty, 
injuftice, and oppreffion. The princes and omrahs deter¬ 
mined upon hoftile meafures, and fent for Mahmud, the 
king’s uncle, from Barage; after which they threw Maf¬ 
fud again into prifon, where he remained for life, having 
reigned only four years. 
Mahmud II. was of a different nature from his predecef- 
fors ; being renowned for bravery, wifdom, and learning ; 
hence he became the patron of literature, the protestor of 
his people, and the friend of the oppreffed. The office of 
vizier was now conferred upon Balin the younger; and 
all the executive power was put into his hands, and exe¬ 
cuted with promptnefs and fidelity. The fame of Mah¬ 
mud extended into all regions. An ambaflador, with 
tenders of honourable friendfhip, arrived at Delhi from 
Hallaku, the grandfon of Gengis, and king of Perfia. The 
vifier went out to meet the embaffy with fifty thoufand 
foreign horfe, two hundred thoufand infantry, two thou¬ 
fand chain-elephants of war, and three thoufand carriages 
of fireworks. He drew them up in order of battle, formed 
in columns of twenty deep, with the artillery and cavalry 
tadlically difpofed. Having "then-exhibited a number of 
military evolutions in a fham fight, and fully difplayed the 
pomp of the fultan his mafter to the ambaflador, lie con¬ 
ducted him to the royal palace. There the court was very 
fplendid, every thing being fet out in the moft gorgeous 
and magnificent manner. All the omrahs, officers-of ftate, 
judges, priefts, and great men of the city, were prefent, 
with five princes of Perfian Irak and Chorafan, befides 
many Indian princes, fubjedt to the empire, who flood 
next the throne.—But every earthly pofleflor of a throne 
is fubject to mortality: Mahmud, in the height of his 
magnificence, died, in the year of the hegira 664, A. D. 
1265, much lamented by his people. * 
Mahmud having no male iffue, his courteous and able 
vizier, Balin, of the fame family, was, by the univerfal ap¬ 
probation of the nobles, placed upon the throne of Delhi. 
He was a warm advocate for the precepts of the Koran; 
and a fevere fcourge to the idolatry of the Hindoos. He 
alfo became fo famous for his juftice and able govern¬ 
ment, that his alliance was courted by all the kings of 
Perfia and Tartary. But his tafte for fplendour and mag¬ 
nificence has been no lefs admired than condemned. 
Such was the pomp and grandeur of the royal prefence in 
his time, that none could approach the throne without 
being ftruck with awe. The ceremonies of introduction 
were conducted with profound folemnity, and every thing 
difpofed fo as to excite reverence and aftonifliment in the 
beholders. Nor was Balin lefs magnificent in his public 
prcceffions. His ftate-elephants were caparifoned in pur¬ 
ple and gold. His horfe-guards, conlifting of a thoufand 
noble Tartars in fplendid armour, were mounted upon the 
fineft Perflan fteeds, with bridles of fdver, and faddles of 
rich embroidery. Five hundred chofen men in rich li¬ 
veries, with their drawn fab res, ran before him, proclaim¬ 
ing his approach, and'clearing the way. All the omrahs 
followed according to their rank, with their various equi¬ 
pages and attendants. The monarch, in fhort, feldom 
went out with lefs than one hundred thoufand men ; which, 
he fifed to fay, was not to gratify any vanity in himfelf, 
but to exalt the Koran in the eyes of the idolatrous peo¬ 
ple of Hindooftan. 
