Taj al-maʾathir 32: The Capture of Bhakkar.

32

This portion of the work opens with praise of God and king, upon whom Almighty favours are showered, as is testified by his conquest of Kálewar (Gwalior), Rantanbhor, and Mandur, Kanauj, Behár, and Barah, and his subjection of powerful Rais, and by his spreading the knowledge of Islám as far as the ocean; and amongst other arrangements made by which good government was secured, "an account of the proceedings of the king was written according to dates so as to form a model for the kings and Sultans." The forts of U'ch Multan "which were stronger than the wall of Alexander" were also taken "in a manner which astonished the world," and while he was engaged in these conquests, it was reported to the king that Malik Nasiru-d din Kubacha, who was proud and arrogant, and "who regarded in his cruelty and unkindness the people of God as less than rubbish,"
"and out of his own pleasure and drunkenness would roast even hearts and draw tears of blood from the eyes," had fortified himself within the strong fort of Bhakkar, "the eye of the forts and the face of the kingdom of Hind," "and which, had not been taken by any Khusru," and in which were deposited immense treasures.
Upon receiving this information, Shamsu-d din despatched his minister Khwaja-i Jahan Nizamu-l Mulk Muhammad Junaidi with a large army to Bhakkar, in the very height of the hot weather. Part of the army marched by land "a difficult road through the jungles," and part went by water. After the fort was invested, and the enemy was reduced to extremities, Nasiru-d din despatched his son 'Alau-d din Muhammad to Shamsu-d din with an hundred lacs of Dehliwals, and thousands of suits of clothes. The Sultan received him kindly, but would not allow him to return, in consequence of which, Nasiru-d din became much alarmed and ill, "and his head was bowed down to his knees like a violet, with his eyes of expectation open like a narcissus," and he "wailed like Jacob for the absence of Joseph." Nasiru-d din shortly after died of grief, "and the boat of his life was drowned in the whirlpool of death," "though he left behind him nearly a thousand boats" which could render no service to him. The result of his death was that "more than five hundred lacs of Dehliwals, various kinds of inlaid articles and jewels, and pearls exceeding white, and costly garments were deposited in the royal treasury of Shamsu-d din," and possession was also taken of "twelve celebrated forts, which had never been before captured," "and Siwistan and Luk (Lakki) as far as the shores of the sea;" "and the coinage was struck, and the prayers read in his auspicious name throughout all the countries of Hindustan and the provinces of Kusdar and Makran." He returned to Dehli on the 14th of Rabi'u-l awwal, 624 H.