Jawamiʿ al-hikayat wa lawamiʿ al-riwayat 15: The Arming of Ya'kub Lais. [I. xiii. 35.]

15

At the commencement of the career of Ya'kub Lais, a body of his friends bound themselves to raise him to the dignity of chief. When Salih Nasr had taken Sistan, and become powerful, they observed to Ya'kub that Salih had grown strong, and that if he did not take heed at once, he would not be able to do much afterwards. Ya'kub consulted with an old and wise man in this matter, who said, "It is as your friends have told you, something must be done instantly." Ya'kub then asked him what steps he should take, and the old man replied that there were two divisions of Salih's army — one the Sanjaris, the other the Bustis, and the best thing he could do was to irritate the Sanjaris by telling them that though battles were won by their hard fighting, the plunder obtained by the conquests was carried off by the Bustis. "By your persuading them of this," said the old man, "hostility will be created between them. They will separate from each other; and in all probability the Sanjaris will come over to you, because they are fully aware of your skill and address, and of the courage you have shown in battle; they are also conscious of your having saved them from the Khárijis." Ya'kub acted upon this advice, and so worked upon the Sanjaris, that enmity sprung up between them and the Bustis, and Salih Nasr found himself in a very precarious situation. The Sanjari troops went over to Ya'kub, and when Salih Nasr saw that affairs were come to extremities, he proceeded with his army of Bustis towards the enemy. Ya'kub, Ibrahim and Hafz came forward and encamped at the pass of Ghanjara. Ya'kub resolved to make a night attack, and Sálih being apprized of it, fled in alarm towards Bust. Thus did Ya'kub, by a clever stratagem, obtain the victory over his enemy.