The Nāṣirī Generations 34.1

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.