Muntakhab al-tawarikh 78.8.1

78.8.1

The explanation of this circumstance is briefly as follows: When the imperial army drew near to Sikandar and Bahadur, they remaining just where they were (P. 80) sent a message to Mir Mu‘izz-ul-Mulk: “Become thou the means of intercession, and obtain for us from the Court forgiveness of our faults, so that we may send to the Court whatever, of elephants and other things, we have taken possession of, and then when we are cleared of our transgressions, and our faults are forgiven, we may ourselves go and do homage.” Mir Mu‘izz-ul-Mulk in as much as he was continually boasting: “I, and there is none beside me”, showed a Pharaoh-like, and harsh Shaddad-like character, which is one of the inheritances of the Sayyids of Mashhad; and on that topic it has been said:— “O men of Mashhad, with the exception of your Imam May the curse of God rest on each one of you!” And another poet saith:— “Though it is man that renders the face of the ground pleasant, A Mashhadi on the face of the ground is not pleasant.”