ge of Bairam Khan.

{72}

CHAPTER IX
GENERAL CONDITION OF INDIA IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

The empire conquered south of the Sutlej by the Afghan predecessors
of the Mughal had no claim to be regarded as the empire of Hindustan.
It was rather the empire of Delhi, that is, of the provinces called
up to the year 1857 the North-western Provinces, including that part
of the Bengal Presidency which we know as Western Behar, and some
districts in the Central Provinces and Rajputana. It included,
likewise, the Punjab. For a moment, indeed, the princes of the House
of Tughlak could claim supremacy over Bengal and almost the whole of
Southern India, but the first invasion from the north gave the
opportunity which the Hindu princes of the south seized to shake off
the uncongenial yoke, and it had not been re-imposed. The important
kingdom of Orissa, extending from the mouth of the Ganges to that of
the Godavari, had always maintained its independence. Western India,
too, had for some time ceased to acknowledge the sway of the foreign
invader, and its several states had become kingdoms.

{73} Thus, at the accession of Akbar, the westernmost portion of
India, the kingdom of Gujarat, ruled over by a Muhammadan prince of
Afghan blood, was independent. It had been overrun, indeed, by
Humayun, but on his flight from India it had re-asserted itself, and
had not since been molested. Indeed it had carried on a not
unsuccessful war with its nearest neighbour, Malwa. That state,
embracing the greater part of what we know as Central India, was thus
independent at the accession of Akbar. So likewise was Khandesh: so
also were the states of Rajputana. These latter deserve a more
detailed notice.

The exploits of the great Sanga Rana have been incidentally referred
to in the first chapter. The defeat of that prince by Babar had
greatly affected the power of Mewar, and when Sher Shah drove Humayun
from India its chiefs had been compelled eventually to acknowledge
the overlordship of the conqueror. But, during the disturbances which
followed the death of Sher Shah, they had recovered their
independence, and at the accession of Akbar they still held their
high place among the states of Rajputana. Of the other states it may
briefly be stated that the rulers of Jaipur had paid homage to the
Mughal in the time of Babar. The then Raja, Baharma, had assisted
that prince with his forces, and had received from Humayun, prior to