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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ DECEMBER, 1921
the defenders would neither come forth nor open the gate, thọ Nizam Shahi amirs returned to Ahmadnagar with large quantities of spoil and were received at court with much honour.
At this time Ni'mat Khân Samnânî, who had been the ruler of that country and had been raised from the corner of humility to the summit of honour, being appointed to the post of chishnigir wth the title of Ni'mat Khân, and whose power and influence with the king increas. ed daily, was ordered to lay out a garden and dig a water-course. In a very short time he had laid out a splendid garden and built in it a fine garden house, but those at court who envied him represented to the king that the design of the garden-house consisted of a series of triangles. The king at once ordered it to be destroyed, and entrusted the construction of a new garden-house to Şalâ bat Khân, as will appear hereafter.
At this time also the king began to show such great favour to Husain Khân that he became an object of envy to all the amirs, vazirs, and courtiers, and the king's favour and Tegard towards him continued to increase so that his power and influence became firmly estab. lished, and although the king had contracted a great distaste for seeing the officers of state and his soldiers, so that months, nay years, passed without their obtaining permission to pay their respects, he was never happy but in the company of that base and accursed fellow.
At this time a quarrel arose between Husain Khan the Dakani, and Husain Khân Tûni, who was one of the bravest men of the age, regarding the title which they both bore, and Husain Khân the Dakani marched against Husain Khân Túni with a large army and several elephants. Husain Khân Tânî, though he had only a small force, displayed no fear of the overwhelming numbers of his enemies, but withstood them manfully and shot an arrow up to the notch into the forehead of a fierce elephant which came upon him, thereby turning it back. On seeing this, the whole of the army of Husain Khan Dakani fled, and Husain Khân Tani pursued them and slew many.
When the king heard of this fight, he summoned Husain Khân Dakani and gave him the title of Sahib Khân, giving to Husain Khân Tani the title of Shir Khan.318
The wretch, şahib Khân, having neither nobility of disposition, nor descent, was unworthy of the honour to which he was exalted, and the favour shown to him led to nothing but to the vexation of the noble, the suffering of the good, and the advancement of the wicked, as will shortly be set forth.
When Sayyid Qazi Beg had exercised the full powers of vakil and pishvd for three, or, according to some, for four years, the hand of fate brought about his downfall. A quar. rel between him and Sayyid Murtaza, 314 of such a nature as was bound to end in the ruin of the noble, began, and each devoted all his efforts to the overthrowing of the power and influence of the other, and made injurious reports to the king regarding the other. At length Sayyid Murtaza had recourse to Sahib Khan and gave him a large bribe to induce him to bring about the downfall of Qayi Beg. Şahib Khân could influence the king as he would, andhe first caused Amir-ul-Mulk to be dismissed from the office of vaztr and then induced the king to dismiss Qazi Beg from the office of vakil and pishwa, to imprison him in a fortress, and ultimately to banish him across the sea to Jahrum. Qazi Beg at last died in the country of Lâr.
(To be continued. 218 See Firishta, ii. 274. Sayyid Murtand Sabzavári had come with the army of Berar. in which Husain Khan Tani, whom Firishta calls Husain Khan Tarshizi, both Tún and Tarahiz being in towns in Khurâsân, held a command, to Ahmadnagar, and the army was encamped near the Bagh-e-Hasht Bihishe, in which the king was. Husain khán Dakani sent to Husain Khan Tarshizi en insolent message, bidding him change his title, and, on his refusing to do so, attacked him with five or six thousand horse, Firishta's account of the fight corresponds with that given here.
214 Firishta does not attribute the downfall of Qazi Beg to an intrigue between Sayyid Murtaza and Sahib Khân. Ho saye that Qaxi Beg was imprisoned on a charge of having misappropriated 200.000 húne and jewels to the value of 100,000 hins from the royal treasury. Murtaza Nizam Shah refused to recover the money from him, released him from prison, and sent him back to his own country. Jahrum, mentioned below, is a town in Fång-F. ii, 276.
