SECT. III. Orders were in consequence issued, to station guards at CHAP. II. every gate of the city, and that none but Askeri Mírza and his people should be permitted to enter. The more effectually to preserve the inhabitants from injury, the Emperor led his army across the Sabramati, so as to interpose that river between his camp and the city; and took post at the beautiful village of Sirkích, still an object of interest, from the splendid tombs of the kings of Gujrát, which it contains. From his headquarters there, accompanied by his principal officers, he visited the magnificent palaces, mosques, and colleges of his new capital, which was then certainly one of the richest and noblest in the world. rangements of Gujrát. The conquest of Gujrát being now nearly complete, His arthe Emperor turned his thoughts to the settlement of the country and the preservation of what he had gained. Askeri Mírza retained Ahmedábád, and was raised to the dignity of viceroy. The veteran Hindú Beg, with a large force, was to act as minister and commanderin-chief, and to send or carry assistance wherever the exigencies of the service required. Terdi Beg retained Champanír; Yádgár Násir Mirza had the district of Patan-Nehrwála; Kásim Husein Sultan, Uzbek, had Barúch and Nousári, with the port of Surat; Dost Beg Ishekágha had Cambay and Baróda; and Mír Bochak Beháder, Mahmúdábád.† Hindú Beg. It appears to have been at this crisis that the Em- Advice of peror was urged by some of his counsellors, especially by Hindú Beg, to make some permanent settlement of the affairs of Gujrát, so as to enable him to march back, with the great body of his army, to the provinces of the Ganges, which, while he was overrunning Malwa and Gujrát, were already suffering deeply from the miseries of invasion and revolt. Their advice was, to Chamberlain. + The Tabakát makes a different allotment of some of these places, giving Barúch to Hindú Beg, and BOOK IV. set apart a sum equal to one or two years' pay of his A. D. 1536. troops, to reserve the rest for future exigencies, and to restore Sultan Beháder, nominally, to the throne of Gujrát. This, they affirmed, would not only add to his reputation for generosity, but would enable him to govern that country in the easiest and most peaceful way, and at the same time to provide for the safety of his other dominions. The Emperor, however, could not bear the idea of appearing to give up kingdoms, on the conquest of which he valued himself so much. The future history of his reign proves that the advice was a sound one. It was impossible, with the force that he possessed, to maintain kingdoms so extensive and so scattered as he now occupied, especially as the natives of Gujrát showed a decided partiality for the old dynasty of their kings. Situated as he then was, Beháder would probably have consented to become his vassal, and to have left in his hands the principal forts of the kingdom. Alarming Humáyun, after having divided the country among intelligence his Amírs, pushed on towards Diu in pursuit of Befrom Agra, háder Shah, who had taken refuge there. Scarcely, and from Malwa, however, had he reached Dandúka, about thirty kos from Ahmedábád, when he was overtaken by expresses from Agra, bringing him the most alarming intelligence. His long absence from his capital, and the great distance to which he had marched with the main body of his army, so as to be almost lost sight of, had encouraged the disaffected to rise in several quarters. The Afgháns in Behar and in the East were again active. Muhammed Sultan Mírza, assisted by his sons, Ulugh and Shah Mírzas, had made himself master of the country from Kanauj to Juánpúr, and caused the Khútba to be read in his own name. Symptoms of commotion and revolt had begun to show themselves even in the provinces on the Jamna, and close around Agra. Dispatches of similar import followed in rapid SECT. III. succession from different parts of Malwa, conveying CHAP. II. information that Sekander Khan and Milu Khan, hereditary chieftains in that kingdom, recovering themselves from their discomfiture, had made an irruption into the territory of Hindia, on the Nerbáda, which they had plundered, and compelled Mehter Zambúr, his governor, to quit his capital for Ujein; that the imperial troops, who had been stationed in various parts of Malwa, unable to keep the field, had thrown themselves into Ujein, where they were besieged; and finally, that Derwish Ali, the governor, having been killed by a musket shot, the garrison, in despair of not being able to hold out till they were relieved, had capitulated. returns to On receiving this unwelcome news, the Emperor Humayun determined to retrace his steps. His plan now was, to Mándu. make Mándu, as being a centrical position, his permanent head-quarters, till he had cleared Malwa of invaders, reduced to order the kingdom of Gujrát, which he considered as substantially subdued, and suppressed the commotions and revolt in the vicinity of Agra. Setting out, on his return, therefore, he left Mirza Askeri, his brother, in the government of Gujrát, assisted by Hindú Beg and other experienced officers; and marched, by Cambay, Baróda, and Barúch, to the town. of Surat. Thence, he proceeded to Malwa, taking a circuitous route by way of Búranpúr, where he staid eight days. The kings of Ahmednagar and Berár, on hearing of his march, sent him letters congratulating him on his successes. He proceeded on his route, passing close under the strong fort of Asír, and at length reached Mándu. The report of his approach had Tranquilliinduced the invaders to hasten back to their former Malwa. retreat; so that the country was soon restored to a "It was during this march that Khondemí, the author of the Kabil-us-Seir, died in his camp. The remains of this eminent person were conveyed to Delhi, and interred zation of A. D. 1536. BOOK IV. state of tranquillity. He was fond of the climate of Malwa, and lingered there with pleasure. He established several of his most confidential servants in the province, by bestowing on them estates and jágírs; and his affairs once more seemed to assume a promising aspect. 81 CHAPTER II. AFFAIRS OF GUJRÁT AND MALWA. HIS NAME SECTION IV. LOSS OF GUjrát and MALWA. INDE BE REACTION IN GUJRÁT, IN FAVOUR OF BEHÁDER. SURAT OCCUPIED IN PURSUIT BY BEHÁDER. TERDI BEG REFUSES THEY MARCH TOWARDS AGRA. BEHÁDER TAKES CHAMPANÍR — AND RECOVERS all gujrÁT. - HUMÁYUN INTERCEPTS ASKERI, IN RÁJPUTÁNA. GANGETIC PROVINCES. SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF HINDAL MÍRZA. OF BEHÁDER. - HIS ADHERENTS RETIRE TO AHMEDÁBÁD. — HIS IM MEDIATE SUCCESSORS. CHAP. II. SECT. IV. Reaction in Gujrát in Beháder. BUT this was only a transient gleam of prosperity. Gujrát had been overrun, indeed, but it was far from being settled. The conquerors were still considered in the light of strangers and marauders. Hardly had favour of Humayun turned his back on the province, when revolt began to show itself. Beháder Shah had succeeded in concluding a treaty with the Portuguese, by which they agreed to furnish him an auxiliary force. He was also busy in raising a body of five or six thousand Habshi or |