The Nāṣirī Generations 149: XIV. SULTAN ’ALA-UD-DIN, AL-HUSAIN, SON OF [’IZZ-UD-DIN,] AL-HUSAIN, SON OF SAM, SON OF AL-HASAN.
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 149
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XIV. SULTAN ’ALA-UD-DIN, AL-HUSAIN, SON OF [’IZZ-UD-DIN,] AL-HUSAIN, SON OF SAM, SON OF AL-HASAN.
149.1.1
When Sultan Baha-ud-Din, Sam, son of [’Izz-ud-Din,] Al-Husain, who was marching an army against Ghaznin. in order to take revenge for [the slaying of his brothers], Sultan Suri and the Malik-ul-Jibal, died on the way thither, have occurred in the fifth month of the year 543 H. [October, 1052 A.D.], and by Fasih-i in 542 H. [October, 1051 A.D.], but, as the father only died it is said in 545 H., both cannot be correct. On the way back his brother, Sam, died of inflammation of the brain [phrensy, according to some, a tumour, or small-pox, according to others]. In the following winter Bahram returned from Hind with a numerous army and several elephants, and appeared before Ghaznin. Suri came out with 300 Ghuris and 1000 Ghuzz Turks, and endeavoured to reach Ghur, but the Ghuzz deserted to Bahram, and Suri was taken, paraded on a bullock through the city, and hung along with his Wazir. This occurred in 543 H. according to Fasih-i, but in 544 H. according to several other trustworthy authors. 'Ala-ud-Din, Husain, again marched to Ghaznin to avenge Suri, again took the city, plundered, and fired it, then abandoned it, and returned to Firuz-koh, destroying all the buildings raised by the Mahmudi family, on his way back. This is said to have taken place in 547 H., but such cannot have been the case; it must have been towards the end of 544 H., or early in 545 H., at the latest. Alfi says in 547 of the “Rihlat” [death of Muhammad, not the Hijrah], which would make it as late as 558 H.
149.1.2
Most of the authors from which the above is taken contend that ’Ala-ud-Din, Husain, was the first of the family who attained to independent sovereignty, that the dynasty consisted of five sovereigns, and continued for a period of sixty-four years. It terminated in 607 H., so must have commenced in 543 H. 'Ali, Chatri, and 'Ala-ud-Din, Husain, were defeated by Sultan Sanjar in 545 H. [some say in 544 H.], but Fasih-i says in 547 H., just before he [Sanjar] marched against the Ghuzz in 548 H., which will be referred to farther on. Fanakati says, and somewhat astonishing it is, that Husain, brother of Sam, was put to death by Bahram Shah’s orders, and he [Husain] went to Sultan Sanjar and solicited aid. Sanjar assisted him with an army and he then fought a battle with Bahram Shah, who was defeated and retreated into Hindustan. After this, the same author states—and the Jami’-ut-Tawarikh agrees—that Husain [’Ala-ud-Din] left his brother Sam in charge of Ghaznin, and returned himself to Ghur. He then agrees with the statements of other writers as to the hanging of ’Ala-ud-Din’s brother, but says it was Sam [Baha-ud-Din], not Suri, that Bahram Shah took and hung after his return from Hindustan. Husain returned, made a general massacre, and devastated the place, and 70,000 persons were slain. On this Sultan Sanjar resolved to proceed against him, and, in a battle, Husain was taken prisoner. For further particulars regarding this see page 357, and notes 2 and 3 page 358.
149.1.3
The second account is, that Husain ['Izz-ud-Din], the father of the seven sons, raised to the rulership of Ghur by Mas’ud-i-Karim, having died in 545 [540 H. ?] was succeeded by the most prominent of his sons, ’Ala-ud-Din, Husain, who rebelled against Bahram Shah, marched against Ghaznin, took it, during Bahram's absence, and set his brother, Suri, upon the throne of the Mahmudi’s. Soon after Bahram returned, and hung Suri. The remainder of the account agrees pretty well with the first. The third is, that Bahram Shah was dead before ’Ala-ud-Din reached Ghaznin the second time, and in this statement a number of the most trustworthy authorities agree, and further that Khusrau Shah, his son, had succeeded just before ’Ala-ud-Din’s advance, and, on his approach, Khusrau Shah at Kidan, Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din ascended the throne of the dominion of Ghur, and assembled the forces of Ghur, of the capital, Firuz-koh, and of Gharjistan, and determined to march against Ghaznin.
