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in it. All that can be done is to look into its view | flattery, and here again we have the lesson before of often recorded points in the history with which us of the care necessary when reading contemporary it deals. In doing so it will be seen that Mr. evidence. In Persiar history names of kings have Tshwari Prasad is bold in his opinions, but that is come down as good or bad, not because they were really in his favour. A searcher is justified in such, but because of their religious activity. Thus forming his own views.
the competent Sasanian monarch Yazdajird 1
(399-420) has become "the Sinner " for tolerating the Let me then consider some of the most prominent
Christians, and his successor Bahram Gor (420-438) instances of his investigation. Firstly, after briefly
is undeservadly a great hero for the opposite policy. describing the rise of the leaders of the Turki guards
So, too, the vigorous Kubad I (488-630) is to the of the Arab Khalifas in Persia to power, and the
Persians the very reverse of a hero, because of the creation by them of petty principalities, he explains
support he gave to the Mazdakis, a communistic that one of them, Alptagin, seized Ghazni in 933
asot, whose levelling and free-love doctrines he and was succeeded by his "slave" Subuktagin in
found useful in represeing the power of the mag. 976, a mamluk if ever there was one. Subuktagin
nates, while Naushirwan (Khusru, Choeroes 1), was the first to attack India and defeated Jaipal
531-579, the rostorer of orthodox doctrine (Zoroas of Lahore, and thus showed the way to India before trianism of a kind) is a hero indeed. I remember his death in 997 to Mahmud of Ghazni, the great
also, at a moeting of the Royal Asiatic Society some raider. Mr. Ishwari Prasad rightly attributes his
years ago, remarking that great as Aurangzeb was guccess to the went of "national patriotism " among as an Emperor, his bigoted policy brought his the Rajput chiefs, and he also rightly says that Empire to ruin, and having my remarks at once he "although & great conqueror was no barbarian."
controverted by a learned Afghan present, and then He further says that the character of Mahmud has I saw that to him and his kind that great protagonist come down to us in two lines of report: to the
of Islam was one who could do no wrong. We have Musalmans he was a champion of the faith, to the
therefore always to be careful as to dealing with Hindus an inhuman tyrant. Nevertheless "Mah
the evidence available as to the character of Oriental mud was a great leader of men, a just and upright
rulers. This is a point worth thorough investigation ruler according to his lights, an integral and gifted
As Mr. Ishwari Prasad's historical estimates will soldier, & dispenser of justice, & patron of letters,
show us. and deserves to be ranked among the greatest kings in the world." This is an opinion which will Muhammad Ghori had no son to succeed him and have to be reckoned with by future historians, one of his lieutenants, Kutbuddin Aibak, originally though Mr. Ishwari Prasad rightly says that & Turki slave and essentially a mamluk, was his Mahmud's work did not enduro. The above quoted successor on the throne of Delhi by sheer personal remarks also show, as will certain others to be made merit. Thus was founded the dynasty, if we may hereafter, that the honest historian should always call it so, of the Slave Kings, or as I should like to look into the character of the ancient evidence ho call it, of the Mamluks of Delhi, which lasted from is exploring, as both contemporary and subsequent 1206 to 1290, during which every mamluk who reporters are apt to be biassed by their predilections.
succeeded in turn was a remarkable man. After Mahmud's successors made no progress in India,
Kutbu'ddin Aibak came Altamish, who in 1228 and it was not till a century and a half later that received a patent of investiture from the Khalifa of Muhammad Ghori, to give him the name adopted Baghdad, and so founded a legal dynasty at Delhi. by Mr. Ishwari Prasad, who had overthrown the Then in due course came Balban, a true mamluk of last incompetent Ghaznavide, mado any attempt the most remarkable capacity of them all. On his at conquest. Then tollowed the two battles of death arose that political confusion so common in
Tarain in 1191 and 1192, with the defeat and death all mediæval history everywhere, and out of this of Rai Pithaura and in 1194 of Jaichand of Kanauj, Jalaluddin Khilji emerged to the front as king in while his lieutenants, Kutbu'ddin Aibak and 1290, and founded a dynasty. The Khiljis, origin. Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji, took large portions ally Turks, had settled in Afghanistan a's & mixed of Central and Eastern India down to the sea by
race. Jalalu'ddin was an old man when he suc1202. The Rajputs had not improved and were
ceeded and not really able to cope with the situation defeated in detail. In 1206 Muhammad Ghori was
in which he found himself, but he had a nephew murdered by a Khokhar on the way to Ghazni from
and son-in-law, Alau'ddin Khilji, who rose to be Lahore, leaving behind him a large Musalman
one of the greatest men in medieval India. The kingdom in Northern India. Mr. Ishwari Prasad's
general account of his reign is of course well known. version of the story is well worth consideration.
Ho created an Empire that practically covered all We now come to his "estimate" of Muhammad India, and he propounded a theory of kingship that Ghori. The difference between him and Mahmud placed the monarch above the law : "I do not was that he had a political mind and Mahmud had know whether this is lawful or unlawful, whatever not. He was therefore capable of founding á State. I think to be for the good of the State or suitable He was moreover a munificent patron of literature to the emergency, that I decree." He was never a Hence his name has been handed down with fulsome bigoted Muslim, yet he ill-treated the Hindus, which
