The Nāṣirī Generations 23: 1. — Sultan Saifu-d din Suri.

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Saifu-d din was a great king, of handsome appearance and noble carriage, and distinguished for courage, energy, humanity, justice, and liberality. He was the first individual of this family who received the title of Sultan. When the news reached him of the destruction which had fallen upon his elder brother the king of the Jabbal (Kutbu-d din), he resolved upon taking vengeance upon Bahram Shah. He gathered a great force in the states of Ghor and marched to Ghazni, where he routed Bahram and took the city. Bahram fled to Hindustan, and Saifu-d din ascended the throne of Ghazni, when he placed the territories of Ghor under his brother, Sultan Bahau-d din Suri, father of Ghiyasa-d din and Mu'izzu-d din. After he had secured Ghazni the chiefs of the army and the nobles of the city and environs submitted to him, and he conferred many favours upon them, so that the army and the subjects of Bahram Shah were overwhelmed by his bounteous care. When winter came on he sent his own forces back to Ghor, and kept with him only the troops and officers of Bahram Shah in whom he placed full confidence. His wazir, Saiyid Majdu-d din Musawi, and a few of his old servants remained with him, all the rest of his officers both at Court and in the country had been in the service of the old government.
In the depth of the winter, when the roads to Ghor were closed by heavy falls of snow, the people of Ghazni saw that no army or assistance could come to Saifu-d din from that quarter, so they wrote to Bahram Shah explaining how matters stood, and pressing upon him the necessity of seizing this favourable opportunity for the recovery of his dominions. The deposed king acted upon these advices, and marched suddenly to Ghazni and attacked his foe. Suri, with his wazir and his old servants, abandoned the city and took the road to Ghor, but the horsemen of Bahram Shah pursued them and overtook them in the neighbourhood of Sang-i Surakh. They fought desperately until they were unhorsed, and then retreated into the hills, where they kept up such a shower of arrows that the foe could not approach them. When the last arrow had been shot the horsemen captured them, bound them hand and foot, and conducted them to Ghazni. At the gate of the city Sultan Suri was placed upon a camel, and his wazir, Majdu-d din, upon another. They were then led ignominiously round the city, and from the tops of the houses, ashes, dirt, and filth were thrown upon their venerable heads. When they reached the one-arched bridge of Ghazni, the Sultan and his wazir were both gibbeted over the bridge. Such was the disgraceful cruelty practised upon this handsome, excellent, just, and brave king. The Almighty, however, prospered the arms of Sultan 'Alau-d din Jahan-soz, brother of Sultan Suri, who exacted full retribution for this horrible deed, as we have already related in another place.