Muntakhab al-tawarikh 5: SHAHABU’D DAULAT SULTAN MAS‘UD IBN MAHMUD.
Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 5
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SHAHABU’D DAULAT SULTAN MAS‘UD IBN MAHMUD.
5.1
By the consent of the Amirs and Vazirs of Mahmud he ascended the imperial throne, and having come from Hari to Balkh, spent the winter there, and summoning Ahmad ibn Hasan Maimandi whom Sultan Mahmud kept a prisoner in the fort of Kalinjar, made him a Vazir. Then leaving Balkh he came to Ghaznin and thence started for Sipahan and Rai, and arriving at Herat engaged in war with the Turkomans and not overcoming them, but on the contrary suffering defeat at their hands, turned back. The Turkomans increased in power day by day owing to his weakness, till affairs assumed the aspect which they eventually did. In the year 423 H. Ahmad ibn Hasan Maimandi died, and in the year 424 Sultan Mas'ud having undertaken to conquer Hindustan marched towards the fortress of Sarsati which is situated in the way to Kashmir, laid siege to it and reduced it and made his way to Ghaznin with great booty. Then in 425 H. Sultan Mas'ud reduced Amal and Sari and sending legates to Kalinjar and Tabaristan established his authority there and sent Tughdi Beg and Husain ibn 'Ali ibn Maikal with a large army from Nishapur against the Turkomans, and a severe battle ensued in which Husain was taken prisoner and Tughdi Beg fled and returned to the Amir Mas'ud.
5.2
Amir Ahmad Niyal Tigin the treasurer of Sultan Mahmud whom Mas'ud had fined and had sent to Hindustan, on arriving in Hindustan revolted, and the Amir Mas'ud nominated a general of the Hindus named Nahir to oppose him. Ahmad being overcome in battle fled to Mansurah in Sindh and was drowned—his head they sent to Ghaznin. In the year 427 H. (1035 A.D.) a new palace was completed in which they erected a throne inlaid with jewels, and suspended above it a jewelled crown. The Sultan took his seat upon that throne and having placed the crown upon his head gave a public audience. And in this self same year he bestowed upon Amir Maudud ibn Mas'ud (his son) the drum and ensign, and despatched him to Balkh while he himself proceeded with an army against Hindustan—captured the fort of Hansi and thence proceeded to the fortress of Sonpat. Deipal the commander of that fortress fled to the forest and lay hid there. They reduced the fort and captured immense booty putting to the sword the greater part of Deipal's army, but he himself escaped alone. From thence Mas'ud turned his steps towards the valley of Ram, who sent a large offering accompanied by a written apology for his non-appearance. Amir Mas'ud accepted his excuses and giving the Amir Abu-l Mujahid son of Mas'ud, the drum and standard (of commission) sent him to Lahore and retraced his steps to Ghaznin.
5.3
In the year 428 (1036 A.D.) he left Ghaznin for Balkh intending to crush the rebellion of the Turkomans who evacuated Balkh and retired into the surrounding country. The Sultan then crossing the Jihun occupied the whole of Transoxiana, Daud the Turkoman, who had previously defeated Tughdi Beg and Amir Husain, marched with a large force towards Balkh. Amir Mas‘ud thereupon returned from Transoxiana to Balkh and Daud the Turkoman leaving Balkh went to Merv. In the meantime Tughdi Beg had been acting oppressively in the neighbourhood of Gurgan. When the Amir Mas'ud perceived the symptoms of his rebellion he ordered him to be impaled. The Amir Mas'ud then exacted a stipulation and promise from Beghu the Turkoman who was the chief of that tribe, that henceforward they would never attempt any lawlessness, and having delimited their boundaries in a suitable way left for Herat. While on his way thither a body of the Turkomans fell upon the army of Mas'ud, killing some and plundering the baggage. The soldiers of the Sultan who were told off to attack them made the whole of that party food for the sword, and brought their wives and families together with the heads of the slain into the presence of Amir Mas‘ud who sent asses laden with the heads to Beghu. Beghu apologized, and it so happens that this is the very same Beghu in praise of whom the poet Zina of Persia has composed several odes from which the following verses are selected—
5.4
“It is wrong for me to bewail the misfortunes of others than thee, It is wrong not to weep with thy sorrow. My occupation day and night is to lament and bewail thy sorrow. Thou did’st say, “Thou did’st weep for love of me,” but surely there is a difference in shedding blood and shedding tears At all hours I suffer a thousand pangs for the grief of the love of thee, nor do I weep alone I cannot but melt with love of thee, nor is there any remedy for the pain I suffer for thee, save weeping Apart from thee Fate has nothing in store for me Save vexation, one day, and weeping the next From thy era discord springs, for if not how comes it to pass that the whole world should weep from my time to that of the king? Begtïn Malik Shah, he who by his sword made the brave warriors to weep openly on the field of battle The King Nizam Din to whom at the time of his conflict Came from the tombs of Rustum and Dara the sound of weeping The gems in the depths of the sea or in the heart of the flinty rock were compelled to weep for shame at his eloquence, The inhabitants of the world above were compelled to weep, cast down by the destroying arrow of his wrath From envy of his splendour, which surpasses the sun in its zenith, The Gemini were forced to weep constantly in the heavens Oh! thou in presence of whose pearl-scattering hand the ocean weeps like a cloud from every pore! Who in view of thy majesty would dare or desire to weep over the corpse of thy enemy?
