[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate) › [Ṭabaqāt-i Nāṣirī](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri) › [Tabakat-i-Nasiri](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty) › 141 # The Nāṣirī Generations 141: VI. MALIK ’ABBAS, SON OF SHIS, SON OF MUHAMMAD, SON OF SURI. Tabakat-i-Nasiri 141 - **Language:** English ### VI. MALIK ’ABBAS, SON OF SHIS, SON OF MUHAMMAD, SON OF SURI. ### [141.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.141.1) Amir 'Abbas was a warlike, intrepid, and pitiless man, and endowed with great manliness, strength, and activity. When he attained the full vigour of youth, and his whole strength, he entered secretly into a compact with a party of adherents and young men, and gained them over to his own rebellious views. He then suddenly rose, and seized his uncle, Amir Abu-’Ali, ruler of Ghur, and imprisoned him, and appropriated the whole of his uncle’s property, his treasures and his hoards, to himself. He was exceedingly determined, cruel, and tyrannical; and lawlessness and injustice were engrafted in his nature. He commenced to act illegally, and began to seize people’s possessions and property, so much so that the commonalty, and his own immediate followers, were quite miserable, and became perfectly helpless in his hands, and to such degree, that, for a period of seven years during his reign, no animal—such as the horse, camel, cow, or sheep—brought forth young, and the rain from the heavens ceased to fall; and, according to one story, women also did not bear children, through the ill-luck consequent on his tyranny. ### [141.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.141.2) The chronicler thus states, that he possessed two fine \[and powerful\] dogs, which were constantly kept fastened by heavy chains, and iron collars round their necks. One of these dogs had been named Ibrahim of Ghaznin, and the other, ’Abbas of Ghur. These animals used constantly to be brought before him, and the chains to be removed from them, and they were set to fight together. Whenever the dog bearing his own name overcame the other, that day Amir ’Abbas would make great rejoicings, and bestow liberal presents; but, on days when the dog named Ibrahim of Ghaznin gained the advantage \[over his antagonist\], he would become infuriated, and greatly ill-treat and torment people, and not a single person among his favourites and attendants dared to say anything to him. ### [141.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.141.3) With all this tyranny and oppression, however, he was gifted with a profound knowledge of astrology. He had taken great pains with respect to that science, and had shown vast perseverance and assiduity in its acquirement, and had gained a deep knowledge of it. In the country of Mandesh, in the Khittah \[district\] of Sangah, the original fortress which Bustam-i-Zuhak had founded, he \[Amir 'Abbas\] directed should be entirely reconstructed; and skilful artisans were obtained from parts around \[for the purpose\]. The walls, after the manner of a parapet, were carried from that castle, on two sides, to the strong ground on the summit of the mountain of Zar-i-Margh; and, at the foot of that mountain, on a knoll, a lofty Kasr \[castle\] was directed to be raised, with twelve towers; and in every tower, in likeness to the zodiacal circles in the firmament, there were thirty openings—there were six towers towards the east and north, and six others towards the west and south—marked out; and these were so arranged that, every day, the sun would shine through one of those openings approximate to the position of its rise. By this means he used to know in what degree of what sign of the zodiac the sun was on that particular day; and this performance indicates the proficiency and knowledge which Amir 'Abbas had attained in the science of astrology. ### [141.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.141.4) During his reign, likewise, the Kasrs of Ghur were constructed, and plenty reigned throughout the country; but, as people now abominated him for his excessive tyranny, oppression, and injustice, and the empire of Ghaznin, and throne of sovereignty, had passed to Sultan Razzi-ud-Din, Ibrahim, son of Mas’ud, a party of the most powerful and eminent men, and the nobles of Ghur, despatched letters to Ghaznin, imploring the Sultan’s assistance. In conformity with these solicitations, Sultan Ibrahim marched a large army into Ghur; and, when he reached it, the whole of the forces of Ghur went over to that monarch, and they delivered Amir ’Abbas into the Sultan’s hands. He commanded that Amir ’Abbas should be placed in confinement, and he took him away to Ghaznin, and conferred the territory of Ghur upon his \[Amir ’Abbas’\] son, Amir Muhammad. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.141](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.141) · Pramāṇa