The Nāṣirī Generations 139: IV. MALIK MUHAMMAD, SON OF SURI.
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 139
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IV. MALIK MUHAMMAD, SON OF SURI.
139.1
Abu-l-Hasan-ul-Haisami son of Muhammad-i-Nabi, the historian, relates in this wise that, after the sovereignty of Khurasan and Zawulistan passed from the Samanis and Suffaris, and devolved upon Amir Sabuk-Tigin, he had, upon several occasions, marched forces from Bust towards the mountain [tracts] of Ghur, and had put numbers to the sword; and, when the throne fell to Amir Mahmud-i-Sabuk-Tigin, the sovereignty of Ghur had passed into the hands of Amir Muhammad, son of Suri; and he, having brought the territories of under his sway, sometimes would pay obedience to the Court of Sultan Mahmud-i-Ghazi, and at other times would act in a rebellious manner, and manifest a refractory spirit, and would withhold the amount of tribute and arms stipulated; and, relying on the faith of his strong fortresses, his power, and the ample number [of his people], he used continually to show hostility.
139.2
The heart of Sultan Mahmud, for this reason, was ever on the watch, and, on account of his [Muhammad’s, son of Suri,] numbers, his power and dignity, and the fact of the great [natural] strength and altitude of the mountains of Ghur, the Sultan used well to consider in his mind, until, with a large army, he came into Ghur. and he [Muhammad, son of Suri,] was invested within the fortress of Ahangaran. Muhammad, son of Suri, held out the fortress for a considerable period, and defended it energetically; but, after some time, the stronghold was gained possession of by his descending from it, on terms of accommodation, and presenting himself before Sultan Mahmud. The Sultan took him, together with his youngest son, who was named Shis, away to Ghaznin, because Amir Muhammad-i-Suri entertained the greatest affection for his youngest son, Shis. When they reached the precincts of Kidan, Amir Muhammad-i-Suri died. Some relate after this manner: — that, when he became a prisoner, through the proud spirit within him, he was unable to brook disgrace. He had a signet-ring, beneath the stone of which some poison had been set; and, at this time, he availed himself of it, and died.
139.3
Sultan Mahmud sent his [Muhammad’s] son, Shis, back stratagem. He directed his troops to face about, as though about to give up the contest and retire. This had the desired effect; and Suri’s son, the Hindu [as ’Utba’ calls him], came forth from his strong position to follow in pursuit. The Sultan faced about, and defeated him. Suri’s son was taken, together with great booty, consisting of arms and other war material. Suri’s son subsequently poisoned himself by means of his ring, which contained poison. ’Utba’ also makes a difference, as do all writers of any knowledge of their subject, between Ghuris and Afghans, and never confounds them. Other writers contend that Muhammad and his son, Hasan by name, not Shis, were made captive by Mahmud, and imprisoned. Their place of confinement was the upper story of a tower, thirty ells from the ground, an aperture of which faced the open country. Muhammad gave himself up for lost, but, not wishing that his family should be ruined, desired Hasan to make for Ghur. He contrived to effect the escape of his son by tearing up the blanket given him to lie upon, to make it into a rope, by means of which he lowered Hasan to the ground, who escaped to Ghur. As soon as the Sultan became aware of Hasan’s escape, he put Muhammad, the father, to death. Hasan obtained the rule over Ghur, and had a son, Husain by name, who had seven sons. This is the ’Izz-ud-Din, Husain, the IXth chief of our author.
139.4
Jahan Ara, Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh, and some others agree as to Muhammad, Suri’s son, having been made captive by Mahmud, but, like our author, contend that he [Muhammad] was succeeded by his son Abu-’Ali, who had always been obedient to Mahmud, and that he was appointed to the chieftainship of Ghur by that Sultan; and that afterwards Abu-’Ali was ousted by his nephew, ’Abbas, son of Shis [who had been taken captive with his father]. The chieftainship then passed into the hands of Muhammad, son of ’Abbas, then to Kutb-ud-Din, Hasan, his son, and then to the latter’s son, Husain, the ’Izz-ud-Din, Husain of our author. He, as well as other writers, does not make any remark whatever upon Abu-’Ali’s having been deprived of the chieftainship by ’Abbas, son of Shis. In this case the line terminated in Abu-’Ali’s family, and passed to the younger branch, and thus the Shansabani Sultans are not descended from him at all, but from Shis.
