Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/20

12 THIS ILETMISCHE conquered from the slave NassereddiN the provinces which composed the new kingdom of Multan. By uniting these to the provinces of Delhi, and by governing all these' dominions in person without interesting himself in what passed out of India, he became the first regular and the most powerful Mahomedan monarch who had hitherto reigned in Indostan. He died in the year 1235. HIS descendants formed the dynasty of the first Mahomedan Kings of Delhi. FIROUZCHAH ROCNEDDIN succeeded his father Iletmische, and before he had reigned a year was deposed by his discontented grandees who placed his sister RADHIATEDDIN upon the throne; an extraordinary phenomenon in a Mahomedan government. This female sovereign was, after various adventures, deposed by her brother Beharam Schah, and killed in attempting to make her escape from him. BEHARAM SCHAH, after reigning two years, was killed in a revolt. MASSOUDSCHAH ALAEDDIN, son of Firouz Schah RoEneddin, then mounted the throne, and in the year 1246 was deposed by his brother MAHMOUD SCHAH NASSEREDDIN, who made great conquests in India.

AFTER the death of Mahmoud Nassereddin, Firouz his uncle and Alaeddin his nephew disputed the throne. ALAEDDIN caused Firouz to be assassinated, and remained in possession of the throne of Delhi until the year 1317.

HERE we arrive at a chasm of near 80 years in the history of these kings, which our guide Mons. D'Herbelot could not find materials to fill up. Sultan MAHMOUD, who reigned at Delhi in the year 1398, is stiled by Tamerlane's historian the grandson of the emperor Firouz Schah, concerning which Firouz Sahah we can determine nothing more than that he was of the family of Iletmische.