33 
H INDO 
Ho (hung of Malavi; which intelligence was extremely 
agreeable to him, as he fought an opportunity to expel 
Ibrahim from his dominions. He therefore gave orders 
to mutter his army; and, pitching his tent without the 
city, fpent a few days in collecting his forces; during 
which interval he went to worlhip at a molque that he 
had recently conftrud'ed in the new city, with only a few 
attendants. The confpirators ruffed upon him wjth drawn 
fwords, and bafely aflaflinated him in the midft of his' 
prayers. But the vizier, finding himfeif not likely to be 
fupported by the omrahs, fettled matters with Moham¬ 
med, one of the grandfons of the emperor Chizer, and 
railed that prince to the throne, in the year of the hegira 
837; Mubarick having reigned thirteen years, three' 
months, and fixteen days. 
Mohammed, exalted to the throne by a guilty mif- 
creant, found that he had-only'put on a crown of thorns. 
In an infufreftion of the indignant omrahs, the king- 
being befieged in his palace, and perceiving that his own 
affairs would be. ruined if he fhoukl adhere to the vizier, 
endeavoured to conciliate matters with the omrahs, and, 
at the fame time, fought an opportunity of cutting off 
the vizier. The vizier, difcovering this plot, refolvedto 
be beforehand with the king; accordingly, one night, 
with, the fons of Miran Sidder, and fome of his own ad¬ 
herents, he broke into the king’s .apartment. But the ful- 
tan, having fufpefted him of thefe intentions, had a guard 
at hand, who, on a fignal given, rallied out, and cut the 
vizier in pieces. Mohammed, after this narrow efcape, 
inftead of conciliating the regard of his omrahs, devoted 
himfeif entirely to pleafure, and neglected all the concerns 
of government. The excefs of his indolence foon affefted' 
the health cf the itate. Diforder and diifatisfacrion began 
to appear firit in Moultan, where a tribe of Patans rofe up- 
in rebellion. At the fame time, Beloli Lodi, who was 
afterwards emperor, but at this time the governor of .Sir- 
hind, had poffeffed himfeif of the city and diftrifts. of La¬ 
hore and Debalpour, with ail the country quite to Pan- 
iHput. The fultan, receiving intelligence of this revolt, 
deigned to fend his army againft him, while he quietly 
rcpofed himfeif in the harem. The omrahs accordingly 
advanced againft the infurgerits, and defeated them. But, 
from the fultan’s" fupinenefs and voluptuous habits of 
life, his pov/er foon became weakened, and his health 
began to decay. He died in the year of the hegira 850, 
A. D. 1446,. after .a reign of twelve years, leaving behind 
him the.character of a weak, .diffolute, and pufillanimous, 
prince. ■ 
Alla II. the fon of Mohammed, mounting the throne 
upon the death of his father, all the omrahs, except Be¬ 
loli Lodi, who had feized Biana, and fecretly afpired to 
the empire, came and 1 'wore allegiance to him. This con¬ 
tempt of Beloli, the new fultan was then in no condition 
to chaftife; but, having collected an army in the begin¬ 
ning of the year 1447, he marched with an intention to 
recover Biana. But-, while he was upon the way, a rumour 
was propagated, 'that the king of the Baft was advancing 
towards Delhi, which immediately brought back Alla to 
I is capital, where, for a time, things remained in peace. 
The fultan, in the following year, removed to Budaoon, 
where he employed liimfelf in laying out gardens, build¬ 
ing pieafure-houfes, and-making fumptuous entertain¬ 
ments. He next ordered preparations to be made for re¬ 
moving his court to Budaoon; from which not all the 
remonftranccs of his friends could reft rain him; accord¬ 
ingly, in the year of the hegira 852, A. D. 144.7, Alla fet 
out for Budaoon, leaving his vizier Hi flam in the govern¬ 
ment of Delhi. 'When the fultan had fixed himfeif in his 
new capital, Beloli marched a numerous army againft 
Delhi, and amuled the fultan,. by writing him word that 
he was going there to chaftife the vizier; he however took 
poffeffioii of the city, and afiumed the title of Sultan Be¬ 
loli. He then, committed Delhi to the charge of his fon, 
Chaja Baezid; and, marching in perfonto Debalpour, col- 
Icfted together a great army of Afghans. H.e wrote word, 
VOL. X. No. 638, 
O S T A N. 
