55 ' HINDOOSTAN. 
attendants all night in the foreft. In the morning, at fun- 
rife, he placed himfelf upon a rifing ground, where he fat 
down with two or three attendants, and commanded the 
reft to hunt in his view. Akit, his brother-in-law, ob- 
ferving this, thought it was now in his power to cut off 
the king, in the fame manner as the king had cut off his 
predeceffor. Akit imparted his refolution to a few cho- 
fen companions, who applauded the treafoh. They imme¬ 
diately rode up to the king, and attacked him with a 
flight of arrows, two of which entered his body, fo that 
he lay for dead on the ground. Akit then drew his 
fword, and ran to cut off his head; when he was told by 
one of the fultan’s attendants, that he was quite dead ; 
that therefore to cut off his head would be worfe than 
favage cruelty. Akit therefore defifted; but fet out for 
the camp with all expedition, mounted the throne, and 
proclaimed himfelf the reigning fultan. The great men 
affembled to pay their court, and the cuftomary fervice 
was read from the Koran; the chutba was proclaimed 
aloud, and the fingers ordered to extol his praife. Akit 
then rofe from the throne, and proceeded towards the ha¬ 
rem ; but Dinar, the chief eunuch, flopped him at the 
door,- fwearing that, till he fliowed him Alla’s head, or 
put him to death, he fliould not enter. Alla, in the mean 
time, recovered his fenfes,and, having his wounds bound 
up, flattened with all poffible fpeed to the camp, where 
thoufands crowded around him, to fee the deceafed fultan 
again come to life. The court of the ufurper was imme¬ 
diately broke up; and Akit, mounting his horfe, fled to¬ 
wards Binour. Alla ordered him to be purfued by a 
party of horfe, who focn came up with him, and brought 
back his head. Alla, after his recovery, employed him- 
felf-in fettling and improving the internal government of 
his empire, in augmenting his army, and in regulating 
the prices of corn and merchandize throughout his whole 
dominions. In the mean time, Ramdeo, rajah of Deogur 
in the Deccan, having neglefled to fend the revenues, a 
great army was ordered again to invade that rich diftri£l. 
Cafoor, the favourite general of Alla, to whom the 
expedition was confided, marched with the Mohammedan 
forces, in the year of the hegira 706, and encamped upon 
the borders of the Deccan. He then proceeded to the 
iiege of Deogur, now known by the name of Dowlatabad. 
Ramdeo, being in no condition to oppofe him, prudently 
left his fon Singeldeo in the fort, and advanced with pre- 
fents to the general, as a means to procure peace, which 
was accordingly fettled between them. Cafoor, upon 
this, difpatched a writing to the king; and fome time 
after conducted Ramdeo, with rich prefents and feventeen 
elephants, to pay his allegiance to the fultan at Delhi, 
where he himfelf was received with every mark of favour 
and diftinftion. Ramdeo had royal dignities conferred 
upon him, with the title of Rai Raian, prince of princes ; 
and had not only the government of his own dominions 
feftored to him, but others were alfo added; for all which 
he did homage, and paid tribute to the fultan. 
During this expedition into the Deccan, the fultan em- 
‘ ployed himfelf in taking a ftrong fort to the fouthward of 
Delhi, called Sewanah, which had often been attempted 
in vain. When the rajah of this place found he could 
hold out no longer, he fent his own image, which had 
been call in pure gold, to Alla, with a chain round its 
neck, in token of obedience. This prefent was accom¬ 
panied with a hundred elephants, and other valuable ef¬ 
fects, in hopes of procuring peace. Alla received the 
prefents, but returned for anfwer, that unlefs he came 
and made his fubmiflicn in perfon, he could hope but 
little from his dumb reprefentative. The rajah, finding 
the emperor inexorable, threw himfelf upon his mercy, 
and delivered up the place; but, as was his cufcom, he 
reftored it to him again. 
