Ulfati 276 'Umar Sultan Sikandar Lodi. After him A'grah 'becaine a Tillage of Bayana, the name of the raja of which place was Bin. Ulfati, L5*^', poetical name of Kulich Khan of Andjan, which see. TTlagh Eeg Mirza or Ulugh Beg, tj^« c|t, a prince celebrated for his knowledge in Astronomy, was the son of Mirza Shahrukh the son of Amfr Taimur. He reigned at Samarkand for 40 years during the lifetime of his father whom he succeeded in March, 1447 A. D., 851 A. H. He was a prince who made peaceful studies the chief object of his life, and had entirely neglected the art of war. He assembled all the astronomers of his kingdom, and the celebrated Tables which are known by his name, viz., " Zij Ulagh Beg" were the result of his labours. He is said to have had very large instruments for making his observations ; particularly a quadrant as high as the church of Santa Sophia at Constantinople, which is 180 Eoman feet. His fate was cruel, he was defeated, taken, prisoner, and put to death by his son Mirza 'Abdul Latff on the 27th of October, 1449 A. D., Eamazan, 853 A. H. It is a consolation to know that this unnatural prince enjoyed the power he had attained, by so monstrous a crime, only for the short space of six months : he was slain by his own soldiers. TJlagh Beg's Catalogue of fixed stars rectified for 1434 A. D., was published by Hyde at Oxford in 1665 in 4to. with learned notes. 'Umar-al-Maksus, WJ-^h*'> the favourite master of the khalif Mu'awia II, who after his father's death con- sulted him whether he ought, or not, to accept the khi- lafat. His master told him, that if he thought himself able to administer ' justice duly to the Musalmans, he ought to accept it ; but otherwise he ought not to charge himself with it. This khalif had scarcely reigned six weeks, when he found himself two weak to sustain the weight of the government, and resolved to lay it down. This he did, and had no sooner renounced the khilafat, hut he shut himself up in a chamber from whence he never stirred till he died, not long after his abdication, of the plague, according to some, and according to others of poison. The family of Umayya was so greatly irritated at his proceedings, that they vented their resentment upon the person of 'Umar-al-Maksiis, whom they buried alive, because they supposed that it was by his advice that Mu'awia deposed himself. This circumstance took place in the year 683 A. D., 64 A. H. >Umar bin-'Abdul Aziz, J^j^-" <^ liH^, grandson of Marwan I, was the ninth khalif of the house of Umayya. ' He succeeded Sulaiman at Damascus in September or October, 717 A. D., 99 A. H., and died after a reign of two years and some months in February, 720 A. D., 101 A. II., at Dyr Saman. He was succeeded by Yezld II. This khalif ('Umar 'Abdul Aziz) was eminent above all others for temperance and self-denial, insomuch, that according to the Muhammadan faith, he was raised to Muhammad's bosom, as a reward for his abstinence in an age of corruption. »Umar bin-' Abdul Aziz, JH^*^' (i>}^r*^5 was an eminent Musahnan who died in the year 742 A. D., 124 A. H. 'Umar bin-'Abdul Aziz bin-Maja, JiWl*^ t:H^ S^lio ^JJ^ commonly caUed Husam-ush-Shahid, author of a most esteemed Commentary. He was killed 1141 A. D., 536 A. H. Vide Abu Bakr Ahmad bin-'Umar- al-Khassaf. 'Umar bin-' A b d u 1 1 a h, ic^^'^ u> j*^, a famous Arabian poet who flourished in the time of the khalif 'Abdulmahk. Vide Jamil. ' Umar b i n-K h a 1 1 a b, er^^*-^, one of the favourite companions and father-in-law of Muhammad. He succeeded Abu Bakr Sadik as second khalifa after Muhammad in August, 634 A. D., Jumada II, 13 A. H. He spread his conquests over Syria and Phoenicia, and took Jerusalem after an obstinate siege in 637 A. D., 16 A. H. His generals extended his conquests over Persia and Egypt and increased the worshippers of Muhammad. The fall of Alexandria under his power was marked by the destruction of its celebrated library, but he restored the canal between the Nile and the Red Sea. During his reign the Muhammadans conquered 36,000 towns, de- stroyed, 4,000 Christian temples, and built 1,400 mosques. He was the first who was called " Amir-ul-Mominin" or the Lord of the Believers, and this title was ever after- wards used by all succeeding khalifs. He was married seven times, and one of his wives was Umm Kulsum the daughter of 'All. He was stabbed on Wednesday the 3rd of November, 644 A. D., 25th Zilhijja, 23 A. H., by a Persian slave named Ffroz whilst saying his morning prayers in a mosque, and died three daj's after, aged 63 lunar years. He reigned 10 years 6 months and 8 days, and was succeeded in the khilafat by 'Usman the son of 'Affan, Waring in his " Tour to SMrdz" mentions that while he was at Shiraz (1802 A. D.,) the Persians (who are Shias) celebrated the death of the khalif 'Umar. " They erected a large platform, on which they fixed an image, disfigured and deformed as much as possible. Addressing themselves to the image, they began to revile it for having supplanted 'AH the lawful successor of Muhammad ; at length having exhausted all their expressions of abuse, they suddenly attacked the image with stones and sticks, until they had shattered it into pieces. The inside was hollow, and full of sweetmeats, which were greedily de- voured by the mob who attended the ceremony." 'Umar Khan Khilji, o'^^r^, the youngest son of Sultan 'Ala-uddin Khilji a boy of seven years of age, was raised to the throne of Dehli after the death of his father, by Malik Kafur the eunuch, in December, 1316 A. D., Shawwal, 716 A. H. Malik Kafdr was assas- sinated after 35 days and soon after 'Umar Khan was deposed by his brother Mubarak Khan who ascended the throne in January, 1317 A. D,, 716 A. H. 'Umar Khayam, (•^i^^r*^. He was originally a tent- maker and hence his takhallus of Khayam. He is held to be one of the most remarkable of Persian poets, unpre- cedented in regard to the freedom of his religious opinion. The Voltaire of Persia, his works gave great ofi'ence to the priests, but are, nevertheless, highly esteemed by general readers, apparently with justice, as the anima- tion and brilliancy of his style are unquestionable. His hatred of hypocrisy and the tricks of false devotees, appears his crime in the eyes of the supposed pious ; his tolerance of other creeds was looked upon with equal suspicion and dislike. He was born at Naishapur, and devoted much of his time to the study of astronomy, of which science he was a distinguished professor ; but it is said that, instead of his studies leading him to the ac- knowledgment of the Supreme Being, it prompted his disbelief. The result of his reflections on this important subject is given in a poem of his, much celebrated under the title of "Kubayat 'Umar Khayam." He was the friend of Hasan Sabbah, the founder of the sect of the Assassins, and, it has been conjectured, assisted him in the establishment of his diabolical doctrine and fellow- ship. Some allowance must, however, be made for the prejudices of his historians, who would, of course, neglect
