Khazaʾin al-futuh 13.3

13.3

The difficulties of the next sixteen marches described. — Stones, hills, streams, ravines, and pathways "narrower than a guitar-string." "After crossing three plains and hills with fortitude and determination, they arrived at a place within the borders of Bijdnagar, which was pointed out as containing a diamond-mine." It was in a Doáb, or Interamnia, one river being the Yashar, the other the Bariiji. About this time, he arrived at the fort of Sarbar, "which is considered among the provinces of Tilang." The commander, without delay, "gave orders that the fort should be invested; from without the archers shot arrows, from within the Hindus exclaimed 'strike! strike! (már már)'" When, in consequence of the fire-arrows shot by the Musulmans, the houses in the fort began to burn, "Every one threw himself, with his wife and children, upon the flames, and departed to hell." While the fire was yet blazing, an attack was made on the fort, and those that escaped the flames, became the victims of the sword. The Náib 'Ariz-i mamdlik, by name Siráj-i din, when he saw that the moment of victory had arrived, called upon Ananír, the brother of the commander of the fort, who had made his escape, to surrender the fort with all its treasures. The defenders who still survived fled in terror.