Muntakhab al-tawarikh 33: SULTAN ‘ALAU-D-DIN
Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 33
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SULTAN ‘ALAU-D-DIN
33.1.1
On the twenty-ninth of Zul Hijjah in the year six hundred and ninety-five (695 H.) (A.D. 1295) raised the banner of the Sultanate of Dihli, with the consent of his brother Almas Beg, to whom he gave the title of Ulugh Khan, and to Sinjar, his wife’s brother, who was the Amir-i-Majlis he gave the title of Alp Khan, while to Malik Nusrat Jalisari he gave that of Nusrat Khan, and to Malik Badru-d-Din that of Zafar Khan, alighted at the plain of Siri, where he pitched his camp, and giving public audience delighted the hearts of the Amirs and all classes of his subjects by his boundless munificence, then he had the khutbah and the Sikka promulgated in his own name and conferred appointments and titles upon the Amirs, and distributing largesse gave his mind first of all to his principal object which was to overthrow the two sons of Sultan Jalalu-d-Din who were in Multan. Verse. As long as the head of the heir to the throne is on his shoulders, Disorder is the mantle of the body of the state. In the Muharram 696 A. H. (he sent) Ulugh Khan and Alp Khan against Arkali Khan and Sultan Ruknu-d-Din; both these brothers were besieged in the fortress of Multan. The inhabitants of the city and the Kotwal asked for quarter, and made overtures for peace, and the two princes, by the intervention of Shaikh Ruknu-d-Din Quraishi may God sanctify his resting place!
33.1.2
came forth and had an interview with Ulugh Khan, who treated them with the utmost respect, sending a despatch announcing his victory to Dihli; and taking the family and tribe of Jalalu-d-Din he set out for Dihli. When they came near Bohar a place in the vicinity of Hansi, Nusrat Khan arrived with an order, in obedience to which they put out the eyes of both the sons of Sultan Jalalu-d-Din, of Alghu Khan the Mughul son-in-law to the Sultan, and of Malik Ahmad Chap, and handed over the Sultan’s sons to the Kotwal of Hansi and martyred them together with two sons of Arkali Khan. They kept the Sultan’s wives and the rest of his children imprisoned in Dihli, sending Ahmad Chap and Alghu the Mughul to the fortress of Gwaliar, and putting out the eyes of some others also, scattered them in all directions and punished them with tortures, and very many of the old families they utterly destroyed and the hidden meaning of Sidi Maula soon became evident, and the vengeance for his blood did not sleep. In a short time, it became the cause of the shedding of the blood of Sultan Jalalu-d-Din and his family, and of so many thousands of others among the people who had been murdered: The wealth of Qārun which still sinks down to the bottom of the earth, You may have read, that it was a source of envy to the poor. And in the year 697 A.H.
33.1.3
(1297 A.D.), Nusrat Khān having been appointed to the office of Vazir, used strenuous efforts to recover the money which Sultan 'Alau-d-Din had lavished in the commencement of his reign in order to gain over the affections of the people; and demanding the repayment of very large sums deposited them in the treasury; and having summoned from Karra, 'Alāu-l-Mulk the uncle of Ziau-d-Din Barnī, the author of the Tārīkh-i-Fīroz (whom Sultan 'Alau-d-Din had removed from the kotwalship of Dihli and had sent as governor to Karra, appointing Nusrat Khan to the office of Kotwal) he conferred upon him his old rank: Alp Khān being appointed to Multan. And in the year 698 A.H. (1298 A.D.) one Saldi, a Mughal commander, crossing the Indus came towards Hindustān, and Ulugh and Tughlaq Khan the governor of Depālpūr (who is Ghāzi Malik), were appointed to put down that rising, and offered strong opposition to them on the confines of Jāran Manjhūr. The Mughal army was defeated, some of them were killed and others taken prisoners, and the army of Sultan 'Alau-d-Din returned victorious with many spoils. A second time Qutluq Khwaja, the son of Dua, came from Mawaran-n-nahr with a countless host to attempt the conquest of Hindustan, and penetrated as far as Dihli, inflicting no injury on the districts through which he passed.
