The Nāṣirī Generations 135: ACCOUNT OF BUSTAM, MALIK OF HIND AND OF SIND.
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 135
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ACCOUNT OF BUSTAM, MALIK OF HIND AND OF SIND.
135.1
This Bustam Malik held the dominion of Hindustan at the hand of Zuhak, and he was one of Zuhak’s descendants, namely: — Bustam, son of Mihshad [Mishhad, Mamshad, Shamad, ^ad, Shihad, and ^ihadan], son of Nariman [also called Nadiman], son of Afridun [or Faridun], son of Sahind [Samind and Samid], son of Sifand-asp [or Isfand-asp], son of Zuhak, son of Suhrab, son of Shaid-asp, son of Sia-mak, son of Marnias [Marsas and Mamas], son of Zuhak the Malik. When Zuhak was made captive, Afridun despatched an army to take possession of Hindustan; and Bustam, who did not possess the power to oppose the forces of Afridun, retired towards the mountain tracts of Shaknan [Shaghnan] and Bamian, and therein took up his residence. On a second occasion the forces of Afridun were directed to proceed in search of him; and Bustam had several times, for the purpose of hunting and in his rambles, come from the mountains of Shaknan and Tukharistan into the mountain tracts of Ghur. That district was called Hazar-Chashmah [the thousand springs] on account of the number of rivulets in it; and Bustam, at this time, retiring before the army of Afridun, came into Ghur, and at the foot of the mountain of Zar-i-Margh [the place where Margh grows] he fixed his residence.
135.2
At this point in the account of Bustam, the masters of history have two traditions, one of which is that just related. The other tradition is from the Muntakhab-i-Tarikh-i-Nasiri, which one of the great men of Ghaznin composed in the time of the Sultan-i-Ghazi, Mu'izz-ud-Din, Muhammad, son of Sam—the Almighty illumine his tomb!—which is as follows:— “When Afridun overcame Zuhak, and took the dominion from him, two brothers, his sons, reached Nihawand. The elder brother bore the name of Suz, and the younger was called Sam. The elder brother, Suz, became Amir [chief or ruler], and the younger, who was named Sam, became the Sipah-salar [leader or commander of his forces]. “Amir Suz had a daughter, and the Sipah-salar, Sam, a son; and these two cousins had, in early childhood, been betrothed to each other, and they had fixed their hearts upon each other. The Sipah-salar, Sam, died; and his son had become valiant and a great warrior, so much so, that in that day he had no equal in manliness and valour. After the decease of his father, certain envious and malicious persons arose, who slandered him to his uncle, Amir Suz, in consequence of which his uncle became irritated against him, and he determined to bestow his daughter upon the son of some one of the Maliks of the parts round about.
135.3
“When his daughter became aware of this, she made her cousin acquainted with it, so that, one night, he came and unfastened the gate of the fortress, and, having loosed and brought out ten chosen horses from the stables of Amir Suz, he set the damsel and her servants upon them and made off, taking away as much coin as he was able to remove. With all diligence possible he made for the foot of the mountains of Ghur, and there he took up his quarters. The girl and her cousin said [to each other], ‘Za-o [i. e. Az-o] ma-andesh’ — be not afraid of him — and the name of that place became Mandesh; and there their affairs assumed stability. According to the first tradition, however, when Amir Bustam, with his followers, took up his residence in that locality, information was conveyed to Afridun. He was desirous of sending forces, for the third time, for the purpose of destroying and exterminating Bustam and his followers, or to take him [alive] if possible. The sons of Afridun, Tujz and Salm, by means of treachery, killed their brother, I-raj, who was on the throne of Iran; and, On that account, Shah Afridun was greatly afflicted in heart, and distressed in mind, and he did not obtain his revenge upon Bustam. The latter, having found time and opportunity, turned his attention to peopling and rendering habitable the mountain districts of Ghur and parts adjacent.
135.4
He despatched trustworthy agents to the presence of Shah Afridun, and sought for peace. Afridun complied with the request of Bustam, and, as he had now obtained security and safety, the followers, dependents, and partisans, and the Arab tribes akin or related to Zuhak, from all parts around, turned their faces towards the mountain district of Ghur and took up their residence in that country, and the number of those tribes became very great.
135.5
As Almighty God had willed that from that race pious kings and potent sovereigns should arise, He prospered and blessed those tribes so that they attained unto the faith and covenant of Islam; and from the mine of the seed of them the gems of sovereignty were arranged upon the thread of dominion. Some thousands of mosques were founded in place of ancient idol-temples ; and the laws and canons of Islam were promulgated to the very extremity of the region of Hindustan which adjoins that of Chin — the mercy of the Almighty be upon them ! These Sultans likewise acquired slaves, every one of whom spread the carpet of justice upon the surface of the world, and raised palaces of beneficence and munificence ; and, up to this present time, the heir of that sovereignty and successor to the functions of that empire, is the pearl of the oyster-shell of ascendency, out of the ocean of dominion, the Great Sultan, Nasir-ud-Dunya wa ud-Din, Abi-l-Muzaffar, Mahmud, son of the Sultan, Kasim-i-Amir-ul-Muminin — the Almighty perpetuate his sovereignty and dominion, and may he long reign !
135.6
The Sultans of the Shansabi dynasty have been divided into four groups : — I., that class, the mention of which will now be recorded, of which Sultans Firuz-koh was the seat of government ; II., the dynasty of the Sultans of Bamian, who were a branch from this great tree of sovereignty ; III., the dynasty of the Sultans of Ghaznin. which was the capital of Sultan Mu'izz-ud-Din, Muhammad-i-Ghazi. son of Sam, and his own particular slaves, every one of whom, after him, ascended the throne ; and IV., the dynasty of the Sultans of Hindustan, the heritage of which dominion, and the sovereignty of which monarchy passed to them, and after whom the race of Shamsi became established upon the throne of royalty. May the Almighty purify the tombs of those who have passed away, and prolong the sovereignty of those remaining to the judgment day ! As much as was discoverable respecting this race in chronicles has been recorded [here], although, in the compilation of it, there was not an uninterrupted succession to be set forth.