Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 7.djvu/182

 MUSSULMANS OF MUNDISSOOR. (380)

JALWAH formed one of the earliest conquests of the Mussulman Kings of India. In the year 1226, the Emperor Shumsh Oodeen Altmish captured the celebrated fort of Mandoo, where a garrison was established; and in 1231 took Gwalior and Oojeyn, where he destroyed the ancient temples and palaces of the Hindoo King Vikram Aditya. Malwah continued to be a province of the Delhi monarchy till 1387, when it became independent under Dilawar Khan Ghoory or Ghori, until 1526, when the dynasty ceased to exist, and the kingdom was annexed by the Emperor Aurungzeeb, and included in the viceroyalty of Guzerat. During the decay of the Mogul empire, it was overrun by the Mahrattas, and now belongs partly to them, Sindia, Holkar, and Dhar, and partly to the British Government, being interspersed with petty states, which are dependant on one or other of the great powers.

The Mussulman population, though sparse, is yet of considerable antiquity, and is descended from the former conquerors and settlers, chiefly Afghans and Pathans; but they have no power, except at Jowrah and Bhopal, and serve as military and civil servants of those states, and also with Holkar and Sindia. Although locally so powerful during the existence of the Ghori dynasty, and in some degree a settled population, the conquet and settlement of the Gond and Bheel countries, to the east and south-east, seems never to have been attempted, or even their conversion to the Mussulman faith. In those times the Gond chieftains were extremely powerful, and were inaccessible in their mountain fastuesses. Of the subject of the Photograph, the two persons in the centre belong to the ordinary military classes; those on the right and left hold ministerial situations under the Nawab of Jowrali. None of these differ in any respect from ordinary Mussulmans, either in religion or habits.