33.1.4
In Dihli itself grain became very dear, and the citizens were in great straits, and Sultan ‘Alau-d-Din placing Ulugh Khan and Zafar Khan in command of the forces, sent them with a countless host to oppose the Mughul army, and a severe battle was fought on the frontiers of Kili. Zafar Khan was killed, and the Sultan had gained what he wanted in this. Qutluq Khwaja after his defeat made his way to Khurasan where he died. A third time Targhi Mughul who was one of the margans, that is to say accurate archers of that country, accompanied by 100,000 infantry and 20,000 valiant and renowned cavalry, seized the fort of the hills, and gaining possession of that country, penetrated as far as the township of Baran, where Malik Fakhru-d-Din Amir Dad the Governor was entrenched; Malik Tughlaq Ghazi-i-Mulk was sent from the metropolis to put down that disturbance. Malik Fakhru-d-Din sallying from the fortress of Baran, joined with Malik Tughlaq, and they jointly made a night attack upon the Mughuls. The Mughul forces being routed, Targhi was taken prisoner and Malik Tughlaq brought him into the royal presence.
33.1.5
A fourth time, Muhammad Turtaq and ‘Ali Beg Mughul, who were the sons of the royal house of Khurasan, brought together a very large army, which they divided into two: one bore down upon Nagor, while the other seized the fort of the Sirmur hills and occupied the country as far as the river Biah which they call Kali Pani. Sultan 'Alau-d-Din appointed Malik Manik his slave (who is Kafur Naib or Hazar Dinari) with Malik Tughliq Governor of Depalpur to proceed to Amroha, and while the Mughal army, having succeeded in capturing much spoil and many cattle, was marching to the banks of the river Rahab Malik Manik came up in pursuit, and a severe battle ensued. Both the Mughal princes evinced great bravery, but were ultimately taken prisoners, and were put to death, while the greater part of those accursed ones became food for the sword of vengeance, and the remnant of the sword fled panicstricken to their own country. The heads of these two princes were taken to Badaon and impaled upon the battlements of the fort. One of the learned poets of that time wrote the following quatrain which was afterwards inscribed upon the southern gateway of that city: Quatrain. Noble fortress! whose helper may the assistance of the Almighty ever be! May the victory and conquest of the Emperor ever be thy standard-bearer! The Malik of this age became thy builder, and built thee anew, May Targhi, like 'Ali Beg, become thy captive.
33.1.6
And Mir Khusru has written an account of the fight between Malik Manik (who had obtained the title of Malik Naib) in the Tdrikh-i-Alai a marvel of literature, which ... men of the present confess themselves impotent to approach or imitate, though to tell the truth all the writings of that king of poets, rightly named Khusru, are of due excellence, and to praise one more than those is an imperfection and error for any other. Whenever thought shines forth from his mind It is so subtle as to escape comprehension and defy imitation. On the fifth occasion Iqbal that had occurred, it was as clear as day to the Sultān that his suspicion was groundless. Wait, till the world removes the veil from the face of events, And till that thou hast done this evening, to-morrow is plain to thee. Then he asked for Qāzī Bahā. They replied, He was sent into eternity at that very moment. The Sultān was very repentant and ashamed at hearing this, and vowed never again to drink wine, and ordered it to be proclaimed that the use of wine should be absolutely abandoned throughout the kingdom. Cask upon cask of wine was poured out in the court till it became a flowing river. Everyone who was discovered intoxicated, was hauled off to prison, and punished by imprisonment and confiscation of property.
33.1.7
Piety and penitence became the order of the day: the taverns were in ruins, and the police officers had plenty of work, and there was no longer any need to purchase vinegar, while the wine-bibbers were giving expression by their actions to these verses: Now he sprinkles the flagon with salt, now he shatters the cup, How the policeman disturbs the peace of the tavern in which we sup. And in the year (697 H., A.D.), the Sultan suspected the newlyof ‘Alau-l Mulk Kotwal of Dihli he restrained the Sultan from pursuing both these claims and said, “No one can evolve a religion out of his own brain unless he be aided by God, and till he can perform miracles. This object cannot be acquired by the strength of dominion, and wealth, and majesty, and splendour, moreover such an attempt may be expected, nay is certain to result in violent disorders and tumults of all kinds, nothing will be gained while disgrace will follow the attempt: as for conquering realms, it is a worthy ambition, but needs the highest qualifications, as well as perfection of rule and a vazir like Aristotle, none of which are here existent. If the Sultan clears Hindustan of infidels and frees the environs of Dihli from these contumacious ruffians, this will be in no way inferior to the world-conquests of Sikandar.”
