The Nāṣirī Generations 139.8

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.