Muntakhab al-tawarikh 20.1
Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 20.1
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20.1.1
If you saddle the piebald horse of Circumstance, and if the white horse of state leads thee beside him, And if the garden of your pleasure in happiness copies fair the past memories of Paradise, Be not proud, for this mean time will unexpectedly draw its pen through the writing of your fortune. Time is like a wind, which at the first draws from the cheek of the rose the veil with all respect, Then after a week has passed in the midst of the garden, drags its body with ignominy to the dust. The world at one time brings forward by turn in the narrow course, the horses of honour and disgrace. The crafty fowler gives the bird grain, and then draws it into the noose of his artfully laid snare. One man who has lost all hope, gains honour. Another who is always hopeful in spite of all is disgraced. Strange is it if a man who has walked in the shadow of poverty should court a favour from the sun? Be content, if you have a portion of wisdom, that the ignorant should be oppressed by the foolish. What of that man who, in the assembly of mirth and merriment quaffs the wine of pleasure from the cup of luxuriousness? What of him who sitting behind the wall of sorrow suffers from the after effects of sorrow and the worry of toil? At last the hand of fate takes both of them straight off to the brink of the pit of death. Happy is the brave hearted man who like Sharaf draws the foot of fidelity beneath the skirt of retirement.
20.1.2
And in this year Sultan Muizzu-d-Din left Ali Karmakh who was governor of Multan, as his Vicegerent in Lahore, and in the year 587 H. coming from Ghaznin he reduced the fort of Tabarhindah which was the capital of the great rajas of Hindustan, and left Malik Ziau-d-Din Tukili with a corps d'élite consisting of one thousand two hundred cavalry soldiers, and was contemplating a return. In the meantime Rai Pathura the Governor of Ajmir, and Khandi Rai his brother who had been Governor of Dehli before Pathura, arrived with a vast army at a place called Tarayan on the banks of the river Sarsuti at a distance of seven krohs from Thanesar. It is now known by the name of Tarawari and is distant forty krohs from Dehli. A great conflict ensued with the Sultan and the Muslim troops were defeated. The Sultan evinced great bravery on the field of battle, and in that engagement also Khandi Rai who was mounted on an elephant at the head of his army, received a spear thrust in his mouth from the hand of the Sultan. The Sultan also was struck on the head by the Rai’s spear, and his arm was also wounded but both escaped in safety. The Sultan got off his horse and taking up his son Khilji upon his horse and mounting behind him took him off the field, the Sultan proceeded to Ghaznin, and Rai Pathura took the fortress of Tabarhindah from Ziau-d-Din Tukili on peaceable terms after a siege of one year and one month. And in the year 588 H.
20.1.3
the Sultan again came into Hindustan with a large and brave army of 40,000 cavalry, and divided his forces into four army corps, and having given battle time after time in the place above mentioned gained a victory. Pathura was taken prisoner and Khandi Rai having been overcome in battle was killed and hasted to his resting-place in Hell. The Sultan then having reduced the fortresses of Sar-suti and Hansi proceeded to Ajmir the capital of Pathura, reduced it and plundered its environs killing and taking prisoners. From certain other sources we learn that Hazrat Khwaja Muinu-d-Din Chishti, may God sanctify his heart, that revered one who is the fountain head of the great and holy men and the dignified elders of the land of Hind, whose blessed tomb is a place of pilgrimage situated in Ajmir, was at that time in the company of the Sultan, and this victory occurred through the impulse of the blessed and divine soul of that pillar of holiness. And in this year leaving Sultan Malik Qutbu-d-Din Aibak who was his servant and adopted son and vicegerent in the town of Kuhram which is distant seventy krohs from Dehli, he invaded and plundered the Siwalik range which lies to the North of Hindustan, and proceeded to Ghaznin. In the same year too Qutbu-d-Din having captured Dehli took it away from the kinsmen of Pathura and Khandi Rai. Then in the year 589 H. (1193 A.
