The Nāṣirī Generations 24: 2. Sultanu-l Ghazi Mu'izzu-d dunya wau-d din Abu-l Muzaffar Muhammad bin Sam.
Tabakát-i Násirí (extracts) 24
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2. Sultanu-l Ghazi Mu'izzu-d dunya wau-d din Abu-l Muzaffar Muhammad bin Sam.
24.1
Historians relate that Sultan 'Alau-d-din was succeeded by his son Sultan Saifu-d din. This king released the two princes Ghiyasu-d din and Mu'izzu-d din (his cousins) who were confined in a fort of Wahiristan, as has been already narrated in the history of Sultan Ghiyasu-d din. Prince Ghiyasu-d din dwelt peacefully at Firoz-koh in the service of Sultan Saifu-d din, and Prince Mu'izzu-d din went to Bamian into the service of his uncle Fakhru-d din Mas'ud.
24.2
When Ghiyasu-d din succeeded to the throne of Ghor after the tragical death of Saifu-d din, and the intelligence thereof came to Bamian, Fakhru-d din addressed his nephew Mu'izzu-d din saying, "Your brother is acting, what do you mean to do? You must bestir yourself." Mu'izzu-d din bowed respectfully to his uncle, left the Court, and started just as he was for Firoz-koh. When he arrived there he waited upon his brother and paid his respects, as has been already related. One year he served his brother, but having taken some offence he went to Sijistan to Malik Shamsu-d din Sijistani and staid there one winter. His brother sent messengers to bring him back, and when he arrived he assigned to him the countries of Kasr-kajuran and Istiya. When he had established his authority over the whole of Garmsir he made over to his brother the city of Takinabad, which was the largest town in Garmsir. This Takinabad is the place which was the cause of the quarrel with the house of Mahmud Subuktigin, and it passed into the hands of the kings of Ghor. Sultan-i Ghazi 'Alau-d din sent the following quatrain to Khusru Shah bin Bahram Shah: " Thy father first laid the foundation of this place " Before the people of the world had all fallen under injustice. " Beware lest for one Takinabad thou shouldest bring " The empire of the house of Mahmud to utter ruin."
24.3
When Sultan Mu'izzu-d din became master of Takinabad the armies and leaders of the Ghuzz had fled before the forces of Khita towards Ghazni, where they remained for twelve years, having wrested the country from the hands of Khusru Shah and Khusru Malik. Sultan Mu'izzu-d din kept continually assailing them from Takinabad, and troubling the country. At length in the year 569 H. (1173 A.D.) Sultan Ghiyasu-din conquered Ghazni, and returned to Ghor, after placing his brother Mu'izzu-d din upon the throne, as has been before related. This prince secured the territories of Ghazni, and two years afterwards in 570 H. (1174 A.D.) he conquered Gurdez. In the third year he led his forces to Multan and delivered that place from the hands of the Karmatians. In the same year 571 H. (1175 A.D.) the people of Sankaran revolted and made great confusion, so he marched against them and put most of them to the sword. It has been written by some that these Sankaranians have been called martyrs, in agreement with the declaration of the Kuran, but as they stirred up strife and revolted they were made examples of, and were put to death from political necessity. In the year after this victory he conducted his army by way of Uch and Multan towards Nahrwala. The Rai of Nahrwala, Bhim-deo, was a minor, but he had a large army and many elephants. In the day of battle the Muhammadans were defeated and the Sultan was compelled to retreat. This happened in the year 574 H. (1178 A.D.).
24.4
In 575 H. (1179 A.D.) he attacked and conquered Farshawar (Peshawar), and two years afterwards he advanced to Lohor (Lahore). The power of the Ghaznivides was now drawing to its close and their glory was departed, so Khusru Malik sent his son as a hostage, and an elephant as a present to the Sultan. This was in the year 577 H. (1181 A.D.) Next year the Sultan marched to Dewal, subdued all that country to the sea shore, and returned with great spoil. In 580 H. (1184 A.D.) he went to Lahore, ravaged all the territories of that kingdom, and returned after building the fort of Sialkot, in which he placed Husain Kharmil as governor. When the Sultan was gone, Khusru Malik assembled the forces of Hindustan, and having also obtained a body of Kokhars (Grakkars) he laid siege to Sialkot, but, after some interval, was obliged to withdraw. The Sultan returned to Lahore in 581 H. (1185 A.D.). The house of Mahmud had now come to its end; the sun of its glory was set, and the registrar of fate had written the mandate of its destruction. Khrusru Malik could offer no resistance; he came forth peacefully to meet the Sultan, and was made prisoner. Lahore fell completely into the power of the Ghori prince, and he secured all its dominions in Hindustan.
