The Nāṣirī Generations 128.2
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 128.2
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128.2.1
The Sultan, who had heard of Kojlak’s successes, became more ambitious than ever, and Kojlak entered into secret negotiations with him, and incited him to another invasion of Gur Khan’s territory. The agreement was, that whoever could first dispossess Gur Khan of the territories of Kashghar and Khutan as far as the Jihun should have them; and, in case the Sultan did so, Kojlak was to have the remainder. Gur Khan, having obtained information respecting the Sultan’s movements, also prepared to oppose him. The Sultan had traitors also in his camp. Two of his great vassals, the governor of Samrkand, and the Asfahed [also written Asfahed, the title borne by the Maliks of Tabaristan and Rustamdar], despatched agents to Gur Khan secretly, and offered to desert the Sultan with their troops on the day of battle, if, in case of success, the former should have Khwarazm and the latter Khurasan assigned to him as the price of his treachery. This was guaranteed; and on the day of the engagement, when the ranks of the two armies were drawn up in array, the left wing of the Khita-is attacked the right of the Khwarazmis; and, as agreed upon, the two nobles with their troops, who appear to have been stationed in the right wing, retired from the field, and the Sultan’s right wing was forced back and broken. In the meantime, the latter’s left wing broke the right of the Khita-is and routed them, and the centres of both armies fell upon each other.
128.2.2
The wings on either side began to plunder, and neither party knew whether they were the conquerors or conquered. It was usual with the Sultan to disguise himself on the day of battle, by dressing in the costume of the enemy: and on this occasion, in the utter confusion which ensued, the centres of both armies having become disengaged from each other, the Sultan got mixed up with the enemy’s troops, and not being recognized by his attendants, for some days he was in the greatest danger in the very camp of the enemy. Finding an opportunity, however, he succeeded in getting away, reached the river of Fanakat, and restored fresh life to his troops. The news of the Sultan’s disappearance, however, had spread into all parts of his dominions. Some said he had been killed, some that he had been cattle, baggage, and followers of the army of Khita-i were captured, and the Great Khan retreated discomfited before him. Suddenly Kashlu Khan, the Tatar, who had come from Turkistan, fell upon Gur Khan, attacked him, and made him captive; and the whole of the dominions of Khita were left in the possession of Sultan Muhammad-i- Takish. The Sultan of Samrkand, and the Afrasiyabi Sultans, he directed should be removed from Samrkand, and some of them were martyred.
128.2.3
From thence [Samrkand?] Sultan Muhammad advanced into ’Irak, and the territories of ’Irak, Azarbaijan, and Fars fell into his hands. He took the Ata-bak Sa’d captive in battle, as has already been stated, and the Ata-bak Yuz-bak was likewise put to flight. He placed his son, Sultan Rukn-ud-Din, styled Ghuri Shanasti, on the throne of ’Irak, and appointed Ulugh Khan-i-Abi Muhammad, his Ata-bak and Lieutenant; and the Maliks of Ghur were directed to proceed into that territory. Sultan Muhammad now left ’Irak, and set out on his return to Mawar-un-Nahr; but, turning suddenly off from the banks of the river Jazar he pushed on towards Bamian, and, suddenly and unawares, pounced upon Sultan Jalal-ud-Din ’Ali, son of Sam, ruler of Bamian, seized him, and martyred him, and then returned [to Khwarazm].
128.2.4
In the year 612 H., Sultan Muhammad advanced from Mawar-un-Nahr and came to Ghaznin. and suddenly and unexpectedly possessed himself of the Ghaznin territories likewise. Sultan Taj-ud-Din, Yal-duz, retired towards Hindustan by the way of Sang-i-Surakh; and the countries of Ghaznin, Zawulistan, and Kabul, as far as the banks of the Sind, came under the jurisdiction of the Khwarazmi nobles. The Khan-salar [the Sewer of the imperial household], Kuriz, was stationed at Ghaznin: and the countries of Ghur, Ghaznin, the Bilad-i-Dawar [Zamin-i-Dawar], Jarum, and the throne of the two Sultans, Ghiyas-ud-Din, and Mu’izz-ud-Din, sons of Muhammad-i-Sam, was conferred, by the Sultan, upon his eldest son, Sultan Jalal-ud-Din, Mang-barni, after which he himself returned to Mawar-un-Nahr. In the year 615 H., he pushed on towards Turkistan in pursuit of Kadr Khan, who was the son of Yusuf the Tatar, and penetrated as far as Yighur [I-ghur] of Turkistan, so far to the north, that he came under the North Pole, and reached a tract where the light of twilight did not disappear at all from the sight; and, to the vision, in the direction of the north, the glow seemed merely to incline [change over] from the west to the east, and the light of dawn appeared and the day broke.