139.5
The Rauzat-us-Safa considers this statement weak, and quotes, as does also the Habib-us-Siyar and the Mir’at-i-Jahan-Numa, another tradition to the effect that when Mahmud marched an army into Ghur, and took Suri [Muhammad, son of Suri—Rauzat-us-Safa makes this blunder here, after having previously called him by his correct name] captive, and put him to death, his grandson [if such be correct, what became of the son?] Hasan, with his family, through fear of Mahmud, fled into Hind; and, as they had not yet been converted to the Muhammadan faith, they took up their residence in an idol temple [in a Dharm-sala perhaps]. This Hasan had a son named Sam, who, after his father’s decease, was converted to Islam. He proceeded to Dihli, and followed the occupation of a trader [and, according to the Rauzat-us-Safa only, used to carry goods from Hindustan to Ghur, and bring other commodities back from thence. This seems strange however, since, if he could have gone back to Ghur in this way, his father surely need not have left it, unless he liked]. He had a son named Husain, who was endowed with many excellent qualities. After some years had passed away, and Sam had acquired considerable wealth, the desire of returning to his native mountains induced him to set out for Ghur. He embarked on one of the seas [the word used also signifies a large river, which is probably meant here] of Hind, together with his to Ghur again. He had [already] conferred the govern-
139.6
family and effects, on board a vessel which met with a contrary wind, which raised a violent storm. The vessel and all on board, with the exception of Husain, son of Sam, went to the bottom. Husain, when the ship was sinking, succeeded in getting upon a plank or log of wood, and, at the very same time, a lion which was being conveyed upon the vessel’s deck, also sprang upon it, and for three days and nights Husain and his strange companion remained in this state upon the log, at the end of which period they were wafted to the shore. The lion made for a neighbouring forest, and Husain for a town near by. Being a stranger and not knowing any one, and the time night, he went and lay down upon one of the benches or platforms, which are to be found in front of almost all shops in India, and fell fast asleep. The watch on going their rounds perceiving him there, and, not knowing who he was, took him for a thief, and dragged him away to prison, where he remained for about seven years. The governor of that place having been attacked with a dangerous disorder, by way of atonement, ordered all the prisoners to be set at liberty. Husain, son of Sam, by this means obtained his freedom, and set out for Ghaznin. On the road thither he fell in with a band of robbers, who, finding him a powerful and intelligent youth, induced him to join them, and he was provided with a horse and arms.
139.7
It so happened, however, not long after, that a band of troops in the service of Sultan Ibrahim of Ghaznin, which had been for some time on the look out for the robbers, came upon them unawares, and made the whole gang captive. They were brought bound into the presence of Sultan Ibrahim, who directed that they should suffer death. One after the other several underwent their sentence, until it came to the turn of Husain, son of Sam. While the executioner was blindfolding him, he exclaimed, “O God! I know that error is not agreeable to Thee, why then is it that I, although innocent, am thus to suffer death?” These words affected the executioner, and the matter was represented, through one of the Court, to the Sultan, who directed that Husain should be brought before him. He stated his pitiful case to Ibrahim, who, on hearing it, took compassion on him, pardoned him, and enrolled him, in a subordinate office at first, among his chamberlains. When Sultan Mas’ud, surnamed the Beneficent, succeeded his father, Ibrahim, he conferred upon Husain, son of Sam, son of Muhammad, [grand(?)]son of Suri, the government of the district of Ghur, and the title of ’Izz-ud-Din. Some say Ibrahim gave Husain a kinswoman of his own in marriage. After Husain’s death, enmity arose between his descendants and Bahram Shah, Mas’ud’s son, as mentioned by our author farther on, and as will be hereafter noticed.
