ion; suddenly he was assassinated by an Afghan. It
was the old story of Afghan revenge. He had killed the father of the
assassin in some battle: in revenge the son had stabbed him to death.

Akbar was now free to act. The political situation was one of extreme
peril. The Afghans were fighting one another in Kabul in the northwest;
they were also fighting one another in Behar and Bengal in the
southeast. When he marched against one, his territories were exposed to
the raids of the other. Meantime his Mogul officers often set his
sovereignty at defiance; when brought to task they broke out in mutiny
and rebellion. Two events at this period will show the actual state of
affairs.

Far away in the south of Rajputana lies the remote territory of Malwa.
It was originally conquered by Ala-ud-din. During the decline of the
Tughlaks the governor Malwa became an independent ruler. At the
beginning of the reign of Akbar, Baz Bahadur was ruler of Malwa. He was
a type of the Mussulman princes of the time; no doubt he went to mosque;
he surrounded himself with Hindu singing and dancing girls; he became
more or less Hinduized. Akbar sent an officer named Adham Khan to
conquer Malwa. Adham Khan had no difficulty. Baz Bahadur abandoned his
treasures and harem and fled. Adham Khan distributed part of the spoil
to the Padishah. Akbar could not brook such disobedience.
Notwithstanding the distance he hurried to Malwa. He received his
rightful share of the plunder; he professed to accept the excuses of the
defaulter. When he returned to Agra he recalled Adham Khan to court; he
sent another governor to Malwa. Adham Khan obeyed; he went to Agra; he
found that he had lost favor. Commands were given to others. He could
get nothing. He was driven mad by delay and disappointment. He did not
suspect Akbar; he threw the blame upon the minister. One day he went to
the palace; he stabbed the minister to death in the hall of audience; he
ran up to an outer terrace. Akbar heard the uproar; he rushed in and
beheld the bleeding corpse. He saw the stupefied murderer on the
terrace; he half drew his sword, but remembered himself. Adham Khan
seized his hands and begged for mercy. Akbar shook him off and ordered
the servants to throw him from the terrace. The order was obeyed; Adham
Khan was killed on the spot.

Another officer, named Khan Zeman, played a similar game in Behar. He
was warned that Akbar was on the move; he escaped punishment by making
over