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as the date of Bakhtiar’s assassination, bathe accepts o‘J4 A.H. as the date of the Bengal'couquest—which involves chronological contradiction. ...... Mr. Thomas in hie‘'Initial Coinage of Bengal” slates that A t Ma.d.u assumed independence under the title of Abiuddiu when Quitudd.n A.bak died in Lahore in 607 A.H. Thus allowing 8 months for Malik A/uddin s role, Bakhtiar Khilji appears to have been assassinated about the nml e of 606 A.H.—the date previously airived at by me. In Badaoni, it is stated that Muhammad Bakhtiar Khilji returned to Deokot from Tibbat with only some three hundred troopers. t< rest of l.ia expeditionary force having perished, and fell ill from \e , and was attacked with hectic fever, and used to say no doubt bull Muhammad Muixuddin has met with an accident, that fortune has gone so against me.” And when he became weak from illness, Ah Mnidnu of Muhammad Bakhtiar’s principal officers, arrived at co o • a " d ing him bed-ridden, pulled down the sheet from his face, and i si 69 from the rule of this transitory world into the eternal world, Malik 1 *Azu d-rl-in Khilji succeeded to the rule over Bengal, tight months had not passed, when ‘All Mardan Khilji slew him. -o- RULE OF ‘ALL MARDAN KHlLJl IN BENGAL. After the assassination of ‘Ass-ad-din, his assassin, 4 Ali Mardan Khilji beccane ruler of Bengal, styled himself Sultan ‘Aliiu-d-din, him with one blow of a dagger. The above account is rendered thns by the Tnbnqnt-i-Nisiri, the nearest contemporary account, (Pn-. text, 1 p- 166):—When Bakhtiar Khiji with abont one handled troopers only made good his escape across the river, ‘Ali Mich with his relatives rendered good services, and conducted Bakhtiar Khilji towards Deokot. On arrival at Deokot, front excessive humiliation Bakhtiar fell ill and slint himself up, and aid not ride out in the streets, for whenever he did so, widows and orphans of the soldiers and officers that had fallen, used to enrse and abuse him from the terraces and the streets. Bnyitiiir would say “ Some mishap must have befallen Sultan Mnizuddin, for the tide of fortune to have thus tamed ngniii9t me.” And it was a fact, for at tlia". time Sultan Muiz* uddin hnd fallen at the hands of an assassin (a Glmkknr). From excessive humiliation, Mohammad Bakhtiar Khilji fell ill and was confined to bis bed, and at length died. And according to another account, one of Ids officers ‘Alt Mardan Khilji who was bold and ferocious, and held the tief of Deokot, on hearing the news of Bakhtiar’s illness, came to DeOkot, found him lying in bed, threw nside the sheet from his face, and slew him.” 1 His name was Malik * Azuddiu Mnlmmmad Shiran Klidji (Tubnqut- i-Nasiri, Pora. text p. 157). The following account of him is summarised from Tubnqat, the nearest contemporary account: ".Muhammad gbirun nud Ahmad Iran were two brothers, both being Khilj noblemen, and iu the aervice of Bakhtiir. When Bakhtiar led his expedition towards Tibbat, bo sent the above two brothers with an array towards Lakhnnuti and Jnjnagnr (Orissa). When these heard the news of Bakhtinr's assassination, they retnrued to Deokot, and after performing funeral Ceremonies, proceeded towards Nurkoti (not identified, bat mast have lain uot far from Deokot) which was held in fief by ‘ Ali Martian Khilji. They oaptnred the latter, and placed him in charge of the Kotwal (the police commissioner) of that place, named Baba Kotwal Ispahan!, and returned to Deokot. Muhnmmnd Shiran was an energetic man endowed with noble qualities. At the conquest of Nudenh, he had rendered good service by capturing elephants. As be v.as head of the Khilji oligarchy, all the Kbilji nobles acknowledged him as their chief and paid homage to him. In the meantime, Ali Mnrdau Khilji made good hit escape, proceeded to Delhi, and persuaded Sultnu Qntbnddin to depute from Ondh (Joimaz Hum! to Lakhnanti, in order to put down the Khilji oligarchy in Bengal. Ilussauiuddin Iwuz who hold tho fief of Kuuktori (Kangor, neur and introduced the ghutb'ih and the coin in liis own name. 1 Tlio breeze ot insolence aud vanity blew into the recesses of liis brain, and lie commenced oppressions and innovations. Two years he continued to rule, at length wben the Imperial army from Delhi arrived, all the Kliiljis making a common cause with the Imperial army avenged the murder of ‘Azu-d-dln. After this, the rule of this kingdom passed to Ghiasu-d-diu Khilji. RULE OF (}HlASU-D*DlN KglLJi IN BENGAL. Ghiasu-d-din Khilji 2 succeeded to the rule of Bengal. In that year G07 A.H., Sultan Qutbu-d-din, whilst playing at polo at Deokot) from Bakhtiar Khilji, went abend to receive Qaimaz Rumi, aud in the lattcr’e company proceeded to Deokot, and on the initiative o Qaimaz, received the fief of Deokot. When Qaimaz was returning from Deokot, Muhammad Shiran and other Khilji nobles collected together, and