149.1.4
When Sultan Yamin-ud-Din Bahram Shah, became aware of this matter, and of his ['Ala-ud-Din’s] intention, he caused the troops of Ghaznin and of Hindustan to be got ready and organized, and led them from Rujhakh and Tigin-abad, in the district of Garmsir, towards Zamin-i-Dawar. As Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din, with his forces, had [already] reached Zamin-i-Dawar, Sultan Bahram Shah despatched envoys to him, saying, Return again to Ghur, and in thy ancestral possession remain in quietness, for thou wilt not be able to resist my forces, for I bring elephants [along with me].” The envoys having delivered the message with which they were entrusted to Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din, he replied, saying, "'If thou bringest elephants, I will bring the Kharmil; but, God knows, indeed, thou fallest into error, that thou hast put my brothers to death, and I have not slain any person belonging to thee. But hast thou not heard what Almighty God says? — “Whosoever is slain unjustly, we have given his heir, or next of kin, power [to avenge him] ; but let him not exceed bounds in putting the slayer to death, because he likewise will be assisted and avenged
149.1.5
When the envoys returned, both armies were marshalled in ranks and made ready for the conflict. Sultan 'Ala-ud-Din called unto him two Pahlawans [champions] of his own, who were the leaders of the army, and famous warriors of the kingdom of Ghur, and both of them were named Kharmil. One was Kharmil-i-Sam, Husain, father of Nasir-ud-Din, Husain-i-Kharmil ; and the other Kharmil-i-Sam, Banji ; and both of them were famed in their day for their valour and prowess. He said unto them: — “ Bahram Shah has sent a message, saying, ‘ I bring elephants [against thee] and I have sent a reply, ' If thou bringest elephants, I bring the Kharmil.' This day it behoveth that each one of you champions should overthrow and bring an elephant to the ground.” They both kissed the ground and retired [to their posts] ; and, at a place which they call Kotah-baz, the two armies came to an encounter. When the battle commenced, both these champions dismounted, fastened up the skirts of their coats of mail, and entered the fight. When the elephants of Bahram Shah made a charge, each of those champions attacked an elephant, and got beneath the armour of the animals, and, with their poniards, ripped open the bellies of the elephants. Kharmil-i-Sam, Banji, remained under his elephant, and it fell upon him, and he and the elephant perished together. Kharmil-i-Sam, Husain, brought his elephant to the ground, and got away in safety, and mounted [his horse] again.
149.1.6
When the battle was duly ordered, Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din after he had arrayed himself in all his panoply, commanded that a surcoat of crimson-coloured satin should be brought to him, and he put it on over all his armour. His kinsfolk and his intimates inquired: — “What device is this of the king’s, that he covers his armour with a crimson surcoat?” He answered: — “For this reason, that, in case my body should be wounded by arrow, lance, or sword, the redness of my blood, by means of the crimson surcoat, will not show upon my armour, so that the hearts of my followers may not become dejected.” The mercy of the Almighty be upon him ! The troops of Ghur have a method, in the practise of fighting on foot, of making a certain article of one fold of raw bullock-hide, over both sides of which they lay cotton, and over all draw figured coarse cotton cloth after the form of a screen [or breast-work], and the name of that article of defence is karwah. When the foot-soldiers of Ghur place this [screen] upon their shoulders, they are completely covered from head to foot by it; and, when they close their ranks, they appear like unto a wall, and no missile or arms can take any effect on it, on account of the quantity of cotton with which it is stuffed. When the engagement was fairly begun, Daulat Shah son of Bahram Shah, with a body of cavalry and an elephant, made a charge.
149.1.7
Sultan 'Ala-ud-Din directed that the foot-soldiers should open their rank of kar-wahs, in order to allow Daulat Shah to enter with his whole division. They opened their ranks accordingly. When Daulat Shah, with his body of horse and the elephant, entered, the infantry closed the breach in their ranks again, and completely surrounded that Prince on all sides; and he, with the whole of that body of horse, were martyred, and the elephant was brought to the ground, and also killed. When the troops of Bahram Shah witnessed that disaster and slaughter, they fell into disorder and gave way. Sultan 'Ala-ud-Din followed in pursuit, from stage to stage, as far as a place which they call Josh-i-Ab-i-Garm [the jet of hot-water], near to Tigin-abad, where Sultan Bahram Shah faced about, and a second time prepared to renew the engagement; and the whole of the forces then assembled under him again gave battle, but were defeated and put to the rout, and only stopped at the gate of Ghaznin. Sultan 'Ala-ud-Din followed in fierce pursuit, so that Bahram Shah, for the third time, assembled the troops of Ghaznin, the men of the city, and a large levy of footmen, and gave battle for the third time; but he was unable to overcome [the enemy], and was again defeated. 'Ala-ud-Din took the city of Ghaznin by storm, and, during seven nights and days, fired the place, and burnt it with obstinacy and wantonness.
