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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1899..
and it now and then some one fearless of the consequences drank wine or any intoxicating liquor, molten lead used to be poured down his throat. Those guilty of night-brawling and lewd practices were banished from his dominions, so that not even the name of such people remained in the country; and qalandars, beer-drinkers and gamesters, according to the Sultan's orders bad chains put on their necks and were punished by being made to clean dirty places and drag stones and clay and do such like hard labour, in order that if industrious they might earn their livelihood by useful employment and not engage in forbidden practices. The Superintendents of Police were ordered to instruct the common people of the city and the people of the bázár in the customs of Islâm and the laws regarding lawful and unlawful things and the laws of the Prophet, and repent of sins and prohibited things. He himself need to attend evening prayer on Fridays and festival days and read & khutbah with much eloquence, and land himself by the titles : -“The Sultân, the learned, the just, the clement, the benign, the merciful to the servants of God, the independent Ald-udDin wa-ad-Danya Ahmad Shah al Walt al Bahmani."
In some histories it is mentioned that Saiyid Ajall, who was of the family of Katilah and one of the chiefs of the pious descendants of the Prophet in the place of martyrdom, and was much grieved and vezed at the massacre of the saiyids of Chåkan, was present in the masjid one day when the Sultan lauded himself with the above-mentioned titles. Without hesitation Saiyid Ajall stood up and said :-“God to thee for a liar; thou art not the just, the merciful nor the element, thou who hast massacred the descendants of the Prophet, and yet sayest these words in the pulpits of the Muslamin." This he said, and went out of the masjid.
The death of the Sulţân occurred in the latter part of Jumadt I. in the year 862 (April, A. D. 1457). [The following brief account of the foregoing reign is taken from tho Taskarat
ul-Mulak.) Reign of Sultan 'A1A-ud-Din, eldest son of Sultan Ahmad. When Sultan AJA-ud-Din Bahman Shah became established on the throne in his father's place be used to honour Makhdom Khwajah Jahan even more than his father had done, and the Khwajah used his best endeavours in consolidating the dominions, and he cansed to the govern, ment incalculable profits which he collected in the royal treasury; and the treasury was so well filled that in the time of former kings it did not contain a hundredth part of the amount. He used often to send an army to the infidels' frontier, and conquer their country and exact tribute from them by way of capitation tax. In whatever direction the royal army proceeded they returned victorious; and from all directions and from every country soldiers and merchants flocked towards the city of Bidar.
He died in the year 866 (A.D. 1461-2) after a reign of 23 years, 9 months and 7 days. He appointed his son Humayun Shah as his successor,
CHAPTER XI. Reign of Humayan Shah,
son of Sultan 'All-ud-Din Ahmad BhAh. Although the late Sultán had bequeathed the sovereignty to Sultan Humayan ShAh, who was the eldest of his sons, and bad made him heir-apparent, yet since most of the nobles, ministers of state, princes and the inmates of the haram were in terror of Humayun Shah, they were unwilling to have him as king; on this socount both nobles and plebeians concurred in wishing to raise to the throne Hasan Khan, son of Sultan Ala-ud-Din ; accordingly they seated him on the throne and plighted their fealty to him, whilst the common people, citizens and soldiery entered the house of Humayan Shah and began to plunder and pillage. Humayun
n The Taxkarat-ul-Mulk gives the date of his death four years later than thin,