5.5
Thy sword from very fineness of temper weeps tears of blood over thy enemies in the field of battle, What is prepared for thine adversary in either world? There is the torture of hell, here he must weep Lo! one who in the madness of his fear at thy displeasure Seeks to hide himself in a corner and prepares to weep Thy enemies have many manifest and hidden projects But the wound is hidden, the weeping is manifest I believe that this must have come into your exalted mind After all what use is praise to me with weeping When I recite any poem in separation from thee Both the first and last verses weep for anguish. Till lovers pass from excess of grief to endurance and to weep like Wamiq and ‘Azra; May it be thy lot to smile after a happy life, May it be the fate of thy enemies perforce to weep.
5.6
26. The following is also by him : — Oh thou whose lip distils sugar at the opening of each smile ! Thy ruby lip when thou smilest, rebukes the soul. In every movement thy curling locks ravish the heart In every smile thy ruby lip scatters the life blood. The trade of thy hyacinthine ringlets is to scatter perfume, The habit of thy delicate lips is to smile sweetly. Till thou seest not the cheek of gold thou smilest not, Every flower smiles from the enjoyment of the gold. When thou smilest a whole world smiles looking towards thee For no one before this has seen the sun and moon to smile (at one time.) I have a great sorrow and lamentation, and endless grief and pain, I have in separation from thee all of these, but no smile. What could mankind have learned of the shape of thy mouth Had’st thou not given them from thine own mouth the news of a smile, Because of thy cruelty I do not smile, for at the time of mourning The wise and excellent do not approve of smiling. All my disorder is due to grief on thy account, Why then do you smile at me disordered as I am ? It may be that from the crown and canopy of kings thy locks and cheek have learned to smile both morning and evening. 27. King of the East Malik Shah who in his feasting is careful always to smile from joy and pride. Conqueror of infidelity, Nizamu-nd Din, whose friends are always engaged in enjoyment, and only his foe is smiling.
5.7
If the seed could receive the good tidings of his approbation, even from the loins of his father would one begin to smile. A father to whom a son is essential to do him service, smiles from the pleasure he experiences at the success of his son. It is not strange that from the excess of his joy, the cloud of weeping which shrouded his moist eyes gives place to smiling. Oh ye obedient ones, since the beauty of the rose is added to your own charms, ye are smiling in this garden of two doors, Thy charms have power to add sweetness to sugar: Thy words have power to add brilliance to the jewel: Thy shaft when fitted to the bow has established the custom In the array of battle to smile at the helmet and shield. Following after victory when thy sword is furious There comes to it from the sorceries of heaven a smile. Doubtless the enemy of thy grandeur, smiles sweetly If scattering his heart’s blood (in envy) be to smile. In order that the saffron may fulfil the promise of its properties, namely to bring smiles to the lips of all conditions of men, may the lips of thy enemies be saffron, that their lips may always from fear of thee smile from his want of success.