149.2.1
The chronicler states that, during these seven days, the air, from the blackness of the smoke, continued as black as night; and those nights, from the flames raging in the burning city, were lighted up as light as day. During these seven days, likewise, rapine, plunder, and massacre were carried on with the utmost pertinacity and vindictiveness. All the men that were found were killed, and the women and children were made captive. 'Ala-ud-Din commanded that the whole of the [remains of the] Mahmudi Sultans should be exhumed from their graves and burnt, except those of Sultan Mahmud, the Ghazi, Sultan Mas’ud, and Sultan Ibrahim; and, during the whole of these seven days, ’Ala-ud-Din gave himself up to wine and carousal within the palaces of the Sultans of Ghaznin. During this time he gave directions so that the tomb of Sultan Saif-ud-Din, Suri, and the mausoleum of the Malik-ul-Jibal [Kutb-ud-Din, Muhammad], were sought out, and coffins prepared; and caused preparations to be made for putting his whole army into mourning. When the eighth night came round, and the city had become entirely desolated and consumed, and its inhabitants massacred, Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din, on that night, improvised several strophes eulogistic of himself, and gave them to the minstrels, with directions to sing them accompanied by their changs and chighanahs before him; and the lines, which are appropriate, are as follows:—
149.2.2
“The world knoweth that I of the universe am king. The lamp of the family of the ’Abbasis am I. ’Ala-ud-Din, Husain, son of Husain, am I, Whose house’s sovereignty be ever enduring! When on the bright bay steed of my dominion I sit, One, to me, will be both the heavens and the earth. Death sports around the point of my spear: Hope follows [as goad] the dust of my troops. I should roam the world through, like unto Sikandar: I should in every city another sovereign place. I was determined on this, that of the vagabonds of Ghaznin I would set a river of blood running like unto the Nil. But they are maudlin old dotards and infants, And my blooming fortune maketh intercession for them. For their own sakes I have granted them their lives, That the granting of their lives may of mine be the bond.”
149.2.3
He then commanded, saying, "I have spared the remainder of the people of Ghaznin," and he arose from the assembly, and went to the hot-bath; and, on the eighth day of these proceedings, he got up at day-dawn, and, accompanied by the whole of the troops of Ghur, and the Maliks [chiefs], came to the mausoleum of his brothers. He then donned mourning garments, together with his whole army, and, for [another] seven nights and days, he remained at the mausoleum observing funeral ceremonies. During this period the whole Kur'an was read through several times, and alms were there distributed; and the coffins of his brothers were placed on biers, and he ['Ala-ud-Din] marched from Ghaznin towards the districts of Dawar and Bust. On reaching the city of Bust, he entirely destroyed the palaces and other edifices of the Mahmudi dynasty, the like of which were not to be found in the regions of the world; and the whole territory, which appertained to the Mahmudi sovereigns, he directed should be ravaged and desolated.