128.2.5
The matter was accordingly referred to the ’Ulama and Muftis of Bukhara respecting the obligation to repeat the last prayer at night, [question being asked] to this effect: — As the light of twilight did not disappear at all, whether the prayer before sleep was necessary or not? They, with one accord, wrote a reply, that the prayer before sleep was not necessary, when the prescribed time for it could not be found with the people inhabiting such regions. Kadr Khan, the Tatar, having in this expedition been overcome, the calamity of the infidels of Chin arose, and the darkness of the night of sedition and tumult showed its head from the mantle-collar of actuality, and was the beginning of dire misfortunes to the true faith, and the commencement of calamities and afflictions upon the Muhammadan people. That circumstance occurred after this manner:—Chingiz Khan, the Mughal, had a son, the eldest of all his sons, Tushi by name. At this time, this Tūshī, by command of Chingiz Khān, his father, had come out of the territory of Chīn, in pursuit of an army of Tātārs, and Sulṭān Muḥammad, from Māwar-un-Nahr and Khurāsān, had likewise pushed on in the same direction; and the two armies fell in with each other.
128.2.6
A battle ensued between them, and the fighting, slaughter, struggle, and conflict, continued and was maintained from the beginning of the day until the time of evening prayer, and the ranks of both the armies assumed the form of a circle. The right wing of the Musalman forces routed the left wing of the infidels, and pursued after them; while the right wing of the Mughal infidels routed the left wing of the army of Islam and pursued it, and, in this manner, the armies assumed the form of a circle. This battle was maintained from the dawn of day; and, when night came, the two armies separated from each other, and withdrew to a short distance. There was a small stream of water between them; and the two armies halted, facing each other, on the banks of that stream and bivouacked. When the morning broke [it was found] that the Mughal army had marched away. They had lighted great fires, and had decamped, and left them burning. Sultan Muhammad having thus witnessed and beheld with his own eyes, in this encounter, the warlike feats, the activity, and the efforts of the Mughal forces, the next day retired from that place; and fear and dread of them took possession of his heart and mind, and he never again came against them. This was one of the causes of the miseries and troubles which befell the people of Islam.
128.2.7
The second reason was this. When Chingiz Khan broke out into revolt in the land of Chin, and Tamghaj, and the Greater Turkistan, and Altun Khan of Tamghaj, who was sovereign of Upper Turkistan, and the lineal monarch of Kara Khita-i, was overcome by him, and the territories of Tamghaj, Tingit, and Yighur [I-ghur], and Tatar, all fell into his hands; the news of these successes having come to the hearing of Sultan Muhammad, his mind became filled with ambition [for the possession] of Chin, and he became desirous of obtaining authentic information respecting the forces of the Mughals, and the condition of Chingiz Khan. Accordingly, the most excellent Sayyid, Baha-ud-Din, Razi, with a party of other persons, were despatched on a mission to Chin; and, when these agents reached that country, Chingiz Khan sent trustworthy and confidential persons of his own, bearing numerous rarities as presents to Sultan Muhammad.
128.2.8
I heard from the Sayyid Baha-ud-Din — the mercy of the Almighty be upon him ! — [who said : — ] When we reached the presence of Chingiz Khan, the accursed, the Wazir of Tamghaj, and the son and the uncle of Altun Khan, were brought in, and we were summoned. Then, turning his face towards them, Chingiz said : — ‘ Behold, my affairs and my sovereignty have attained to such a pitch of grandeur. that the monarch of the [empire of the] setting sun has sent envoys unto me. In short,' said the Sayyid, 'when he sent us away, he requested that envoys on both sides, and merchants, and karwans, should constantly come and go, and bring and take away with them choice descriptions of arms, cloths, and stuffs, and other articles of value and elegance of both empires; and that between the two monarchs a permanent treaty should be maintained.'