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Taj al-maʾathir 28: Capture of Jdlor.

Táju-l Ma-ásir (extracts) 28

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28

After some time, they represented to his Majesty that the inhabitants of the fort of Jalewar (JAlor) had determined to revenge the blood which had been shed, "and once or twice mention of the evil deeds and improprieties of that people was made before the sublime throne. Shamsu-d din accordingly assembled a large army, and headed by "a number of the pillars of the State, such as Ruknu-d din Hamza, 'Izzu-d din Bakhtiyar Nasiru-d din Mardan Shah, Nasiru-d din 'Ali and Badru-d din Saukartigin," valiant men and skilful archers, "who could in a dark night hit with their arrows the mirror on the forehead of an elephant." "The king took his way towards Jalewar by the aid of God," "and by reason of the scantiness of water and food it was a matter of danger to traverse that desert, where one might have thought that nothing but the face of demons and sprites could be seen, and the means of escape from it were not even written on the tablet of providential design."
"Udi Sah, the accursed, took to the four walls of Jalewar, an exceedingly strong fortress, the gates of which had never been opened by any conqueror." When the place was invested by Shamsu-d din, Udi Sah requested some of the chiefs of the royal army to intercede for his forgiveness. While the terms of his surrender were under consideration, two or three of the bastions of his fort were demolished. He came, "with his head and feet naked, and placed his forehead on the earth" and was received with favour. The Sultan granted him his life, and restored his fortress, and in return the Rai presented respectfully an hundred camels and twenty horses, in the name of tribute and after the custom of service." The Sultan then returned to Dehli, "which is the capital of prosperity and the palace of glory," and after his arrival, "not a vestige or name remained of the idol temples which had reared their heads on high; and the light of faith shone out from the darkness of infidelity, like the sun from a curtain of sorrow, or after its emerging from an eclipse, and threw its shade over the provinces of Hind and Sind, the far and near countries of idolatry; and the moon of religion and the State became resplendent from the heaven of prosperity and glory." — Praise of Islam, justice and courage.