149.2.4
He returned to Ghur, and, by his command, the corpses of his brothers were deposited by the side of their ancestors. He had ordered that several Sayyids of Ghaznin should be seized, according to the law of retaliation, in the place of Sayyid Majd-ud-Din, Musawi, who was Sultan Suri's Wazir, and who, along with Sultan Suri, they had hung up from one of the arches [of the bridge?] of Ghaznin, and they were brought before the Sultan. Bags were filled with the earth of Ghaznin, and placed upon their backs and [they were] brought along with him to Firuz-koh, the capital; and, on reaching that city, the Sayyids were put to death, and their blood was mixed with the earth which had been brought from Ghaznin, and from it several towers were erected on the hills of Firuz-koh, which towers, moreover, were still remaining up to this present time. The Almighty pardon him! After he had wreaked such vengeance as this, and returned to the capital again, ’Ala-ud-Din desired to devote himself to pleasure and revelry; and he gathered around him minstrels and boon companions, betook himself to conviviality and carousal, and improvised lines which he directed the minstrels to sing, and accompany on their harps and violins. These are the lines:
149.2.5
“I am [he] in whose justice the world hath exultation, And I am [he] through whose munificence the treasury sustaineth injustice. The finger of his hand, to his teeth, the enemy placeth, When, to the string of the bow, I the thimble apply.” y, but, at the same time, an absurd typographical error has been noticed in note page 357, Polo has been substituted for Polo. When my bay steed leap’d a square within the ranks, The adversary no longer knew ball from square. When, out of hatred towards me, Bahram Shah bent the bow, I pluck’d, with my lance, the quiver from his waist. The support of my foe, although they were all Raes [and] Ranahs, I reduced, with my mace, to atoms, both Rae’s and Ranah’s head. To draw forth vengeance by the sword, I have indeed taught The sovereigns of the time, and the kings of the age. Ah, ravishing Minstrel! since I am released from war, Sing that strain indeed, and that melody enkindle. When fortune hath been grasp’d, it is not right to renounce The singers’ melody, nor the fire-worshippers’ pure wine.” Trustworthy persons have related after this wise, that, when Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din ascended the throne of Firuzkoh, he ordered his nephews, Ghiyas-ud-Din, Muhammad-i-Sam, and Mu’izz-ud-Din, Muhammad-i-Sam, sons of Sultan Baha-ud-Din, Muhammad Sam, to be imprisoned, and they were confined in the fortress of Wajiristan, and an allowance was fixed for their support.
149.2.6
He [’Ala-ud-Din] also began to show a contumacious spirit towards Sultan Sanjar, and manifested open hostility towards him. What the Sultans of Ghur had stipulated for, and which used to reach the Sanjari Court every year, such as arms and armour, rarities, and offerings, ’Ala-ud-Din withheld; and matters reached such a pass, that Sultan Sanjar assembled a numerous army, and determined to march into the territory of Ghur. Sultan 'Ala-ud-Din collected the forces of Ghur, and advanced to meet the Sultan as far as the limits of the town of Nab, between Firuz-koh and Hirat, in the valley of the Hariw-ar-Rud. There is water there, and a delightful and extensive plain, which they call Sih-goshah-i-Nab; and at that place an engagement took place between the two armies. Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din, a day before the battle was fought, had directed so that the ground in rear of the forces of Ghur had been entirely laid under water; and he had caused it to be proclaimed that the ground in the rear had become quite flooded, and that whoever should attempt to fly to the rear would get into the mud, and stick there.
149.2.7
When the battle was arranged, and the two armies came in contact, a body of about 6000 Ghazz, Turk, and Khalj horse, which was stationed on the right of the army of Ghur, deserted, and went over to Sultan Sanjar, and submitted to him, and the troops of Ghur were defeated and overthrown. The whole of the Amirs and warriors, and distinguished men of the Ghurian army, got entangled in that swampy ground and morass. Some of them obtained martyrdom, and some were made captive, and Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din himself was taken prisoner. Sultan Sanjar commanded that he should be put in confinement, and they brought gyves of iron to place on his legs. He urged that it was requisite they should make a representation [from him] to the Sultan, saying: — “Do unto me as I intended to have done unto thee, for I obtained gyves of gold, in order that, thereby, reverence for thy sovereignty might be so much the more preserved.” When this request was made known, those identical gyves were called for, and, when they were obtained, those very same gyves were placed upon ’Ala-ud-Din’s legs, and they mounted him upon a camel, and Sultan Sanjar returned [to his own territory].
149.2.8
As the report of ’Ala-ud-Din’s wittiness of temperament, and quickness of intellect, was much talked about at that period, and had become famous, and Sultan Sanjar had heard a great deal about it, either the next day, or a few days after, he sent for him, treated him with honour, and set him at liberty [from his gyves]. A salver of precious gems had been placed near the masnad of the imperial throne, and that was bestowed upon ’Ala-ud-Din, who arose and made his obeisance, and spoke these lines, befitting the circumstance. The following is the quatrain: — ‘‘In the rank of battle the Shah took me, but did not kill, Notwithstanding, of a verity, I was full worthy of being slain. A casket of precious gems he bestow’d upon me : In such wise his mercy [was], and his bounty such.”
