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 Chap. IV. ] REIGN OF IBRAHIM. 103

suborned to perjiu*e themselves. It is added that a confession to this effect wits a.d. isiz. afterwards extorted from them.

Sikundur was succeeded iu 1517 by his son Ibrahim. Under his grandfather ibrai.im and father, the Afghans had regarded them.selves as a dominant race, and their sikiuIaMr. chiefs, besides monopolizing all the great offices of the state, sat in the royal presence, while all others were constrained to stand. Ibrahim accordingly gave them mortal offence, when, at the connnencement of his reign, he announced his determination to make no distinction between his officei-s, and said publicly, that "kings should have no relations nor clansmen." He was soon made to feel the weight of their indignation. They did not, indeed, attempt to dethrone him; but endeavoured to partition his temtories by placing his brother, Julal Khan, on the throne of Jounpoor. Jdal accoi'dingly assiuned the title of Afgimn king, appointed his own vizier, and was acknowledged by all the officers of the eastern provinces. The Afghan chiefs soon began to discover that the revenge which thev had taken told as much again.st themselves as against Ibrahim. They and their followers formed a small minority of the population, and nothing but perfect union could enable them to maintain their ascendency. Influenced by this consideration, they would fain have retraced their steps, but Julal Khan had no idea of resigning his newly-acquired honom-s, and a civil war ensued. In the end, Ibrahim, having regained the confidence of the Afghan chiefs, crushed the rebelHon of Julal Khan, who, having fallen into his brother's hand.s, was by his private orders assassinated.

This rebellion was no sooner suppressed than another, still more formidable, broke out. Islam Khan, brother of Futteh Khan, whom Julal had made his vizier, believing that Ibrahim had vowed the ruin of his family, availed himself of his influence as governor of Kurra, to form a strong party, and imme- diately raised the standard of revolt. The first detachment sent against him fell a civii war. into an ambuscade, and suffered a very severe loss. The insurgents, in conse- quence, advanced, flushed with victory, and so reinforced that they mustered 40,000 cavalry, 500 elephants, and a large body of infantry. The armies arrived in sight of each other, but, instead of fighting, came to a i)arley, on the sugges- tion of Sheikh Rajoo Bokhar}', a man in universal esteem for his reputed sanctity. Terras of accommodation were proposed and agreed to; but the king- was only plaj'ing a part. He had sent orders to the collector of Ghazipoor, and the governor of Oude, to advance, and his object was to keep the insurgents amu-sed till he should be able to ovei'power them. They discovered their error when it was too late ; and having no alternative but to flee or fight on unequal terras, chose the latter. The issue was not long doubtful. After a resistance, dictated rather by despair than by any ho]ie of victory, they fled in all directions.

Ibrahim now thought himself secure ; but he had only obtained a short respite. Bahadur Khan, on the death of his father, who was governor of Behar, inunediately declared himself independent, and a.'^sumed the title of king.