The Nāṣirī Generations 135.3

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.