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No. 29.) DOHAD STONE INSC. OF MAHAMUDA (BEGARHA): V. S. 1545, SAKA 1410. 918
the inclusion of Muhammad I and the omission of Kutub-ud-din and Daud in all the epigraphs - Sanskrit and Arabic-of Mahmūd's reign may be with a certain motive which we do not know. But it is difficult to say that all of them derived their information from the same source which was not as exhaustive as those of the historians we know of, because Daud and Kutub-ud-din were the immediate predecessors of Mahmud and thus not so far removed from him that the family records would forget them. On the contrary the family records are likely to possess much more information about them than outsiders should- and that perhaps accounts for the divergent genealogies of the epigraphs and the historians.
Further historical information we can gather from this record is that Muzaffar Shāh is called Mudāphara and Nripaprabhu. This latter epithet perhaps implies the establishment of the independent kingdom of Gujarāt in A.D. 1396 acquired by that Sulţăn by severing his allegiance to the Delhi emperors. The capital of this kingdom was Pattana, the ancient Aņahilapattana of the Chaulukyas of Gujarat (c. 960-1300 A.D.). His previous conquest over Farhatul-Mulk, the disobedient governor of Gujarāt and other kings of the neighbouring provinces, while still a governor under the Delhi Emperor Muhammad Shah seems to be referred to by the words ngipakulam-akhilam yo vijity=ādhitasthau.
Mudāphara's son Mahammada is merely called a Mahipati. In absence of any other details this epithet does not mean much, and in reality Mahammada did not succeed his father, nor many exploits are credited to him by historians, hence the unembellished epithet seems to be justified.
After Mahammada comes Ahammada. He is said to be born to adorn the earth, and one who was omniscient (and knew) the essence of all religions, worldly things and thoughts. Further, not only did he afflict by his prowess and conquer the lord of Malava but took his land as well as wealth. History bears out, to some extent, the truth of these words of praise for Ahmad. As to the other praises, Ahmad may well be called an " ornament of the earth” because he was one of the first great Sultāns of Gujarat and consolidated his dominions and founded the city of Ahmadābād, though, strange to say, there is no reference to this city among his achievements, but it is perhaps referred to only incidentally in verse 20.
Ahammada was really an eyesore to the King of Mālavas, who, we know from the Muslim historians, was Hūshang Shāh. Twice, in 1411 and 1418, he repulsed the invasions of Hūshang on Gujarāt. Not content with this he himself invaded Mälwå in 1419, but was only successful in defeating and compelling Hüshang to take refuge in the fort of Māndū. Once again he invaded Mālwä in 1422 when Hüshang had gone to raid Orissa, but did not succeed in capturing Mandü. The result of these invasions was not very fruitful. Ahmad could only plunder and devastate the outlying territory of Malwa, but not annex it to that of Gujarat. Epigraphical reference to the seizure of the country of Mālava,' therefore remains unconfirmed by other historical sources.
• 1 For details bee O. H. I., Vol. III, pp. 294-95.
* For details see ibid., and Briggs, op. cit., IV, pp. 4-10 and Faridi, op. cit., pp. 5-7; 9-10; Bird, op. cit., p. 177.
See below n. 7. • Briggs, op. cit., Vol. IV, pp. 16, 18; Faridi, op. cit., pp. 13-15; C. H. I., Vol. III, pp. 296-7. . Briggs, op. cit., Vol. IV, pp. 21-22; Faridi. op. cit., pp. 16-17. • Brigus, op. cit., pp. 22-25; Faridi, op. cit., p. 18; 0. H. I., Vol. III, p. 296.
* Expressed by jagraha tad-dela-dhanamh cha paschål; but if this expression is dissolved as lad-décaanya dhanan and not as & Duandva compound : tad-defan cha dhana cha, then it merely means that Ahammada seized the wealth of the country, i.e., plundered the country. For details see Briggs, op. cit., VOL IV, pp. 17, 26, 30 : Faridi, op. cit., pp. 14, 17, 19, 21; Bird, op. cit., p. 188; C.H.I., Vol. III, pp. 296-99. [Reo p. 223, n. 3.--Ed.]