24.5
'Ali Karmakh, chief of Multan, was appointed commander at Lahore, and the father of the writer of this book, Maulana A'jubatu-z Zaman Afsahu-l 'Ajam Siraju-d din Minhaj, was appointed Kazi of the army of Hindustan, and received the honour of investiture from Mu'izzu-d din. He held his Court at the head quarters of the army, and twelve camels were assigned for moving from place to place his Bench of Justice. The Sultan returned to Ghazni carrying Khusru Malik with him, and on arriving there he sent him on to Firoz-koh, to the Court of the great king Ghiyasu-d din. This monarch sent him prisoner to the fort of Bahrawan, and confined his son Bahram Shah in the fort of Saifrud. When the war with Khwarizm Shah broke out in the year 587 H. (1191 A.D.) Khusru Malik and his son were put to death. The victorious Sultan then prepared another army, with which he attacked and conquered the fort of Sarhind. This fort he placed under the command of Ziau-d din Kazi Tolak, (son of) Muhammad 'Abdu-s Salam Nasawi Tolaki. This Kazi Ziau-d din was cousin (son of the uncle) of the author's maternal grandfather. At the request of the Kazi, Majdu-d din Tolaki selected 1200 men of the tribe of Tolaki, and placed them all under his command in the fort so as to enable him to hold it until the return of the Sultan from Ghazni.
24.6
Rai Kolah Pithaura came up against the fort, and the Sultan returned and faced him at Narain. All the Rais of Hindustan were with the Rai Kolah. The battle was formed and the Sultan, seizing a lance, made a rush upon the elephant which carried Gobind Rai of Dehli. The latter advanced to meet him in front of the battle, and then the Sultan, who was a second Rustam, and the Lion of the Age, drove his lance into the mouth of the Rai and knocked two of the accursed wretch's teeth down his throat. The Rai, on the other hand, returned the blow and inflicted a severe wound on the arm of his adversary. The Sultan reined back his horse and turned aside, and the pain of the wound was so insufferable that he could not support himself on horseback. The Musulman army gave way and could not be controlled. The Sultan was just falling when a sharp and brave young Khilji recognized him, jumped upon the horse behind him, and clasping him round the bosom, spurred on the horse and bore him from the midst of the fight.
24.7
When the Musulmans lost sight of the Sultan, a panic fell upon them; they fled and halted not until they were safe from the pursuit of the victors. A party of nobles and youths of Ghor had seen and recognized their leader with that lion-hearted Khilji, and when he came up they drew together, and, forming a kind of litter with broken lances, they bore him to the halting-place. The hearts of the troops were consoled by his appearance, and the Muhammadan faith gathered new strength in his life. He collected the scattered forces and retreated to the territories of Islam, leaving Kazi Tolak in the fort of Sarhind. Rai Pithaura advanced and invested the fort, which he besieged for thirteen months.
24.8
Next year the Sultan assembled another army, and advanced to Hindustan to avenge his defeat. A trustworthy person named Mu'inu-d din, one of the principal men of the hills of Tolak, informed me that he was in this army, and that its force amounted to one hundred and twenty thousand horsemen bearing armour. Before the Sultan could arrive the fort of Sarhind had capitulated, and the enemy were encamped in the vicinity of Narain. The Sultan drew up his battle array, leaving his main body in the rear, with the banners, canopies, and elephants, to the number of several divisions. His plan of attack being formed, he advanced quietly. The light unarmoured horsemen were made into four divisions of 10,000, and were directed to advance and harass the enemy on all sides, on the right and on the left, in the front and in the rear, with their arrows. When the enemy collected his forces to attack, they were to support each other, and to charge at full speed. By these tactics the infidels were worsted, the Almighty gave us the victory over them, and they fled. Pithaura alighted from his elephant, mounted a horse, and galloped off, but he was captured near Sarsuti, and sent to hell. Gobind Rai, of Dehli, was killed in the battle, and the Sultan recognized his head by the two teeth which he had broken. The capital, Ajmir, and all the Siwalik hills, Hansi, Sarsuti, and other districts were the results of this victory, which was gained in the year 588 H. (1192 A.D.)
24.9
On his return homewards the Sultan placed Kutbu-d din in command of the fort of Kahram, and in the same year this chief advancing to Mirat conquered that town, and took possession of Dehli. In the following year he captured the fort of Kol. The Sultan came back from Ghazni in the year 590 (1193 A.D.), by way of Benares and Kanauj, defeated Rai Jai Chandar, in the neighbourhood of Chandawah, and captured over 300 elephants in the battle. Under the rule of this just king victory followed the standards of his slave Kutbu-d din Aibak, so that the countries of Nahrwala and Bhangar, the forts of Gwalior and Badaun, and other parts of Hindustan were conquered. But these victories will be related more in detail hereafter, in describing the victories of Kutbu-d din. Sultan Sa'id Ghiyasu-d din died at Hirat, when his brother Sultan Mu'izzu-d din was between Tus and Sarakhs in Khurasan, but the latter returned and secured his succession to the throne.