149.3.1
Sultan Sanjar made him one of his associates and boon companions, and there was no pleasure-party without the presence of ’Ala-ud-Din, until one day, during a banquet, the sight of ’Ala-ud-Din fell upon the sole of Sultan Sanjar’s foot, who, seated on his throne, had extended one of his legs, upon the sole of the foot of which there was a large mole. He arose, kissed the mole, and improvised the following lines : — “Verily the dust at the gate of thy palace is [my] diadem. And [this], the collar of thy service, is my adornment. In the same manner as I kiss the mole on the sole of thy foot, Even so good fortune [likewise] salutes my head.”
149.3.2
This anecdote has been already related in the account of Sultan Sanjar’s reign. The latter gave him back again the throne of Ghur, and he commanded that stores, treasure, all his herds of horses and camels and cattle, and flocks of sheep, his own personal property, should be made over to ’Ala-ud-Din ; and Sultan Sanjar said : — ’Ala-ud-Din, thou art in the condition of a brother to me. Return, and take all these things — cattle and treasure — along with thee, and remove them to the country of Ghur. If the divine decree should in such wise will, that this host of Ghuzz should be overcome, and we should obtain the victory, when these things shall be demanded of thee, send them back to me ; but otherwise, if it should turn out that my dominion shall have come to an end, and the thread of the empire’s regularity shall have been severed, it is far better that these things should remain with thee than that they should fall into the hands of the Ghuzz.
149.3.3
During this period of Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din’s absence from the capital of the kingdom of Ghur, a number of the Amirs, Maliks, and the great men and judges of the Jibal [mountain tracts] and of the territory of Ghur, had agreed together to bring Malik Nasir-ud-Din, Husain, son of Muhammad, of Madin, who was the brother’s son of ’Ala-ud-Din, and place him upon the throne of Firuz-koh. A body of disobedient persons of the territory of Kashi, who excel all the rest of the people of Ghur in arrogance and obstinacy, had committed great violence, and by their turbulence and clamour, under pretence of grants, gifts, alms, and robes of distinction, had appropriated the royal treasure and property. When Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din came towards Ghur from Khurasan with all that treasure, cattle, and wealth [conferred upon him by Sultan Sanjar], he first proceeded in the direction of the territory of Kashi, destroyed the whole of their Kushks [fortified villages], which exceeded a thousand Kasrs in number, and every one of which, in strength and height, was such, that the decision of conjecture and conception could not admit a plan of it.
149.3.4
After having taken vengeance upon the rebels of the Kashi territory and other mountain tracts, he [’Ala-ud-Din] returned to the capital Firuz-koh, and, before his reaching it, they had killed Malik Nasir-ud-Din-i-Muhammad, as will, subsequently, be recorded. When Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din arrived at Firuz-koh, and [again] seated himself on the throne of his ancestors, he turned his attention to the making of fresh conquests. He brought under his sway the districts of Bamian and Tukharistan, and seized the districts of Dawar, Jarum, and Bust also; and, of Khurasan, took the fortress of Tulak, which is situated in the mountains in the vicinity of Hirat, after a period of six years. There was a poet within the fortress of Tulak, whom they called by the name of ’Umr-i-Saraj; and, when hostilities were about to come to an end, and the fortress of Tulak was about to be gained possession of by terms of accommodation, he composed some verses, two lines of which, which were deserving [of insertion], are here brought in:— Seated on horseback, galloping up-hill and down, Thy object is Tulak: lo! there is Tulak.” In their language, galloping up-hill and down-dale is called “Wurlak-Fulak.” “The mercy of God be upon them!”
149.3.5
From that place ’Ala-ud-Din turned his face to the conquest of Gharjistan; and took to wife the lady Hur Malikah, who was the daughter of the Shar, Shah [by name], son of Ibrahim, Shar, son of Ardashir, one of the Maliks of Gharjistan; and the valley of the Murghab river and [its] fortresses came into his possession. The fortress of Sabekji [or Sabegji], however, held out, and carried on hostilities [against him] for six years; and of this time, for a period of three years, he sat down continually before it, until it was given up to him. Towards the end of Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din’s life, Mulahidah emissaries came to him from Alamut, and he treated them with great reverence; and in every place in Ghur they sought, secretly, to make proselytes. The Mulahidah [heretic] of Alamut had set his ambition on subjecting the people of Ghur [to his heresy], and making them submissive. This fact became defilement which adhered to the train of the ’Ala-i robe of sovereignty. Of his life, however, but a short period remained, and he died, and they buried him by the side of his ancestors and his brethren. The Almighty forgive him!