5.8
It prevents the flow of bad humours to the eye when used either as an ointment or a collyrium. It is hot in the third degree, dry in the first degree, laxative, or constipating, digestive, improving the complexion, and very intoxicating with wine causing heaviness, headache, and drowsiness, cheers the sight and facilitates parturition, and respiration, is a cardiac tonic and is diuretic and controls the animal passions and cures internal diseases and uterine complaints; dispels the effects of debauch, and is a sexual tonic and cures diseases of the spleen. Sadidi, p. 143, says of Saffron, It has a wonderful power as an exhilarant increasing the brilliance and strength of the mental powers. It is assisted by strong perfumes. Turkoman who had raised a rebellion in Baiward, when Toghrul took to flight. Amir Mas'ud turned back and came to Sarakhs by way of Mahnah and gave orders to rase the fortress of Mahnah. Then he put to death some of the inhabitants of Mahnah, and cut off the hands and feet of many more and thence went in the direction of Zirqan in which place the Turkomans brought together a large army and fought a severe battle with the Sultan. In this battle the majority of the generals of the army of Ghaznin mutinied and went over to the enemy. The Sultan remaining all alone on the field, felled several of the Turkoman leaders with sword, spear and mace, and eventually came out of that engagement safely. This event took place on the 8th of Ramazan, 431 H.
5.9
(1039 A.D.) From thence Amir Mas'ud came to Merv, and several of the soldiery from the neighbouring country having come in at last sided with him. He went to Ghaznin by way of Ghaur, and having fined those chiefs who had not fought and had fled, sent some of them, as for instance Ali Daya and Hajib Buzurg, and Beg Tughdi to Hindustan and imprisoned them in fortresses. All of them died in imprisonment. Amir Mas'ud now desired to go to India and collect some forces there, and to come from there with a large army against the Turkomans to punish them. With this intention he made Amir Maudud Amir of 29. Balkh, and having appointed Muhammad ibn Abdus Samad as his Wazir despatched them thither. He then appointed the Amir Muhammad with two thousand soldiers to proceed to and beat the Amir of that district to the foot of the hills of Afghans of that district who had broken out into rebellion; and having laden camels with the whole of Mahmud's treasures which were stored in Ghaznin and the neighbouring fortresses started for Hindustan and despatched messengers en route to bring his brother Amir Muhammad who had been blinded and was then confined in the fortress of Barghand. When Sultan Mas'ud arrived at the frontier fort of Marikala, his slaves plundered all the treasure-camels.
5.10
In the meantime the Amir Muhammad arrived there, and the slaves who recognised that this violence would have no successful issue unless another governor were appointed perforce, approached the Amir Muhammad, raised him to the Sovereignty and breaking into open riot assaulted Sultan Mas'ud who had taken refuge in that fort. The next day the whole army becoming violent brought Amir Mas'ud from within the fort of Marikala and made him prisoner confining him within the fortress of Kiri, till at last in Jamadiu-l-Awwal 432 H, they sent a false message purporting to emanate verbally from Amir Muhammad ordering him to kill Amir Mas'ud and to send his head to him The Kotwal in obedience to this order severed Mas'ud's head from his body and sent it to Amir Muhammad. Of the vicissitudes of time, this much pleased me That I saw good and bad, right and wrong, pass away He who at morning time wore on his head a jewelled crown Him I saw, at the time of evening prayer, with a brick underneath his head (in the grave)
5.11
This story is according to the relation of Nizami, but the Qazi Baizawi relates that in the year 432 Mas'ud fled defeated from before the Seljuqs to Ghaznin, and Amir Muhammad who had consolidated his power during Mas'ud's absence sent him to a fortress whither his son Ahmad ibn Muhammad followed him and murdered him. The Government of Sultan Mas'ud ibn Mahmud lasted eleven years, but we ought to note that the Qazi Baizawi (may God’s mercy be upon him) assigns the year 434 H as the date of the death of Mas'ud, and writes that Muhammad ibn Mahmud reigned in Ghaznin for fourteen years after his father, one year after his father's death, nine years in the lifetime of his brother, and four years after his brother’s death, as has already been stated. God alone knows the truth. Apparently this is due to the mistake of a copyist. Among the poets who flourished in the time of Sultan Mas'ud is Manuchihri who speaks as follows in a qasidah concerning his Wazir, Couplet. Shah Mas'ud is as proud of his rectitude As is the prophet of Naushirwan the upright.