Cafoor, in the mean while, advanced from Deogur to 
the frontiers of Tijlingana, and laid fiege to Arinkil, 
which was a place of great ftrength. Lidderdeo, the ra¬ 
jah of the place, having no means of extricating himfelf 
4 - 
from the mifehiefs which threatened him, bought his 
peace with three hundred elephants, feven thoufand 
horfes, and money and jewels to an incalculable amount; 
agreeing, at the fame time, to pay an annual tribute. Ca¬ 
foor, after this advantageous peace, returned with his 
army to Delhi; where, upon his approach to the city, the 
fultan himfelf went out and met him at the Budaoongate, 
and there the conqueror laid all the fpoils at his feet. 
Such was the refult of what is ufually called the fecond Mo¬ 
hammedan invafion of the Deccan. 
In the year of the hegira 710,the fultan fent Cafoorand 
Chaja, with a great army, to reduce Dhoor, Summund, 
and Maber, alfo in the Deccan, where he had heard there 
Were many idol-temples very rich in gold and jewels. 
When they had proceeded to Deogur, they found that 
Ramdeo was dead, and that the young prince, Singeldeo, 
was not fo well affefted to their intereft. They however 
fecured a ftrong poll upon the Ganges, and continued 
their march to the territories of Belial Deo, fovereign of 
the Carnatic, whom they took prifoner, and ravaged his 
whole country. They found in the temples a prodigious 
fpoil in golden idols adorned with precious ftones; and 
other rich utenfils, confecrated to their worfhip. Here 
Cafoor built a molque, and ordered divine fervice to be 
read according to the Mohammedan faith, and the chutba 
to be pronounced in the fultan’s name. Scarcely were 
thefe fpoils fecured, before fome perfons in the camp over¬ 
heard a difpute between fome Brahmins, who had taken 
refuge amongft them, concerning the divifion of fome 
hidden, treafure ; upon which they were leized, and car¬ 
ried before Cafoor to be examined. They were at 
firft very obftinate ; but, their lives being threatened, an 
ample difeovery was made. Seven different places were 
pointed out near the camp, where immenfe treafures were 
concealed. Thefe being dug up and placed upon ele¬ 
phants, Cafoor, without proceeding further on his expe¬ 
dition, returned to Delhi. He prefented the fultan with 
three hundred and twelve elephants, twenty-thoufand 
horfes, ninety-fix thoufand maunds of gold, (about one 
hundred millions of our money,) feveral chefts of jewels 
and pearls, and other precious things. Alla, upon feeing 
this treafure, opened the doors of his bounty to all. He 
gave to each of the principal omrahs ten maunds, and to 
the inferior five. The learned men cf his court received 
onemaund; and thus in proportion he dillributed wealth 
to all his houfehold, according to their rank and quality. 
The remainder was melted down, coined, and lodged in 
the treafury. It is laid, that during this expedition to 
the Carnatic, the foldiers threw the filver they found 
away, as too cumberlome, where gold was found in fuch 
plenty. No perfon wore bracelets, chains, or rings, of 
any other metal than gold ; while all the plate in the houfes 
of the great, and in the temples, was of beaten gold ; 
neither was filver money at all current in that country, 
according to the reports of thofe conquerors. The fultan, 
elevated by this good fortune, fet on foot many noble 
works ; and magnificence raifed her head in the land. 
Palaces, mofques, univeriities, baths, forts, and all kinds 
of public buildings, feemed to rife as by the power of 
enchantment; neither did there in any age appear fuch a 
concourfe of learned men. Forty-five, fkilled in the fei- 
ences, were profeffors in the univerfities. In poetry, 
Chofro and Delavi held the firft rank. In philofophy and 
phyfic, Molana of Damafcus. In divinity, Shatabi. In 
aftrology, Nizam Awlia acquired much fame. Others 
diftinguiihed themfelves in mufic, morality, languages, 
and in all the fine arts then flourithing in the Eaftern 
World. Such was the confequence of the third Mohammedan 
invafon cf the Deccan. 
Cafoor, after he had thus glutted the fultan with gold, 
began to think of providing for himfelf; and to this end 
begged to make a fourth expedition into the Deccan ; pro- 
mifing, that he would not only collect the revenues which 
had fallen due, but bring the rajah of Deogur, and others, 
who had withheld their allegiance and tribute, under pro- 
per 