33.2.1
The Sultan, after due meditation, was greatly pleased with these proofs deduced from reason and supported by precedent and bestowed a robe of honour upon ‘Alau-l Mulk and gave him large rewards, and abstained from attempting to satisfy either of his ambitions. The Amirs, who on account of the harshness of the Sultan, and the roughness of his temper, were unable to say anything of service, all sent presents of horses and valuables for ‘Alau-l Mulk and were loud in praise of him. Verse In my opinion that one is thy well-wisher, Who says that will be a thorn in thy path. In this year the Sultan proceeding to Deogir gained a fresh conquest and doubled his spoils. That which he cut after that his sword cut double, That which he defeated after that his mace defeated again and again. And in the year 698 H. (1298 A.D.) he appointed Ulugh Khan to the command of a powerful army, to proceed into the country of Gujarat against Rai Karan who had thirty thousand cavalry, and eighty thousand infantry, and thirty head of elephants. Ulugh they either died, and consequently plotted a rebellion, but eventually were dispersed; some of them went off to Rai Hamir Dev in Jhain, which is near Rantanbhor, and some went elsewhere.
33.2.2
Ulugh Khan proceeded by continuous marches to his master at Dihli, and from this we gather that the massacre of the foreigners (above alluded to) took place after the arrival of Ulugh Khan from Gujrat. Historians have paid little attention to the due order of events, but God knows the truth. And in the year 699 H. (1299 A.D.) Ulugh Khan was nominated to proceed against the fortress of Rantanbhor and Jhain, which is better known as Nau-shahr, and Rai Hamir Dev, the grandson of Rai Pithora, who had ten thousand cavalry, and countless infantry, and celebrated elephants, gave him battle, but was defeated, and with great generalship withdrew the whole of his forces into the fortress of Rantanbhor.
33.2.3
Ulugh Khan having reported the state of affairs to the Court, urged the Sultan to capture the fort, the Sultan collected his forces and marched against Rantanbhor, and in a short time, by skilful effort, and aided by the energy of his Maliks, completely subdued and took the fortress, and despatched Hamir Dev to hell. Great booty, and spoil, and treasures fell into his hands. Then he appointed a Kotwal to hold that fortress, and having bestowed the country of Jhain upon Ulugh Khan, left to attack Chitor, and having conquered that place also within a few days, and having given it the name of Khizrabat, and having bestowed a red canopy upon Khizr Khan aforesaid, made Chitor over to him as governor. Among the events which happened in this expedition this was one, that Nusrat Khan had come from Karra to Ranlanbhor, to reinforce Ulugh Khan before the Sultan arrived there; and during the siege one day a stone struck him on the head, and he went without delay to the other world. One arm of the Sultan, that is to say Zafar Khan, had been broken in the fight with Qutluq Khwaja, and now the second arm was broken also. When the army was encamped in the neighbourhood of Malhab the Sultan one day was engaged in the hunting field; when night came on he remained in the plain, and at dawn of day he posted his troops all round, while he himself with a select following ascended an eminence and was watching the sport.
33.2.4
In the meantime the brother’s son of the Sultan, Akat Khan, together with a band of new-Muslim Mughals who were engaged in performing the duties of guards, attacked the Sultan relentlessly and smote him with arrows, seized him and wounded his arm. As it was the winter season, and the Sultan was wearing a cap stuffed with cotton his wounds were not fatal. Akat Khan wished to alight from his horse and strike off the Sultan’s head from his body, but some of the attendants pretending to side with him and take his part, cried out, the Sultan is killed! Akat Khan was satisfied at hearing this, and made off with all speed to the camp on horseback, and entering the royal hall of audience seated himself upon the throne, and drawing the canopy over his head, the Amirs, in accordance with ancient custom, gave in their allegiance to him as the rightful king, and raised no overt objection. Akat Khan was so overwhelmed by his inordinate lust that on the instant he made an attempt upon the haram, but Malik Dinar Harami who was on guard at the entrance to the haram with his men armed and equipped, said, Till you shew me the head of the Sultan I will not permit you to set foot within this private chamber. Sultan ‘Alau-d-Din, when he had somewhat regained consciousness after that perilous attack, bound up his wounds.
