Page:The Seven Cities of Delhi.djvu/233

Delhi before the Moghal Conquest her heart was concerned, and disgusted her generals by showing favour to an Abyssinian slave, whom she made master of her horse, and also master of her heart. Probably she could not have pleased every one in her choice of a consort, but this action put all against her,and rebellion was not long in breaking out. In A.D.1239 the governor of Sirhind took the field against her ; she was defeated, and her Abyssinian lover was killed in the battle which ensued.The victor took her as wife, but the other generals would not brook this. They combined together, with the result that she and her new husband were defeated, and had to fly, but were overtaken and put to death in A.D. 1240.Her grave is now pointed out near the Turkman Gate of the modern city, and the river once flowed close by. Her brother, MUIZ-UD-DIN BAHRAM SHAH,succeeded, but he was miserably weak, as his father had foreseen, and the nobles revolted against him also, eventually murdering him in A.D.1242; he was buried near his brothers at Malikpur. A son-in-law of the old king ascended the throne,but was deposed, in the evening of his coronation day, by ALA-UD-DIN MUSAUD SHAH, son of Rukn-ud-din, and grandson of Altamsh. 177