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236
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1898.
[Mohainmail Khan) from the first showel rectitude and judgment, and always walked on the straight toal of obedience and submission to the royal mandates and probibitions ; he used to opposo Miyam Manju in the days of his predominance and despotism, and in conjunction with Afzal Khan usel to make prudent arrangements for repelling the enemies of the State. Now when Miyan Manjů vacated the capital and took to fight, Her Highness Chand Bibì sent a person to Aigal Khin and Muhanmad Khan, and persuadel these two kháns to put down Anşir Khân. When most of the nobles and grandees of the country had remained behind from the army oi Miyan Manjů, Angar Khan, kotrail of the fortress of Ahmadnagar, being apprehensive of this circumstance, he, according to the injunctions of Miyan Manjú, endeavoured to drive away that body; and as be feared more than all Muhammad Khan, who was the head and chief of all the Dakbanis, he considered it most important to get rid of this nobleman; so on Monday the 23rd Rabi II. he, with a number of his own brothers and couljutors, arranged the preliminaries of the assassination of Muhammad Khan, and sent a person to summon than khán of high degree, saying that his presence was urgently required for the arrangement of some of the important affairs of the country and State.
The following is what the writer of this history heard from Muhammad Khan. Placing his reliance on the goolness of the Creator of mankind, Muhammad Khan with a few of his song and relatives proceeded to the fortress and his interview with the unfortunate - Ansar Khân. When he visited that wanderer in the desert of error, Auşâr Khân, on pretence that he wished to consult him in private, first took the Khan into his own house, whereas he had previously brought into that house a great number of soldiers, and had arranged with them that when Muhammad Khan should enter the house and he (Anşar Khân) should give the signal, they should hasten to kill him. The khan, with two of his sons and one of his relatives, thoughtless of the stratagem of their enemies, entered the house of the malevolent Anşar Khân. But Multân Khán, Saiyid Hasan, Ahmad Shah and Shir Khân - although they were allies of Anşår Khan-had secretly entered into an agreement with the attendants of Chand Bibi to kill Avşar Khan. Peing aware of the design of Anşar Khân, they seized the door of the house, and did not allow any of Auşar Khan's people to go inside. Anşir Khân, prepared for the attainment of his object, in the midst of the conversation signed to his brother to make haste to kill Maha nmad Khin ; his brother drawing his sword sought to overcome hin, but the sons of Muhammad Khin becoming aware of the stratagem of their enemies, drew their swords and engaged the brothers and helpers of Anşår Khin. At this time Anşir himself tried to kill Muhammad Khin. Abì-1-Kasim made Anşar Khin his shield, and the sword of the brother reached the breast of the unjust Anşar Khân and penetrated his back. Mu'ammad Khân also stretching out his hand, with the strength of his manly arm snatched the sword from the hand of Ansar Khân's brother, and struck him such a blow' on the breast that the point of the sword went out through the nape of his neck. So with the one sword those two malevolent and depraved men were overthrown, and the time of their excuses and deception came to an end. The glorious sons of that man of good disposition [Muhammad Khan], although they had received wounds, yet by the aid of the favour of God, they vanquished the brothers and coa ljutors of Anşir Khân. and 80 removel the wickel ones of the country from over the heads of the well-wishers, and freed the king tom from the impurity of the existence of those sinners against religion and State ; and made manifest to mankind the mystery of "Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein."
When Muhammad Khan and his sons were free from the designs of Anşîr Khan and his assistants, the soldiers of Anşir Khâu, who from outside the house had endeavoured to rush in, but owing to the opposition of Multan Khan, Ahmad Shah, Saiyid Hasan and 'Ali Shir Khân, were unable to effect an entrance, when the heart of their leader was cut off they withdrew from hostility and placed their feet in the circle of obedience and submission.
Muhammad Khin, after the killing of Anşar Khin, hastened to wait on Her Highness Chand Bhi, and gave her an account of the occurrence. She gare orders that the heads of those evil-doers, -- which had been pigeon houses of vicious thoughts, and in the upper story of whose brains the owl
: Omission in text, y. u.