r.t the fame time, to Alla, that, upon his account, he had 
expelled the vizier out of the city; and he received for 
anfwer from the weak prince, “ that, as his father had 
adopted Beloli for his fon, he would efteem him as his 
brother;” he moreover promifed to cede to him the em¬ 
pire, upon condition that he would permit him to live 
undifturbed for the remainder of his life in the poflefflon 
of Budaoon. Beloli then threw the name cf Alla out of 
the public prayers, and fpread the regal umbreila over his 
own head. Alla remained,at Budaoon till his death, which 
did not happen till the year of the hegira 883, A. D. 14.78 ; 
his reign in Delhi being feven years, and his government 
of Budaoon near twenty-eight. A weak prince, but a 
virtuous man. 
Beloli was an Afghan, of the tribe of Lodi. In the 
time of the emperor Ferofe,. Ibrahim, the grandfather of 
Beloli, being poflefled of wealth, made his way to the 
court of Delhi, and failed himfeif to the government of 
Moultan. He managed his affairs lb well, that the -go¬ 
vernment of Sirhind was conferred upon'him,' and, with 
other diftricls near it, were confirmed to him in jaghire.- 
Thefe dignities paved his way to the throne. 
In the year of the hegira 855, being the firfl: after his : 
advancement to the imperial dignity, he determined to 
vindicate the invaded rights of his empire, and compel 
the payment of the accuftomed tribute from all the de¬ 
pendent rajahs. This, however, led him into a variety, of 
contefts;.and brought on a defultory war with Mahmud, 
king of the Eaft, whole capital was jionpour, then a ftou- 
rbhirig. city, fituate about forty miles to the north-weft of 
Ben,href; but is now a place, of little note. Several .par¬ 
tial aftions had from time to time taken place, when 
Mahmud approached with an army of thirty thoufand 
horfe, thirty elephants, and numerous infantry',- intending 
to feize Delhi, and difpoffefs Beloli of the empire. Be¬ 
loli, however, with equal bravery, drew -out his army, and 
was marching to meet the invader, when he received ad¬ 
vice that Mahmud had juft expired, and that the omrahs 
had fet up his fon Mohammed; and, by the mediation of 
the young king’s mother, a peace was immediately con¬ 
cluded. But it was not long before the omrahs confpired 
againft Mohammed, and, having aflaflinated him, raifed. 
his brother Haflen to the throne of the eaitern kingdom. 
Haflen, with one hundred thoufand horfe, and a thoufand 
elephants, was determined to renew the war, arid marched 
from Attava towards Delhi; and Beloli, far from being 
intimidated, refolutely marched out to meet him. The 
two armies, having advanced to Battevara, encamped for 
fome time in light of each other, and, after fome Ikirmiflies, 
they again concluded a peace; but this peace was by no 
means Lifting; for the two rival monarchs foon renewed 
the war, which lafted for feveral years, with various fuc- 
cefs, until Haflen was finally conquered, and his capital / 
of Jionfrour taken, by the fultan of Delhi, who placed 
Barbee, one of his own fons, upon the throne of the Eaft- 
ern provinces. He then advanced to Calpie, which he . 
took, and gave to his grandfon, Azina Humaioon, the fon 
of his eldeft fon Baezid. He directed then his march to 
Dolipore, raifing a tribute upon the rajah of that place, 
who v/as glad to rank himfeif among Beloii’s fubjefts. 
The fultan being now extremely old, and infirmities 
increafing upon him, lie divided his extenfive dominions - 
among his fons and nephew's, and died in the year of the 
hegira 894, A. D. 1488, after a reign of thirty-eight years 
and eight months. -Beloli v/as elteemed a virtupus and 
mild prince, a friend to literature, and a patron of the 
arts. He was never fond of war, although he gave many, 
proofs of perfonal courage. In the field he v/as cautious 
to excefs; and, not delighting in the wafte of human 
blood, he constantly endeavoured to heal all difprrtes by 
negociation. 
The omrahs, upon the death of Beloli, Formed them- 
felves into a council, in which fome appeared to be at¬ 
tached to the intereft of I-Iumaidcn; fome to Barbee, eldeft 
lurviving fon of. the fultan ; and fome to Nizam, who had 
1 C - aflumed . 
