HISTORICAL SUMMARY.
Heg. 854 (A.D.1450).—Bheilole Lody Afghan was the first prince of the fifth dynasty of the kings of Delhi. He succeeded Alla-ood-Deen, who resigned the kingdom to him, and retired to Budaoon, where he died.
Heg. 856 (1452).—The king having defeated several insurgent sheiks, the power of Bheilole Lody was firmly established.
Heg. 883 (1478).—Syud Alla-ood-Deen, who had abdicated the throne of Delhi, dying at Budaoon, Hoossein Shah Shurky proceeded thither, and after performing the funeral ceremonies, seized that district from the children of Alla-ood-Deen. From thence marching to Sumbhul, he imprisoned Moobarik Chan, governor of that province, and proceeding towards Delhi, crossed the river Jumna, near the Cutcha ghaut. Bheilole Lody was at Surhind when he received intelligence of this invasion, and returning with expedition to his capital, several slight actions ensued; but Hoossein Shah Shurky was finally defeated in a general engagement at Canouge, when his regalia, equipage, and the chief lady of his harem, Beeby Khonza, fell into the victors hands. After this decisive victory, Bheilole retreated to his capital.
Heg. 894 (1488).—The king being now old, and infirmities increasing daily upon him, he divided his dominions among his sons, and died at Badowly, in the district of Sukeet, after a prosperous reign of thirty years, eight months, and seven days. He was succeeded by Secunder Chan, son of Zeina, the daughter of a goldsmith, introduced into the royal harem on account of her beauty.
Heg. 897 (1491).—The fort of Agra fell to the king’s arms after a short but stubborn siege.
Heg. 900 (1494).—The king met Hoossein Shah Shurky in the field, and defeated him at a place about eighteen coss or thirty-six miles from Benares. The vanquished chief fled to Patna, and his army was nearly exterminated.
Heg. 904 (1498).—A conspiracy was formed against the life of Secunder Lody, which being detected, the conspirators, who were powerful Omrahs, were despatched upon different services, and cut off in detail.
Heg. 905 (1499).—Syud Chan Lody, Tartar Chan Firmully, and Mahomed Shah Lody, being suspected of disaffection, were banished to Guzerat.
Heg. 915 (1509).—The king being encamped at Dholpore, he ordered Suliman Chan to march to the aid of Hoossein Chan, of HunwuntgaSuliman Chan having excused himself by saying that he preferred being about the king’s person, the latter became incensed, and forthwith dismissed him from his service, directing him to quit his camp by daybreak the following morning, at the same time conferring on him the revenue of Birun for his future maintenance.
Heg. 923 (1517).—Secunder being taken ill, died of quinsy, and was succeeded by his son Ibrahim. A conspiracy was formed by the Lody chiefs to raise his younger brother to the throne.
Heg. 923 (1518).—The king prepared to defeat the aims of the conspirators, whom he finally quelled, and giving full latitude to his vengeance, put many of the Omrahs to death.
Heg. 925 (1519).—Babur made his first campaign in India. On this occasion he marched his army as far as the Indus, to where it is called the Neelab: he overran with his troops all the countries in his route, and crossing the river, advanced to Berah in Punjab. In this province he levied contributions upon the inhabitants, instead of allowing his troops to plunder. From Berah he sent to Ibrahim, acquainting him that as the Punjab had been frequently in possession of the house of Timour, it was fit he should relinquish his pretension to it, and thus prevent the war from being carried further into India.
Heg. 926 (1520).—Babur made his third irruption into India, attacking the Afghans on his route.
Heg. 928 (1522).—Chandahar and the country of Gurmseer fell into Babur’s hands.
Heg. 930 (1524).—Babur entered Lahore in triumph, having defeated the troops of Ibrahim Lody, and set fire to the Bazaar, a superstitious practice common among the Moguls. Babur remained only four days in Lahore, when he proceeded against Depalpore. The garrison having forced him to risk an assault, he put the whole to the sword.
Heg. 932 (1525).—Babur marched for the first time towards Hindostan, being joined by his son Hamayoon from Budukhshan, and Khwaja Kullan from Ghizny. This year, Babur, with an army of only twelve thousand men defeated Ibrahim Lody, who brought into the field a hundred thousand horse and a hundred elephants. This victory secured the empire of India to the House of Timour. Ibrahim Lody was found among the slain. This year the fort of Gualior was besieged by a numerous army of Hindoos. Tartar Chan, the governor, being reduced to great distress, applied to Babur, who marched to his relief, and obliged the enemy to raise the siege.
Heg. 933 (1525).—The mother of the late king of Delhi, Ibrahim Lody, formed a design to poison Babur, and seduced the taster of the royal kitchen to put some poison into a dish of hare soup. Babur, after tasting a few spoonsful, nauseated the soup, and immediately vomited, which saved his life. The plot was discovered, the taster put to death, Ibrahim Lody’s mother cast into prison, and her wealth confiscated.
Heg 933 (1526).—The king defeated an army collected by several confederated chieftains, in order to place a son of the late Ibrahim Lody upon the throne of Delhi.
Heg. 935 (1528).—Babur commenced a tour through his new kingdom. He first took the route to Gualior, and viewed there the fortifications, the stone elephant, and the celebrated palace of Rajah Man Singh. He then visited the gardens of Raheem Dad, and having admired some extremely fine scarlet oleander flowers, ordered a few of the plants to be conveyed to Agra. During his stay at Gualior he went in state to the great Mosque, built by the Emperor Altmish, for whose soul he ordered prayers to be read, and returned by another route to Agra.
Heg. 936 (1530).—In the month Rujab of this year, the king fell sick, and his disorder gaining ground, he sent for his son Prince Humayoon, and appointed him his successor.
Heg. 937 (1530).—On Monday the fifth of Jumad-ool-Awul, Babur Padshah died. According to his will his body was transported to Cabul, and interred in a sepulchre at that city. He died at the age of fifty, having reigned thirty-eight years.