139.8
Many authors very properly consider ’Ala-ud-Din to be the first of the dynasty, and the dynasty to consist of five persons only, whose dominion lasted sixty-four years, the others being merely accounted petty chieftains. There can be no doubt whatever that the Ghuris were merely petty mountain-chiefs up to the time of Sultan Mahmud of Ghaznin, and the extent of country they dwelt in proves it; but, as the Ghaznawid dynasty declined, the Ghuris waxed stronger and more independent after the decease of Mas’ud-i-Karim [the Beneficent], who gave the government of his native country to Husain, son of Sam, when the Ghaznawid empire began rapidly to decay. Our author’s desire at all times appears to be to glorify the Ghuris, and, therefore, the fact of their having been merely petty tributary chiefs did not chime in with his wishes. We find Mahmud and his son Mas’ud continually passing ment of Ghur upon Muhammad-i-Suri’s eldest son, Amir Abu-’Ali, as will, subsequently, be recorded.
139.9
from Ghaznin to Balkh and Kabul, Ghaznin to Hindustan, Ghaznin to Sijistan, and from Ghaznin to Hirat, and thence up the valley of the Murgh-ab ; and Mas’ud appears to have passed through Ghur to Ghaznin, when he had to fly, after his defeat by the Saljuk, and yet we hear not a word about these powerful rulers of our author, although the Sultans must have passed through the mountain tracts of Ghur constantly—in fact the Sultans of Ghaznin held several fortresses in Ghur ; and Tigin-abad was in that very part, and Muhammad, brother of Mas’ud, was confined in the fortress of Nae in Wajiristan, one of the very districts mentioned by our author as forming part of the Ghurian dominions. I think ’Utbi and Baihaki were more than likely to have had thorough knowledge of these potent Maliks and sovereigns so called, yet Baihaki and ’Utbi treat them as very petty chieftains, although they held some strong fortresses. Our author quotes Baihaki constantly about other matters, but not here in regard to what happened under his [Baihaki’s] own observation as it were ; and this looks suspicious. I will now give an abridged account of what he does say respecting Sultan Mahmud’s proceedings with respect to Ghur, and of the expedition undertaken by his gallant son, Mas’ud, against some of its petty chiefs, during the time he held the government of Khurasan, before he succeeded to the throne of Ghaznin.
139.10
“In the year 401 H., Sultan Mahmud went on an expedition into Ghur against the infidels of that part, by way of Zamin-i-Dawar, taking along with him his two sons, Mas’ud and Muhammad, both at that time in their fourteenth year [they were not twins], and also their uncle [Mahmud’s youngest brother], Yusuf, then seventeen. “These three young Princes were left in Zamin-i-Dawar, with the heavy materiel and baggage, and Mahmud left them there because he considered that district auspicious, it having been the first territory entrusted to him by his father, Amir Sabuk-Tigin. The narrator of the preceding and following events, ’Abd-ul-Ghaffar, says, ‘my grandfather, who related this, was at that time in the service of Batikin, the Zamin-Dawari [i. e. of Zamin-i-Dawar], who was governor of that district on the part of Sultan Mahmud, and he [my grandfather] was directed to remain in attendance on the Princes.’ [There is not the slightest allusion either to Suri or his son here, although it is the year in which his son Muhammad is said to have been made captive by Mahmud] * * * * In 405 H., Mahmud began to make raids upon Khawanin, which is a tract of Ghur, adjoining Bust and Zamin-i-Dawar, in which were infidels exceedingly tall and strong, and they held many passes and strong fortresses. On this occasion the Sultan had taken along with him his son Mas’ud, and he then greatly distinguished himself, and showed many proofs of his manhood and valour.
139.11
When a body of them [the infidels] retired for refuge to their stronghold, one of their chiefs was standing on a tower of the fort, and was acting with great insolence and audacity, and galling the Musalmans, when Mas’ud, who was fighting on horseback, hit him in the throat with an arrow, and he fell dead from the tower. The chief’s companions became heart-broken at this, and surrendered the fortress ; and all this was accomplished by one wound dealt by a brave hand. Amir Mahmud was delighted with his lion-like son, and, whilst he was yet in his youth, made him his heir, for he knew that after his own death there was no one able to maintain the dynasty but he. [See note, page 92.] * * * * In 411 H., Mas’ud [he had been declared heir-apparent, and appointed governor of Khurasan, with Hirat as the seat of