attempted to re-take Deokot. Qaimaz came back, fought with the Khilji nobility and Muhammad Shiran, who being defeated, dispersed, quarrolled amongst themselves near Makidah (Masiduh, a perganah south-east of Deo- kot) aud Mantosh (Snntosh, a perganah south-east of Deokot), an Muhammad Shiran was slain. He lies buried at Santosh (ou the banks o the Atrai river). , l ‘AliMardan Khilji. assassin of Bakhtiar KhAjiand Azuddin Khilji, ruled from 607 A.U. to 609 or 010 A.H. and assumed independence and title of Sultan ‘ Alauddiu, on the death of Qutbu-d-din Aibak. In Tabaqat-i-Nsiri it is stated that he recited the Khutbah ; but Badaoni states that he minted also coins iu his own name. [I have not yet seen any of his coins. Mr. Thomas in his ' Initial Coinage of Bengal” notices the coins of Abauddio’s MCCMter. Gbmsnddin, struck in A.U. 616, sec J.A.S., p. 354, p. 1, Vol. XLII for 1873J. It is also suited in Tnbaqat-i-Nasiri (Peru. text, p. 159), that from eicesswe insolence, he divided the country of Irin and Turin amongst his tOherw , nd no one dared to suggest that those dominions did nutJ* rUu ” to 1 * Ono periou compl.ine.1 of poTCy to AWli. who .nqmred -beoce ^ came On learning he came from Ispahan, he ordered bis minis write out a document assigning lands in Ispahan to him ! It is stated iuTabaqat, that on escape from.the ca9tody ^ tli f V ice- of Narkoti, Ali Mnrdin went to Sultan Qut.bu-d-dm, and received the Vice royalty of Lakhnauti. When he crossed the Kosi nver, Hussamu^from Deokot received him, conducted him to Deokot, w ere ‘ formally installed in power. te was cruel and ferocious, . X -— ^ nobles, aud tbe native chieftains trembled under him. J H rr * * U ! uod G.rinsir, . oo joioi.,* BW - ^ 71 L!ior, fell from In's horse, and died, and his son, Aram Shah, mounted the throne of Delhi, and the Empire .fell into decay. Ghiasu-d-din establishing completely his rule over this province, pointed to fief of Kangor, (which lay south-east of Deokot) and next promoted to charge of the important northern military outpost of Deokot. On the appointment of Ali Mardan Khilji to the rr.le of Bengal, he advanced to receive the new Vioeroy on the banks of tho Koei river, and helped in the latter’s installation at Deokot. On the assassination by the Khilji nobles of Ali Mardan, who had since the death of Emperor Qutbnddiu Aibak assumed independence, Hussamuddin was elected chief of tho Khilji oligarchy in Bengal in 609 or 610 A.H. Seeing the feebleness of Qutbuddin's successor, Aram Shah. Uussamn-d-din assumed independence, made Lakhnanti his capital, and assumed the title of Sultan Ghinsu-d-diu about 612 A.H., and minted coins in his own name. Mr. Thomas in his “ Initial Coinage of Bengal ” notices several coins of Sultan Ghinsn-d-din strack at Gaur or Lakhuanti between 614 and 620 A.H, An examination of these coins indicates the interesting and curious fact that Ghiasu-d-din had put himself in communication with the Khalifa of Baghdad so far back ns 620 A.H. (that is, earlier than Emperor Altamsh of Delhi who obtained similnr honour in 626 A H.) and obtained a pontifical patent, recognizing the sovereign of Bengal amongst the Moslem hierarchy of the world. This circumstance, as suggested by Mr. Thomas, would also indicate that in those days there was freer sen and ocean-intercourse between the Mnsalmans along the shores of Bongal and the Arabs of the sea-ports of Basrah and Baghdad, than between Mnsalmans of more inland places in India and the Arabs of the aforesaid sea¬ ports. In 622 A.H., Emperor Altamsh from Delhi invaded Bengal, and on Snljan Ghinsuddin paying him tribute, pence was concluded. In 624 A.H. 8 nllau Nisirnddm, eldest son of Emperor Altamsh, invaded Lakhnanti, whilst Ghinsuddin was engaged at Kamrup and Bang (East Bengal;, and ought a battle with Sultin Ghinsuddin, on the latter’s return, and killed the latter, and succeeded to the rule over Bengal in a semi-sovereign capacity, with the approval of his father, Emperor Altamsh. It is stated t at Sultan Ghiasuddin extended and consolidated the Moslem sovereignty j? *** extended his empire over Jajnagar (Orissa), Bang (East "engalj, Karornd (or Kamrup, Western Assam), and Tirbut (see Tabaqnt- >-i a^ri, Pers. text, p. 163.) Minhajus-Siraj, Author of Tabaqat-i-Na$iri who "sited Lakhnanti shortly after in 641 A.H. and appreciated the material -provements effected by Ghiasuddin, pays him a high tribute (Pers. text P- 101 ), a tribute which in 627 A H. Emperor Altamsh had also paid to the’ °u. tti8 g<X>d and Kreafc 80Vere ‘fc> n i by decreeing that Ghiasuddin Tsh. r! 13 -^' 6 b6 “ tyled M a SQ,,in - Amon & st his Public works ‘-Na?iri mentions that he founded the Fort of Basket (Basankoi near Ganr), established mosques, and Public Halls, Ac. 72 'introduced the Khutbah and the coin iu his own name, and to some extent arrogating to himself the sovereign power, he ruled over this country.