1 MUHAMMAD TOGHLAK. 109
2 purpose of securing their communications. On reaching the Chinese border,
3 the Indians were opposed by a numerous army. The rainy scason now set
4 in, and the low country was completely inundated, while the mountains were
5 covered with impervious woods, and, to crown the distress of the Indians,
6 asevere famine soon began to decimate them. In the midst of these calamities
7 a large number of the.invading army were cut off by the Chinese troops, while,
8 during their retreat, the mountaineers plundered them of their baggage.
9 The whole army thus fell victims to the king’s ambition, and, as Ferishta pasture of the expe-
10 says, scarcely a man survived to relate the fate of the expedition, except ‘tion.
11 those who had been left behind in the garrisons.
12 In 1840 Malik Behram Abia, the old friend of the king’s father, raised Apovolt of Behram
13 the standard of insurrection. The king had removed the seat of his govern- Multan 1340 4b.
14 ment from Delhi to Deogarh, which he called Dowlatabad, and had given
15 stringent orders to all his Omerahs to remove to the new city with their
16 families. Ali, a confidential servant of the king, was sent to Behram,
17 viceroy of Multén, with the same message; but he proving unwilling to
18 comply with the king’s requisitions, Ali had recourse to insolent threats.
19 High words passed between the messenger and the viceroy’s son-in-law; and,
20 blows ensuing, the messenger’s head was struck off by one of Behram’s
21 attendants. The king, hearing of this disrespect to his authority, forthwith — the king moves in
22 put his army in motion and arrived before Multdén. Malik Behrawa drew wp Person to chastise
23 his forces in order of battle, and an engagement took place between the
24 two armies, attended with great bloodshed on both sides. Behram’s troops
25 were at last defeated and put to flight. The King, who was much incensed,
26 gave orders for a massacre of all the inhabitants of Multan, but the holy
27 saint Rukn-ud-din mediated with him and persuaded him to refrain from so
28 bloody a deed. The vanquished army was pursued by the victors, who over- Bahram is defeated
29 took Malik Behram, and, killing him, brought his head as a trophy to the and Putte death, 1810
30 king, who, after these events, returned to Delhi, having appointed Behzdd
31 Khan his viceroy at Multan.
32 About the year 1341, Shah, a powerful chief of the Afghdn Mountains, — tuyasion of ariltan
33 ravaged the countries north of the Panjab and invaded Multén. The by Shai the Afghan
34 governor, Behzdd Khan, appeared with his army to oppose him, but was Sg pote ot
35 defeated with great slaughter and put to death. The invader laid waste the
36 whole province, and its inhabitants were reduced to great straits. These
37 tidings having reached Delhi, the emperor moved towards Multan at the
38 head of an army, but Shé&hu, on his approach, fled to his hill fastness, and, His sight.
39 the danger being thus averted, the king retraced his steps to his capital.
40 In the year 1341 the Panj&b was once more invaded by the Ghakkars, — the panjab invaded
41 under their chief malik Hyder Khan, Tatar Khan, the viceroy of Lahore, by Ghakkars, 1341 a.,
42 opposed the enemy, and, in a battle which was fought, the Lahore army
43 was defeated and the viceroy killed. On news of this disaster reaching the
44 court at Delhi, the emperor despatched Khwaja Jahan at the head of a large
45 army against the Ghakkars, who were put to flight and expelled from the , Whoare finally
46 coun try. efcated and repulsed.
47 In the year 1351, the emperor, having been joined by Alttin Bahadur, at
48 the head of 5,000 Moghal horse, went on an expedition to Tata, to chastise _ Expedition to
49 the Sumera prince of Sindh. The Moharram festival coming on, he halted iia Sau
50 within sixty miles of the city to pass the first tendays of the month. During
51 the halt he partook of fish in excess and contracted a fever. Before he had
52 recovered, he embarked in a vessel for Tata, but expired within 30 miles of perth of Muhnmmad
53 of that town, on 20th March 1851, after a reign of twenty-seven years. Toghlak, 1351 a.p.
54 The historian, Zia-ud-din Barm author of the history of Firoz Shah,
55 flourished in the time of Muhammad Toghlak, and accompanied the emperor
56 SriSatguru Jagjit Singh JieLibrary | NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com