The Nāṣirī Generations 34: 8. Malik Hisamu-d din 'Auz Khilji.
Tabakát-i Násirí (extracts) 34
- Language
- English
8. Malik Hisamu-d din 'Auz Khilji.
34.1
Hisamu-d din 'Auz was a man of kindly disposition. He was a Khilj of Ghor. It is said that once upon a time he was driving a laden mule along the skirts of the hills of Ghor to a certain village, on his journey from the country of Zawulistan to the highlands called Pasha-afroz. Two fakirs in religious garb came to him and asked him whether he carried any food on his mule. 'Auz Khilji replied that he did. He had with him some traveller's bread, which he took from a bag on the back of the mule and spread it before the darweshes. When they had eaten the food, he produced some water and held it in a vessel before them. The fakirs partook of the food and drank of the water which he presented; they began to talk with each other saying, "This man has rendered us a service, we must not let him lose by it." They turned their faces towards 'Auz Khilji and said, "O chief, go towards Hindustan; we give you the country as far as Muhammadanism has spread." At this direction of the fakirs he returned from that spot, and placed his wife upon his mule, and took his way towards Hindustan. He joined Muhammad Bakhtiyar; and his fortune reached such a degree of success that his name was read in the Khutba and struck upon the coin throughout the territory of Lakhnauti. To him the title of Sultan Ghiyasu-d din was given. He made the city of Lakhnauti the seat of his government, and built a fort for his residence.
34.2
People flocked to him from all quarters, for he was exceedingly good, and possessed solid endowments, both external and internal. He was polite, brave, just and generous. During his reign, the army and the people in general lived in tranquillity and comfort. All his nobles were greatly benefitted by his gifts and bounty, and obtained immense wealth. He left many fine monuments of his goodness behind him in the country. He raised public buildings and mosques. He gave stipends to learned men and to shaikhs and saiyids; he also bestowed property and goods upon other classes of the people. For instance, there was a descendant of the Imám of Firoz-koh, who was called Jalalu-d din, son of Jamálu-d din Ghaznawi. He came with a body of men from his native country to Hindustan in a.h. 608 (1211 A.D.) After some years he went back to Firoz-koh, taking immense wealth with him. On being asked how he obtained those riches, he said, that when he reached Hindustan, he went to Dehli, and from thence he determined to proceed to Lakhnauti. When he reached that place the Almighty so favoured him that his name was mentioned in the Court of Ghiyasu-d din. That kind-hearted king awarded him from his treasure a large dishfull of gold and silver tankas, worth about ten thousand silver tankas.
34.3
He also ordered the chiefs, nobles and ministers to give something, and accordingly each one gave him some present, amounting in the whole to about three thousand pieces more, and at the time of his departure, five thousand pieces were added to what he had formerly received; so that the Imám-zada obtained eighteen thousand tankas through the favour of that Ghiyasu-d din Khilji, king of Lakhnauti. When the writer of this book reached the territory of Lakhnauti in A.H. 641 (1243 a.d.), he witnessed the charity of this king with his own eyes.
34.4
The territory of Lakhnauti consists of two parts, on opposite banks of the Ganges. That to the west is called Dal, the city of Lakhnauti is on this side. The eastern side is called Barbanda, and the city of Deo-kot is on that side. From Lakhnauti to the gates of Lakhnaur, and on the other side of the river as far as the city of Deo-kot, embankments (pul) have been raised, which extend for ten days' journey. The reason for this is that during the rains all that country is inundated and if there were no embankments people would have to go to different parts and places in boats. In his reign, the roads by means of these embankments became passable by all men. It is also said that when, after the death of Malik Nasiru-d din Mahmud, Sultan Sa'id Shamsu-d din came to the territory of Lakhnauti to repress the rebellion of Ikhtiyaru-d din, he noticed the charity of Ghiyasu-d din. Whenever afterwards he mentioned his name he used to call him Sultan, and it pleased him to say that, considering his great charity, no one ought to hesitate about giving him that title. Indeed he was a generous, just, and good-natured man. All the territories of Lakhnauti, such as Jajnagar and the provinces of Bengal, Kamrup, and Tirhut, used to send him offerings. The district of Lakhnaur submitted to him, and brought him elephants, furniture, and treasures in abundance, and he established his officers there.
34.5
Sultan Sa'id Shamsu-d din sent armies several times from Dehli, and having conquered the province of Behar he stationed his officers there. In 622 (1225 A.D.) he invaded Lakhnauti and Ghiyasu-d din advanced his boats up the stream to oppose him, but peace was made between them. Shamsu-d din accepted thirty-eight elephants, and treasure to the amount of eighty lacs. He ordered the Khutba to be read in his name. On his departure he gave Behar to Malik 'Alau-d din Jani. Ghiyasu-d din 'Auz came to Behar from Lakhnauti, and took it, and acted tyrannically. At last in the year 624 (1227 A.D.), Malik Shahid Nasiru-d din Mahmud, son of Sultan Shamsu-d din, having collected an army in Hindustan, and accompanied by 'Izzu-l Malik Jani, marched from Oude to Lakhnauti. At this time Ghiyasu-d din 'Auz had gone on an expedition to Bengal and Kamrup, and had left Lakhnauti stripped of defenders. Malik Nasiru-d din Mahmud captured the place, and when Ghiyasu-d din heard of its fall, he returned and fought a battle with the conqueror, but he and all his officers were made prisoners. He was then killed, after a reign of twelve years.