In the fourth year of the reign of Balin, died Shere, the 
nephew of the late emperor, who had, from the time of Mah¬ 
mud, governed the provinces upon-the banks of the Pan¬ 
jab, or five branches of the Indus. He was efteemed a 
man of great genius, and an intrepid warrior; having 
conftantly defended his country from the devaftating in- 
curfions of the Moguls. Balin, upon the death of Shere, 
appointed his eldell fon Mohammed, at that time bearing 
the title of the noble Malleck, viceroy of all thofe frontier- 
provinces. Mohammed was immediately difpatched to 
his government with a fine army, and fome of the beft ge¬ 
nerals in the empire. The prince himfelf was bleft with 
a bright genius, and took delight in learning, and in learn¬ 
ed men. He is faid to have made a choice collection of 
Arabian poe'try, feledted from the beft writers in that lan¬ 
guage. The work confided of twenty thoufand couplets, 
and was efteemed the criterion of poetical tafte. Among 
the literati of thofe times,, the noble Chofro and Haffen 
bore the firft rank in genius; and accompanied him to 
his government of Lahore 
Every thing was now in perfect peace and fecurity 
throughout the Mohammedan empire in Hindooftan, when. 
Togril, who was entrufted with the government of Ben¬ 
gal, began to appear in arms. In the year of the hegira 
678, A. D. 1279, this enterpriiing viceroy aflfimed the red 
umbrella, with the royal dignities, and declared himfelf 
king of Bengal. Balin wrote him an order to return in- 
ftantly to his allegiance; which producing no effedt, he 
fent an army from Delhi to reduce him to obedience. 
This army, however, failing in its object, the fultan dif¬ 
patched a fecond armament, more numerous than the 
firft; but it was attended with no better fuccefs. To¬ 
gril, with fcarcely half their number, totally defeated 
them both. The fultan Balin, on receiving intelligence 
of thefe difafters, prepared to take the field in perfon. He 
gave orders to build a large fleet of boats, for the purpofe 
of carrying his baggage down the river. He crofled the 
Ganges without waiting for the dry feafon, and proceeded 
to Bengal by forced marches. Togril, hearing of his ap¬ 
proach, colledted his army, and with all his elephants, 
treafure, and effects, took the route of Jainagur, with in¬ 
tention to remain there till the king fhould return to Delhi. 
The fultan, having arrived in Bengal, remained there only 
a few days; when he proceeded with his army towards 
Jainagur; ordering his generals,Malleck, and his brother 
Mohammed Shir, governor of Kole, with feven thoufand 
chofen horfe, to advance in front of the army, and gain 
intelligence of the rebels. At the dillance of about twenty 
miles, they came in fight of the rebel camp, which extended 
over a great plain, with every thing in apparent reft and 
fecurity. Mohammed, having fixed his eye upon Togril’s 
tent, which was pitched in the centre, and diftinguifhed 
by its fuperior magnitude and elegance, he determined to 
execute one of the boldeft enterprises perhaps ever eftedled. 
He advanced fullfpeed, with forty attendants, towards the 
camp, which he was permitted to enter, being taken for 
one of their own parties. He continued his courfe to the 
point of adlion; when, ordering his men to draw, they 
ruftied into the tent of audience, which was crowded with 
the principal officers, whom Mohammed put to the fword, 
crying, “Vidtory to the fultan Balin!” Togril, perceiv¬ 
ing his danger, and fuppofing his army to have betrayed 
him, cut his way through the tent behind ; and, mounting 
his horfe, fled towards the river, intending to cnrfs it, that 
he might efcape to Jainagur. But Malleck, the brother of 
Mohammed, perceiving the rebel as he fled, purified him 
to the river, and fhot him with an arrow as he was ci'off- 
ing. Togril fell from his horfe in the river, and Malleck, 
plunging in, dragged him out by the hair, and cut off his 
head, which was forthwith difpatched to Balin, while they 
took poffeflion of the camp ; the infurgents having fled 
in every diredtion. Balin, the next day, fent for the two 
gallant brothers, and commanded them to relate the par¬ 
ticulars of this extraordinary exploit. He heard it with 
great calmnefs; but inftead of praifihg them,- as they ex¬ 
pected, he told them, that the ralhnels of their condudt 
was inconfiftent with their duty, and might have led to 
incalculable 