20.1.4
D.) Sultan Shihabu-d-Din fought with Rai Jai Chand the governor of Qanauj, on the confines of Chandwar and Etawah, killed him and went to Ghaznin. The fort of Kol fell into the hands of Qutbu-d-Din Aibak, and he made Dehli his capital and brought its surrounding districts under his sway. From that date Dehli once more became the metropolis of the Sultans. The erection of minarets and other buildings of that kind, such as mosques, was commenced in the reign of Sultan Shamsu-d-Din Altamash in the year 606 H., as will be related, if God (may He be exalted) so will, in its own place. And in the year 591 H., he took the fort of Bhangar and Badaon. And in the year 593 H. he conquered Gujarat and took his army to Nahrwala which is known as Pattan, and having taken vengeance for the Sultan on Bhim Rai Dev and having taken much spoil returned;
20.1.5
and in that year Sultan Ghiyasu-d-Din removed his effects from the transitory world to the eternal abode, and Sultan Mu'izzu-d-Din having heard this news when on the confines of Tus and Sarakhs, turned towards Badghis and performed the duties of the mourning ceremonies and having divided his brother's dominions among his kindred came to Ghaznin and brought an army against Khwarazm, and on the first occasion Sultan Muhammad Khwarazm Shah suffered defeat, and the Sultan pursued him and fought the Khwarazmians at the head of an aqueduct which they had dug from the eastern bank of the Jaihun and a number of the noted generals of Ghor were martyred and he could not take Khwarazm: he also fought a great battle with an army of Khita'i kings of Turkistan who had come to the help of Sultan Muhammad, on the banks of the river Jaihun—he fought right bravely but at last was defeated, and being left with a hundred thousand cavalry soldiers he entered the fortress of Andkhud where he entrenched himself, and having asked for quarter returned to Ghaznin;
20.1.6
and at that time the tribe of the Khukhars in the neighbourhood of Lahore shewed symptoms of revolting the Sultan accordingly brought an army against them, and also summoned Qutbu-d-Din Aibak from Dehli, and having given the Khokhars a severe lesson returned to Ghaznin, and while on the way back was martyred at Damyak, which is the name of a village of the dependencies of Ghaznin, at the hands of Khukhar bandits — the following qit'ah has been written to chronicle this event: — The martyrdom of the king of sea and land Shihabu-d-Din, Whose like has never yet been seen since the world began, On the third day from the first of Sha'ban, in the year 602 Happened in the road to Ghaznin at the stage Damyak. The days of his reign from the commencement of the rule of Ghaznin to the end of his life were thirty and two years and some months, and he left no heir save one daughter, but he left behind him much treasure of gold and silver and precious stones, among these latter were five hundred mans of diamonds jewels of great value, besides cash and estates and other property the value of which we may estimate on the same scale. He made expeditions to Hindustan nine times, twice was defeated and seven times was victorious.
20.1.7
Thou didst see Muizzu-d-Din Muhammad Sam, who in war Was stronger in heart and hand than Sam and Nariman He obtained, like Mahmud, from the elephants of Hindustan Governments of Sasan and many kingdoms of Saman He departed this world, and they say (the writer vouches for it) That there remained of his secret treasure 500 mans of diamonds. And in his reign many learned doctors and scientists and poets flourished, of whom was Imam Fakhr-u'd-Din Razi may God be merciful to him who wrote the Lataif-i-Ghiyati and other books in honour of his brother Sultan Ghiyasu-'d-Din Abu-l-Fath. He remained with the army of Sultan Mu'izzu-'d-Din Mohammad Sam, and every week used to stand up to preach, and at the termination of his sermon the Sultan used to evince great emotion, and since the Imam got very wearied of this continual coming and going, and everlasting service, one day addressing the Sultan from the pulpit he said "Oh Sultan Mu'izzu-'d-Din, some time hence neither will this greatness and glory of yours remain nor the flattery and hypocrisy of Razi; The following qita'h is by him: