Muntakhab al-tawarikh 4: Yamīnu-d-Daulat Sultān Mahmūd ibn Nāsiru-d-dīn Ghaznavī
Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 4
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Yamīnu-d-Daulat Sultān Mahmūd ibn Nāsiru-d-dīn Ghaznavī
4.1.1
When Subuktigin, in the month of Sha'ban 387 H., while on the road to Ghaznin, receiving the summons of the Almighty responded “Here am I,” he appointed his young son Isma‘il as his successor. When this news reached Mahmud who was the elder son of Subuktigin, he wrote a letter of condolence to his brother and sought a peaceful solution of the difficulty on the following terms: That Isma‘il should give up Ghaznin to Mahmud, receiving in its stead the governorship of Balkh: Isma‘il refused these terms, and eventually war was declared between the brothers. Mahmud was victorious, and after defeating Isma‘il, kept him closely besieged in Ghaznin for a space of six months, at the expiration of which time certain of their friends intervened and made peace between them. Isma‘il then came and had an interview with Mahmud, and the sovereignty devolved upon Yaminu-d-Daulat Mahmud. After this a quarrel arose between Mahmud and Mansur ibn-Nuh Samani and also his brother ‘Abdu-l-Malik ibn-Nuh. Eventually Mahmud got the upper hand. The Amirs of ‘Abdu-l-Malik also, Faiq and Baktuzun, who engaged in contest with Mahmud, were defeated by him, and the sovereignty of the whole of Khurasan, of Ghaznin, and the frontiers of Hindustan came into the hands of Mahmud. Mahmud’s mother was the daughter of the ruler of Zabul [that is to say Qandahar] accordingly, he is called Mahmud Zabuli—as Firdausi says
4.1.2
The auspicious court of Mahmud Zabuli is an ocean, An ocean such that no shore can be spied for it I went to the ocean—I dived but found no pearl The fault is my fortune’s—not that of the ocean. In the early part of his reign he had some unpleasant correspondence with the Khalifah of Baghdad Al Qadir billahi ’Abbasi. Eventually the Khalif despatched a magnificent robe of honour, and many presents of precious things and gems, and conferred on him the title of Aminu-l Millat Yaminu-d Daulat. Leaving Ghaznin he went to Balkh and Herat, and in 387 A.H., (997 A.D.) he returned to Ghaznin after having settled those provinces, and thence made repeated incursions and forays into Hindustan, and took several fortresses. ‘Asjadi composed the following qasida in honour of this expedition: When the king of kings marched to Somnat He made his own deeds the standard of miracles.
4.1.3
In the month of Shawwal, 391 A.H., (1000 A.D.) Mahmud returned to Hindustan from Ghaznin with ten thousand cavalry, and reduced Peshawar. He also again drew up his forces on these frontiers for battle with Jaipal who confronted him with large forces of cavalry and infantry and three hundred elephants. Sultan Mahmud gained the day and Jaipal was taken prisoner together with fifteen of his relatives, his brothers and his sons; and five thousand infidels fell by the sword. Great spoils fell into the hands of the Ghuzas, among them a pearl necklet which was on the neck of Jaipal, which was worth some hundred and eighty thousand dinars, and the necklets of the others too, on the same This victory was on Saturday, the 8th of Muharram, 392 H., (1001 A.D.) Leaving that place Mahmud proceeded to the fortress of Tabarhindah which was the residence of Jaipal, and conquered that country.
4.1.4
After this in the month of Muharram 395 A.H. he left Ghaznin and proceeded to Hindustan way of Sistan and assaulted Bhatia which is in the vicinity of Multan. The Raja of that place, Beji Rai, fearing the punishment of the Sultan killed himself with a dagger, and they brought his head to the Sultan. Many Hindus, more than one can number, were hurried along the road to non-existence by the pitiless sword, and Mahmud took as spoil two hundred and eighty elephants whilst Da'ud ibn-Nasr the renegade ruler of Multan, being reduced to submission by the Sultan, agreed to pay twenty times twenty thousand dirhams annual tribute. As he was going to Multan, Anandpal, son of Jaipal, drew up an army here to oppose the advance of the Sultan, but fled after the battle into the mountains of Kashmir, and the Sultan reached Multan by way of Hindusthan. These events occurred in 396 A.H. (1005 A.D.) In the following year 397 A.H. (1006 A.D.) a battle was fought at Balkh between Mahmud and Ilek Khan, king of Mawara-un-Nahr. Mahmud was victorious; Ilek Khan finally died in the year 403 H. (1012 A.D.) In the year 398 H. (1007 A.D.) Mahmud entered Turkistan, and settled the affairs of the Turks, pursued Sukhpal Nubah, Raja of Hind (who having embraced Islam had been released from his captivity to Abu 'Ali Sinjur, but had again joined the idolaters and apostates) overcame him and threw him into prison where he died.
4.1.5
In the year 399 A.H. (1008 A.D.) Mahmud a second time entered Hindustan and engaging in battle with the aforesaid Anand Pal defeated him, and betaking himself with his vast spoil to the fortress of Bhimnagar — which nowadays is known and possessed of the treasure and which had been buried and stored there since the time of and in the early part of the year 1001 H he and silver thrones to be placed in his court, and ordered that all that unequalled and incomparable wealth should be scattered at the foot of his own throne that the people might gaze on it. In the year 1010 H (1010 A.D) he left Ghazna and marched on account of which the Hindus had been ruined; and having placed it in his court, caused it to be trampled under foot by the people. In the year 404 H. (1012 A.D.), he conquered Gharjistan, and in the selfsame year an ambassador arrived from the ruler of Egypt, and when the Sultan heard that he was of the Batini sect, he exposed him to public ridicule and expelled him.
4.1.6
In the year 404 H. (1013 A.D.), he prepared an expeditionary force to attack Nandana, a city situated on the mountains of Balnath. Jaipal II left a force to defend that fortress, and himself proceeded to the Kashmir pass. The Sultan gained possession of that fortress with promise of quarter, and left Sarogh Kotwal to defend it, while he pursued Jaipal. He took the vast spoils of that mountainous region and put many infidels to death by the sword of holy war, and honoured the rest by admitting them to Islam—a certain number he led captive to Ghaznin. In the year 406 H. (1015 A.D.), he contemplated the conquest of Kashmir, and besieged the fortress of Lohar Kot, which was a very high fort, but was forced to abandon the siege on account of the severity of the cold and rain, and the constant reinforcements available to the Kashmiris, and returned to Ghaznin. In that year he entered into a contract for the marriage of his sister Abul Abbas Mamun Khwarazm Shah, and sent her to Khwarazm.
4.1.7
In the year 407 H. (1016 A.D.), a band of ruffians murdered Khwarazm Shah, and Mahmud leaving Ghaznin, proceeded first to Balkh and thence to Khwarazm, where a furious battle took place between his forces and those of Khumartash, the commander-in-chief of Khwarazm. The Sultan's forces gained the day and Mahmud appointed Altun Tash governor of that country, investing him with the title of Shah; he also took vengeance on the murderers of Khwarazm Shah, and returned (to Ghaznin) after having arranged those important affairs.
4.1.8
In the year 409 H., he marched with the object of subduing Qanauj, and having crossed the seven dangerous rivers of Hindustan, upon his arrival in the neighbourhood of Qanauj, Kura-h, the ruler of Qanauj, offered his submission, and sued for quarter, offering presents. Leaving that place he arrived at the fortress of Barnah whose governor Barwat, having entrusted the defence of the fortress to his kinsfolk, retired into seclusion. The garrison of the fort not being able to withstand Mahmud’s assault sent a present of a lakh and fifty thousand rupees, with thirty elephants, and thus obtained quarter. From thence Mahmud proceeded to the fortress of Mahawun on the banks of the river Jon, where the governor of the fort named Kul Chandar attempted to escape by crossing the river riding on an elephant, but in the meantime the troops of the Sultan arrived, and he destroyed himself by stabbing himself with a dagger — By that same watery path he went to Hell. When to live is to fulfil the desires of one’s enemies Death is infinitely preferable to life.
4.1.9
At the taking of the fortress of Qanauj eighty-five elephants and a boundless amount of spoil fell into the hands of the troops. From thence he went to Mathra which is a place of worship of the infidels, and the birth place of Kishan, the son of Basudev, whom the Hindus worship as a divinity — where there are idol temples without number, and took it without any contest, and rased it to the ground. Great wealth and booty fell into the hands of the Muslims, among the rest they broke up by the orders of the Sultan, a golden idol, the weight of which was simple eight thousand three hundred of refined gold and a piece of sapphire whose weight was four hundred and fifty misqals, besides a celebrated elephant of huge size, like a mountain, belonging to Raja Gobind Chand, one of the Rajas of Hindustan, which the Sultan had long earnestly sought to buy, but which was not to be had. By chance one night, when they were returning, this elephant broke loose and came into the Sultan's camp without a keeper. The Sultan was greatly pleased with its capture, and gave it the name of Khudadad. When the spoil reached Ghaznin it was found to amount to over twenty million and fifty-three thousand dirams, and three hundred and fifty odd elephants.
4.2.1
In the year 410 H. (1019 A.D.), Mahmud again turned his footsteps towards Hindustan and encountered and fought on the banks of the river Jon with Nanda the Raja of Kalinjar, who had with him cavalry and 45,000 infantry and elephants, and who had put the Raja of Kanauj to death on the accusation of submission to the Sultan, and who had also come to the aid of Jaipal, who had several times fled from before the Sultan. The servants of the Sultan who had come forward to make the attack, found the city deserted, and sacked it. A terrible dread overwhelmed the heart of Jaipal, so that leaving all his property and material of war just as they stood, he took to flight with some selected companions. Five hundred and eighty elephants during the pursuit, emerging from a forest, fell into the hands of the Sultan's troops. He then returned to Ghaznin. Many regions passed from the possession of the infidels to the Muslims, moreover the people of that country, either willingly or perforce, made profession of Islam. In the year 412 H. (1021 A.D.), Mahmud proceeded to Kashmir and laid siege to the fort of Loharkot for a month, but it held out being exceedingly well fortified. Leaving Loharkot he went to Lahore, and in the beginning of spring returned to Ghaznin.
4.2.2
In the year 413 H. (1022 A.D.), he again made an attempt on the country of Nanda, and when he arrived at the fortress of Gwaliar, having reduced it peaceably and accepted presents from its governor, confirmed him in his governorship. As part of that present there were thirty-five elephants. Leaving that place he went to the fort of Kalinjar, the commander of which first made an offering of three hundred elephants and sought his protection. He also composed a poem in Hindi in praise of the Sultan, and sent it to him, whereupon the Sultan read the poem in the presence of the eloquent men of Hindustan and the poets of his own country. They were all loud in their praises of the poem, and the Sultan was so proud of it, that he wrote a patent conferring upon him the governorship of fifteen forts as a reward for the poem. Nanda also sent large quantities of property and jewels, and countless number of cattle fell off to them. The Sultan returned and triumphant arrived in Ghaznin.
4.2.3
In the year 416 H. (1025 A.D.), he went to Balkh, and crossed the river Jaihun. The chiefs of the regions beyond the river hastened to meet him, and Yusuf Qadr Khan, king of the whole of Turkistan, came to meet him, and the Sultan. They held banquets and made presents to each other, and Ali Tagin, of whose oppression the ruler of the regions beyond the river had complained, learning what was happening, took to flight. The Sultan pursued him, and having captured him sent him a prisoner to one of the fortresses of Hindustan; then he returned and spent the winter in Ghaznin.
4.2.4
Once more he led his army against Somnat, which is a large city on the coast of the ocean, a place of worship of the Hindus. ments who worship a large idol. There are many golden idols there. Although certain historians have called this idol Manat, and say that it is the identical idol which the Arab idolators brought to the coasts of Hindustan in the time of the Lord of the Missive (may the blessing and peace of God be upon him), this story has no foundation, because the Brahmans of India firmly believe that this idol has been in that place since the time of Kishan, that is to say four thousand years and a fraction. Its name too, in the Hindi language, is really Sobha Nath, that is to say Lord of Beauty, and not Manat. The reason for this mistake must surely be the resemblance in name, and nothing else. In this expedition, having taken the city of Patan which is known as Naharwala, a city of Gujerat, and having obtained a great supply of provisions from thence, he arrived at Somnat where the garrison closed the gates of the fort against him, and reaped their reward in rapine and plunder. The fort was taken and Mahmud broke the idol in fragments and sent it to Ghaznin, where it was placed at the door of the Jami‘ Masjid and trodden under foot.
4.2.5
At the time of his return, not considering it expedient to fight with Bairam Dev, one of the mighty Rajas of Hindustan who stood in his way, Mahmud turned towards Multan by way of utterly destroyed the Turkomans of that country, and thence he hastened to Rai and laid hands on the treasures and hidden valuables of that country which had been there for many years, and eradicated the false religionists and Karamanians of that place, and bestowed Rai and Isfahan on Amir Mas‘ud his elder son. He then returned to Ghaznin and shortly afterwards became attacked by consumption, his weakness day by day increased. Nevertheless he used to take great pains to pretend that he was well and strong, and in that condition went to Balkh and in the spring came to Ghaznin, and died of that disease on Thursday, the 23rd of Rabi'ul Awwal, 421 A. H. and was buried at Ghaznin. His age was sixty years, and he had reigned thirty-one years. They say that when he was restricted to another disease, that term Su-ul-qinya is made applicable to this condition."
4.2.6
In the Latáif-ul-Funun we find the disease described as "the commencement of dropsy due to weakness of liver and derangement of that organ." The quotation however is an erroneous transcription from Al Mújaz of Sadídi, a translation from which follows:—He writes: "the commencement of dropsy due to weakness and derangement of the liver, with resulting pallor and whiteness owing to defect in the formation of good blood from disorder and weakness of the liver; it also arises from disorder of the stomach and weakness of that organ. The face and extremities, that is the hands and feet, and especially the eyelids become swollen owing to the weakness of digestion and the rising of moist vapours, and their effect upon the eyelids and extremities and at times it extends to the entire body, so that the body becomes like dough. One of its symptoms is flatulence and borborygmus, with irregularity of the bowels. All of these are due to indigestion. The gums also are affected with pustules from the evil vapours which arise.
4.2.7
Its cure is a gentle course of treatment for the dropsy. Means must be taken at first to secrete a minimum of excrementitious products and drinking much water must be forbidden, and the patient directed to bathe in borax and alum water, or in sea water, as bathing in fresh water is harmful. Drinking wormwood and dinarí and nardí is beneficial. The food must be appetising and strengthening to the liver, as for instance partridges, Cantharides flavoured with cloves and cinnamon and mastic and saffron are beneficial. The vomiting must be treated with aperients, when it will cease, but if more energetic treatment be required we may add agaricum and rhubarb which do no harm in this disease." (Al Múghni fi Sharhi Mújaz by Sadídi.)
4.2.8
It is evident from the above description that the disease from which Mahmud died was not either hectic fever (Diq-i-diq) or phthisis (Firishta), but an anæmia, very probably "idiopathic anæmia" or "progressive pernicious anæmia." The condition of the gums points to a possibly scorbutic taint, though it was probably ulcerous stomatitis so common at the close of wasting disease. Malaria may have shared in the causation of the illness. There is just a possibility that the disease may have been myxœdema, the increase in bulk of the body with the alteration and sweating of the skin, the turgescence of the mucous membrane of the mouth—all point in this direction. Against this supposition however, is the sex and the age, both of which are in favour of pernicious anæmia. His age was 61. The question of stone nowhere appears in the original authorities, and it is difficult to see why Briggs should put forward such a statement. See also Elliott, IV. 188 Note 1. flying he ordered them to bring all his wealth and treasures and property before him, he lay looking at them from time to time regretfully sighing at having to part with them. He would not give the smallest trifle to any one. He had made the journey to Hindustan and engaged in holy war, twelve times. Verily his reckoning is with his Lord; and the story in connection with him and Firdausi the poet is well known, and the holy Jami says:
4.2.9
It is well to recognize merits for when the arched sky At last discharged the arrows of misfortune, The glory of Mahmud passed away, nothing remained in the world Save only this saying “He recognized not the worth of Firdausi. And in the Tarikh of Muhammad Ufi, the following has been attributed to the Sultan Mahmud: From the dread of the world-winning sword and the fear of the foe-crushing sceptre, The world became subject to me as I am subjected to reason, At one time there would I sit serene in my splendour and riches, At another time following armies roamed I from country to country; Oft would I boastfully say lo! I am a man of importance, But now I clearly perceive that the King and the beggar are equals. I, with one wave of my hand, have conquered a myriad of castles, With one firm plant of my foot I have broken lines without number: When Death made the final assault, naught then did my splendour avail me, Nothing continues but God, God’s kingdom alone Amir Muhammad despatched Sundha Rai the Hindu with a large army in pursuit of them, Amir Ayaz was victorious in the fight and put to death Sundha Rai the Hindu with a large number of Hindus, and sent their heads to Amir Muhammad.
4.2.10
Amir Ayaz joined Amir Mas'ud at Nishapur, and four months later Amir Muhammad moved his camp in the direction of Bust and came out in full force from Ghaznin with the intention of fighting with his brother, and when he reached Takinabad all his Amirs having revolted against him, put out his eyes and threw him into the fort of Kajj in Garmsir and having run over to Amir Mas'ud with the whole army and treasures, went to Herat and met him there. The blinded Amir Muhammad reigned five months, but according to Qazi Baizawi it was fourteen years, and the period of his imprisonment was nine years. God knows the truth. The author of the Lubbu-t-Tawarikh writes that Muhammad ibn Mahmud wielded sovereignty in Ghaznin for four years in the first instance, during the reign of his father, afterwards he was imprisoned for nine years by the command of his brother Mas'ud, and after the murder of Mas'ud he reigned for another year and then died. An Amir in whose palace thou seest Thousands of sentinels Now on the vault of his tomb thou seest Ravens keeping watch ; Thou didst see the head of Alp Arslan reach the sky in its grandeur, Come to Marv that thou mayest see the body of Alp Arslan beneath the dust.