1 MUHAMMAD SHAH SUR ADILI. 129
2 Heibat| Khan, viceroy of Léhore, known by the title Azim Himéyin,
3 with whom Kutab Khan had sought protection after plundering the coun-
4 tries in the neighbourhood of the Kaméon hills, displayed a spirit of
5 independence and disregarded the summons of the imperial court, requiring
6 his attendance at Delhi. He was joined by his brother, Said Khan, from
7 Agra, Khawas Khan, a tristed noble of Sher Shah, and by other disaffected
8 chiefs. The Emperor, Salem Shah, tharched to Léhore at the head of his
9 -army, and was met at Amballa by the confederate forces, which were more
10 than twice ag numerous as his own. The troops were drawn up in order of
11 battle and advanced against the insurgents. Fortunately for the king, a
12 dispute had arisen the previous night among the confederate chiefs as to
13 the choice of a future king. Khawas Khan, who still entertained a respect
14 for the family of his patron, Sher Shah, was in favour of the election of
15 Prinée Adil Khan, while Azim Himaytn had views of his own to advance,
16 affirming that “the kingdom was no man’s inheritance, but belonged to him
17 who wielded the sharpest sword.” Factions formed, aud the following day,
18 when the troops on both sides were in motion, Khawas Khan withdrew with
19 his contingent. This circumstance tended so much to weaken the enemy
20 that they offered but a feeble resistance, and Salem Shah gained a decisive
21 victory.
22 abet the year 1548, Kdmrdén Mirza, having been put to flight by his
23 brother Humayun, joined the Ghakkars in the Panj&4b. Humayun crossed
24 the Indus immediately afterwards, and was advancing to the Panjab.
25 Salem Shah had just had leeches applied when the news of this reached
26 him. He instantly rose from his bed, called out his army and was in
27 camp six miles off the -same evening. As the bullocks were grazing in
28 the country, and could not be collected in time to carry the heavy artillery
29 to the Panjab, the assiduity of the king procured two thousand men to drag
30 the unwieldy weapons, and the king arrived at Léhore with great expedition.
31 Hamaytn, however, retreated, and Salem Shah returned to Delhi and
32 eventually retired to Gwalior. He paid another visit to Léhore, shortly before
33 . the celebrated Shekh Alai was condemned to death, on a charge of personat-
34 ing Imam Mahdi and founding a sect called Mahdavi. The Shekh was tried
35 by a body of learned men, and, with the king’s approval, stripped and whip-
36 ped to death.
37 The king had been long afflicted with a painful disorder, of which he
38 died in his palace at Gwalior in 1553, after a reign of about nine years. It is
39 worthy of remark that Mahmud Shah, king of Gujrdt, and Barham Nizam
40 Shah, king of Ahmadnagar, died during the same year. In commemoration
41 of this remarkable circumstance a poet wrote a short epitaph in which the
42 words—
43 whys Shay
44 “ The ruin of kings ” represent the date, ¢.¢., 961 or 1553 Av.
45 MUHAMMAD SHAH SUR ADILI.
46 On the death of Salem Shah, his son, prince Firoz, then twelve years of
47 age, was raised to the throne by the Omerahs of the Sur tribe; but he had
48 not reigned three days when Mubariz Khan, the son of Nizim Khan, nephew
49 © the late Sher Shah and brother-in-law of Salem Shah, entered the female
50 apartments, and, dragging the young prince from the arms of his mother, Sul-
51 tana Bibi, his own sister, slew him with his own hand, ind, ascending the
52 th g 3 {1 ‘ cs payers ili.
53 irone, aggumed the itl af Mibommped Shah Adili
54 Robvellion of the
55 Lahore viceroy.
56 Tis defeat,
57 The emperor visits
58 Lahore twice.
59 His death, 1553.
60 A remarkable coinci-
61 dence.
62 .
63 Muhammad Shah
64 Adili murders his
65 nephew and nsurps the
66 throne, 1553.
67 ibrary NamdhanEliprary@ gmail.com