33.2.5
He was convinced in his own mind that Akat Khan, in unison with the Amirs who had revolted, had had the audacity to make this disgraceful attempt upon his life, for that were it not so, he was not the man to attempt it alone. Accordingly his intention was to make his way to Jhan (where Ulugh Khan was) with the fifty or sixty attendants who had remained with him, and see what course Ulugh Khan would recommend. One or two of his confidential retainers pointed out the unwisdom of this course and urged him to go at once to the royal pavilion and kingly court. Before they arrived at the Court fifty horsemen joined them, and Akat Khan took the road to Afghanpur, but a body of men who had been despatched in pursuit of him by forced marches made him prisoner, sent him into the Sultan’s presence, and then utterly destroyed all his family and relations wherever they found them, among whom Qutluq Khan his brother also perished. Verse One who injures the country is better beheaded. And at that same time ‘Umar Khan and Mangu Khan the two the entrance to the Red Palace, and compelled the chief men whether they would or no, to swear allegiance to him.
33.2.6
The Sultan, when he heard this tidings, did not publish it, nor did he betray any signs of emotion, until he had succeeded by superhuman effort in entirely reducing the fortress. A week had hardly passed after this exploit of Haji Maula when Malik Hamidu-d-Din, who was Amir of Koh, with his sons who were renowned for their valour, and a body of the cavalry of Zafar Khan who had come from Amroha to oppose the Mughals, engaged Haji Maula in fight, and having destroyed him, put to death the hapless Saiyyid Zada also, and sent their heads to Rantanbhor. The Sultan nominated Ulugh Khan to proceed to Dihli to track out those who had taken part in that rebellion, and bring them to destruction. He also completely eradicated the family and relations of Maliku-l-Umara on this suspicion that Haji Maula would not have embarked on this enterprise without their instigation. The Sultan after adding the fortress of Rantanbhor and its surrounding districts to the jagir of Ulugh Khan returned (to Dihli). Ulugh Khan was taken ill that very day while on the road, and died, and Rantanbhor became for him like the Paradise of Shaddad. Moreover a band of robbers of Jalor, whose leader was Mir Muhammad Shah, were captured in Rantanbhor after the fort Iram of the columns “This city is said to have been situated in Yemen, between Hazramaut and Sana'a.
33.2.7
It was founded by Shaddad ibn ‘Ad, who was excessively strong and mighty, and when he heard of Paradise and of what God had prepared therein for his saints, ‘palaces of gold and silver and abodes beneath which rivers flow, and upper chambers above which are other upper chambers,’ (Qur’an xxxix. 21) he said to his mighty men ‘Verily I will take to myself upon the earth a city like unto Paradise.’ Then he appointed thereunto a hundred men of his servants and mighty men of valour, and under the hand of each of them a thousand helpers, and bade them search out and find an open space of the plain in the land of Yemen, and choose the best thereof in soil. Then he provided them with wealth, and designed for them the pattern of their work, and wrote to his three chief lords Ghanim-ibn-‘Ulwan, Zahhak ibn ‘Ulwan, and Walid ibnur Raiyyan, and charged them to write to their lords in the utmost parts of their cities that they should collect all that was in their land of gold and of silver, of pearls and of rubies, of musk and ambergris and saffron, and should send them unto him. Then he sent unto all the mines, and took out therefrom all the gold and the silver that was in them, and he sent his three agents to the divers into the oceans, and they brought out therefrom jewels, and gathered them together as it were mountains, and all of this was brought to Shaddad.
33.2.8
Then they sent the miners to the mines of rubies and emeralds and all other jewels, and they brought out from thence immense riches. Then he ordered and the gold was beaten and fashioned into bricks, and he builded therewith that city, and he commanded the pearls and the rubies, the onyx and the emerald and the cornelian, and the walls of the city were set with them. And he made for it upper chambers, and above them other chambers supported on columns, and to all of them pillars of emerald and of onyx and of ruby. Then he caused to flow beneath the city a wide channel which he brought to the city from beneath the earth a space of forty leagues, like to a large canal. Then he ordered, and there were made to flow from that channel, rivulets in the streets, and highways and streets flowed with clear water. And he ordered banks to be made for that canal and for all the rivulets, and they were overlaid with red gold, and the pebbles thereof were made of all kinds of precious stones, red and yellow and green. And there were planted on either bank of the stream and of the rivulets trees of gold bearing fruit, and the fruits of them were of those rubies and precious gems. And the length of the city was made twelve farsakhs and the breadth thereof like unto the length. And the walls of the city were high and lofty, and there were builded therein three hundred thousand palaces set with all kinds of jewels within and without.
33.2.9
And he built for himself in the midst of the city on the bank of the canal a palace lofty and high, towering over all those palaces * * * * and there passed in the building of it five hundred years. vrns tnVftJ. When the Sultan asked Muhammad (who had been wounded) ‘If I should save your life and have you cured, and you should thus escape this deadly danger, how would you treat me in future?’ he replied, ‘If I should get well and should have an opportunity, I would kill you and raise the son of Hamir Deo to the throne.’ The Sultan wondered, and was amazed at this audacity, and enquired of his most shrewd and astute Amirs the reason why the people had so turned against him, and why these continual riots and seditions were so constantly occurring, and further sought to know how to set about remedying these evils. They shewed him several paths of conduct which would end naturally in good things. Firstly, that the king should in his own person be aware of the enterprises both good and bad which are going on in his kingdom. Secondly, that he should put an end to wine bibbing, which is the source of so much evil. Thirdly, abandonment by the nobles of their gadding about to each others’ houses and holding deliberative meetings.
33.2.10
Fourthly, to demand back the money which he had lavished, from all classes, whether soldiery or populace, because it is the fountain head of all riot and sedition, especially upstarts and nouveaux riches, and in a short time these regulations would by their inherent good, be acceptable to the raiyats, and pass from potentiality to actuality just as has already been related in a former place. The Sultan did away with wine drinking, and brought the other regulations also into force, and also published several new rules of his own, which have never been heard of either before or after his time, whether they were in accordance with religious law or not; one of these rules was that regulating the price of grain, and cloth, and horses, and all necessaries essential to the comfort of the soldiery and populace, and the bestowal of rewards and alms upon all classes of the people, the detail of which is told at some length in the history of Zia-i-Barni. Those laws were the most extraordinary of all: this cheapness of provisions was one of the chief sources of the prosperity of the people, and formed a stout wall of defence against the irruption of the Mughuls. And inasmuch as in mentioning some of these events and occurrences in the original work, the chronological sequence has not been preserved, and they have been only incidentally mentioned as occasion arose, for this reason they have also been recounted here in the same manner.
33.3.1
196. In the year 700 H. he ordered ‘Ainu-l-Mulk Shihab Multani to proceed to Malwa with a large army [and Koka the Rani who had forty thousand cavalry and 100,000 infantry, not being able to stand against him fled]. ‘Ainu-l-Mulk ravaged and pillaged that country and returned victorious with countless spoils. The Khusru of poets has described this in the ‘Ashiqa, in these words: He gave ‘Ainu-l-Mulk a signal with his brow To turn his face towards the kingdom of Malwa; From the clear-sightedness which ‘Ainu-l-Mulk possessed. That which he ordered was brought into sight. He marched with an army drawn up in array, And placed round them sentinels like the eyelashes. And in the year already mentioned the Sultan set out for Sorath on a hunting expedition, and despatched to hell Satal Dev a rebel who had taken refuge in that fortress with a huge army, the Sultan’s army having before been unable to reduce it, but it now fell into their hands. And in the year 701 H. (1301 A.D.) the fort of Jalor was reduced by Kamalu-d Din Kark and he sent Kanhar Dev, a headstrong rebel to the lowest abyss of hell. And in the year 703 H. (1302 A.D.) he sent Malik Kafur Naib with a large army and complete equipment towards Tiling and Marhat and an immense quantity of treasure with elephants and horses, jewels and cloths, fell as spoil into the hands of the troops.
33.3.2
And in the year 709 (1309 A.D.) Malik Naib Kafur went a second time to Arankal and having taken much treasure and several fine elephants and seven thousand horses as a present from Rai Nadar Dev the Governor of Arankal made him a regular tributary. And in the year 710 H. (1310 A.D.) the country of Ma‘bar as far as Dhor Samundar came into the possession of the Muslims. And in the year 711 H. (1311 A.D.) Malik Naib brought to court and presented his spoils consisting of three hundred and twelve elephants, and twenty thousand horses, ninety-six thousand mans of gold, and many chests of jewels and pearls besides other booty beyond the limits of computation; Amir Khusru who was with that army has given full particulars in the Khazainu-l-Futuh: some attributed these victories to respite before punishment, and some to the miraculous powers of Sultan ‘Alau-d-Din, while others held that the peace and security of that reign were due to the unbounded blessings of the Sultanu-l-Mashaikh Nizamu-l-Auliya — may God sanctify his resting-place.
