Jawamiʿ al-hikayat wa lawamiʿ al-riwayat 16: Ya'kub Lais and Rúsal.
Jámi'u-l Hikáyát (extracts) 16
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Ya'kub Lais and Rúsal.
16.1
[I. xiii. 21.] Almighty God endowed Ya'kub Lais with a very lofty mind so that he rose from the most abject position to the highest pitch of glory and prosperity. He encountered many dangers and passed through great difficulties, till at length he aspired to the acquisition of dominion. When Salih Nasr fled from before him, he went and joined Rúsal, and excited him to collect his troops and march against Ya'kub Lais. Rúsal assembled his armies, and placed Sálih Nasr at the head of the foremost division. Ya'kub Lais on receiving the intelligence, called together some old and experienced men and asked their advice as to the means of repelling the invasion of Rusal. They advised him to oppose the enemy, and represented that although he had a small force, yet he ought to trust in the help of God, and resort to every wile and stratagem to harass his opponent, but not to engage in a pitched battle. When Ya'kub reviewed his army, it was found not to consist of more than three thousand horse. However, he proceeded to oppose Rusal, and when he reached Bust, people derided him, saying, "How can he fight against Rusal with this small number of horse." Ya'kub Lais now had recourse to stratagem and deception. He sent one of his confidential servants to Rusal with a message to say that, he wished to come and meet him, and render him homage ;
16.2
he knew he was not able to cope with such a potentate, but that if he should tell his people that he was going to meet Rusal, they would not obey him, and might possibly kill both him and his dependants. He had consequently told them he was proceeding to give battle to his enemy, in order to induce them to accompany him ; but that when he should join Rusal and make his submission, they must perforce follow his example. When the ambassadors of Ya'kub came to Rusal and delivered the message to him, it was very agreeable to him, because he was greatly harassed by Ya'kub, who continually made incursions into his country, and attacked it in different directions. He made the ambassadors welcome, and sent messages to Ya'kub, giving him many kind promises and holding out hopes of preferment. Ya'kub despatched his messengers one after the other, and to prevent his followers from being disheartened he told them that he had sent the messengers to reconnoitre the enemy's army. When both the armies came in front of each other, Rusal called Sálih Nasr and told him that as the enemy had come to proffer his submission, there must be no fighting. A day was fixed for a parley between the parties. It was not the habit of Rusal to ride a horse, but he used to sit on a throne which a party of his servants carried on their shoulders. When both the armies were drawn up in array, Rusal seated himself upon his throne and ordered his troops to stand in line on each side of it.
16.3
Ya'kúb with his three thousand brave horsemen advanced between these two lines, and his men carried their lances concealed behind their horses and wearing coats of mail under their garments. The Almighty made the army of Rúsal blind, so that they did not see the lances. When Ya'kúb drew near Rúsal, he bowed his head as if to do homage, but he raised the lance and thrust it into the back of Rúsal, so that he died on the spot. His people also fell like lightning upon the enemy, cutting them down with their swords, and staining the earth with the blood of the enemies of religion. The infidels, when they saw the head of Rúsal upon the point of a spear, took to flight, and great bloodshed ensued. The bride of victory drew aside her veil and Ya'kúb returned victorious. Next day six thousand horsemen of the infidels were sent prisoners to Sístán. He also placed sixty of their officers on asses, and having hung the ears of the slain upon the necks of these officers, he sent them in this manner to Bust. In this conquest he obtained such immense treasure and property that conjecture cannot make an estimate of them.
16.4
Sálih Nasr fled from the field and went to the king of Zábulistán. His troops deserted him and joined Ya'kúb, who, after he had secured peace to the country, sent a messenger to the ruler of Zábulistán requesting him to surrender Sálih Nasr. His request was complied with; and when Sálih came, Ya'kúb put him in prison, where he died. The hostility which the people of Bust had shewn to Ya'kúb, he now retaliated upon them. He fixed the same poll-tax upon them as was levied from the Jews, and this was collected with severity. This victory which he achieved was the result of treachery and deception, such as no one had ever committed.