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602 having gained his name by killing a lion, he could not yield to indignity and public shame.

Selim, or rather Jehangire, for he took that name on his accession to the throne, was at Delhi, when he recalled Shere Afkun, and received him graciously; who, naturally open and generous, suspected not the emperor's intentions; time, he thought, had erased the memory of Mher-ul-Nissa from his mind. But he was deceived, the monarch was resolved to remove his rival; but the means he used were at once foolish and disgraceful. He appointed a hunt, and ordered the haunt of an enormous tiger to be explored. The ground was surrounded on all sides, and the party began to move towards the cave. The tiger was roused; and the emperor proposed, that one amongst them should encounter him singly. Three of the omrahs offered; but Shere Afkun, ashamed to be outdone, offered to fight him without any weapons, and though the emperor made a shew of dissuading him, the combat fell to his share, and he conquered. But scarce was he recovered from his wounds, when a plan was laid to tread him to death by an elephant, as if by accident, but this again was foiled; and whether the emperor felt remorse for his behaviour, or that his passion for Mher-ul-Nissa was lessened, no attempt was made for the space of six months against the life of Shere, who retired to the capital of Bengal. But the designs of the monarch were no secret to Kuttub, suba of Bengal, who, to ingratiate himself with the emperor, though not it is believed by his orders, hired forty ruffians to attack and murder Shere in his bed. But this villainous plan was rendered abortive, chiefly by his own courage: and Shere retired front the capital of Bengal, to his old residence