33.3.3
At length when the Sultan’s mind was satisfied, and he gained some leisure from the administration of the State, he set himself to provide for the future of his two sons, allotting to each one a province in the neighbourhood, and setting apart districts for them. Among other events was the marriage of Khizr Khan to Dewal Rani, and Mir’s account is of a nature to last to all eternity, and those who have the taste may read the account of that in the ‘Ashiqah; then having bestowed upon Khizr Khan the canopy and staff of office, and having made him his heir the Sultan sent him away to Hatnapur and the foot of the hills. When affairs were settled, and the heavens began to act with their ingrained natural deceit, and commenced displaying those evil traits, and old age overcame the Sultan’s health, his followers deserted him; Verse. In the world, when a king becomes advanced in years His worshippers grow weary of him; His head, which is worthy of a crown, He must recline on musk not on ivory.
33.3.4
198. Various disorders affected him, and hectic fever which leads to ill-temper, and bad causes the health to become deranged, gained the mastery over him, and when only such a small amount of health remained that it was like a single lamp to light the whole house, Khizr Khan in fulfillment of a vow he had made, in singleness of heart and sincerity of spirit set out from Hatnapur barefooted upon a pilgrimage to the holy men of Dihli, and performed his thanksgiving for the restoration of his father’s health, but it is a very strange fact that he never once went to visit the Sultanu-l-Masha’ikh wal-Auliya, “Shaikh of the sects, Pillar of the faith, Nizamu-d Din Like Khizr and Masih with a breath brings bones to life,” with whom he was connected by bonds of affection and sanctity. And Malik Naib informed the Sultan of the coming of Khizr Khan with considerable embellishment, saying that Alp Khan, the maternal uncle of Khan, who had arrived from Gujrat, out of policy and prudence, having regard to the affairs of the State and in his desire to become Naib and Vakil, had himself summoned his sister’s son, and further remarked that if this crude idea and immature desire had not fixed itself in the mind of Khizr Khan, why had he come unbidden to the Court?
33.3.5
The Sultan whose health was upset and his brain disordered and disposed to entertain absurd prejudices in according with the saying “When a man’s health is disordered his fancies are disordered,” from his great lack of discrimination taking this suggestion as the actual fact, and regarding this assertion as the truth, instantly gave orders for the execution of Alp Khan. Malik Naib and Malik Kamalu-d-Din Gurg seizing that unhappy wretch like a meek lamb, cut him to pieces inside the Royal palace. After that Malik Naib induced the Sultan (on the ground that Khizr Khan had taken alarm at the murder of his uncle and that it was not expedient for him to return to his own place in the court), to issue instructions that, to allow of the restoration of order in the State, he should go for some time to Amroha till a command should issue summoning him to the presence. In the meantime he might engage in hunting, and he was to return to the Court his canopy and staff of office, and all the other insignia of royalty. Khizr Khan having obeyed this order with a sad and distracted heart, after a little while relying upon the sincerity of affection he entertained for his father and the confidence between them, wrote to him to this effect, that he had never committed any breach of trust which could cause the Sultan to be so wroth with him; then overcome by sorrow he determined to leave Amroha for Dihli.
33.3.6
When he arrived to do obeisance to his father, the chord of fatherly affection was stirred in the heart of the Sultan, he clasped his son to his breast, and kissed him several times on the forehead, and motioned to him to go and see his mother. Khizr Khan went thither, and Malik Naib out of villainy, on the instant went back to the Sultan and filled his ears with lies, saying, ‘Khizr Khan has now come for the second time to the palace with evil intentions without orders, and the Sultan takes no notice of the matter.’ The Sultan upon this occasion gave orders to send both brothers, Khizr Khan and Shadi Khan, to the fortress of Gwaliar. Malik Naib, after these two heirs had been deported, and the way was clear for Malik Shihabu-d-Din, the son of the Sultan by another mother, who was yet a lad of tender years, made him heir-apparent and exacted from him an agreement. After two or three days the Sultan’s life became intolerable through his affliction, and he would willingly have purchased a breath at the price of a world, but it was not to be had. Verse. Sikandar, who held sway over a world, At the time when he was departing, and was quitting the world. It could not be as he wished, though he would have given a world could they have given him in return the brief respite of a moment. The mint of existence was emptied of the coin of life. This event took place in the year 715 H. (1316 A.D.). The duration of the reign of Sultan 'Alau-d-Din was twenty-one years.
33.3.7
‘Alau-d-Din who struck his stamp upon the golden coin Subdued a world beneath the palm of his gold-scattering hand. By the revolution of the sky, that stamp became changed, but that gold Remained the same in appearance, and you may see it now passing from hand to hand.