The Nāṣirī Generations 152.2
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 152.2
- Language
- English
152.2.1
After that event he proceeded into Garmsir and Zamin-i-Dawar, and that tract was liberated; and, as Malik Taj-ud-Din, Yal-duz, of Hirat, had been slain, and the army of Hirat had returned thither discomfited, Badr-ud-Din, Tughril, who was one of [Sultan] Sanjar's slaves took Hirat into his own jurisdiction, and held possession of it for a considerable time, until the inhabitants of Hirat despatched petitions to Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din inviting him [thither], and that success was also achieved. After some years Faras and the territory of Kaliyun [or Kal-yun], and Fiwar and Baghshor, came into his possession; and, when these parts came under his jurisdiction, he took to wife the daughter of his uncle, the Malikah, Taj-ud-Dunya wa ud-Din, Gohar Malik [Malikah?] the daughter of Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din, Husain. The whole of Gharjistan, and Tal-kan and Juzarwan devolved upon him; and Tigin-abad, out of the district of Jarum Ghiyas-ud-Din made over to his brother, Mu’izz-ud-Din, after he had returned from Sijistan. He [now] began to despatch [bodies of] horse towards Ghaznin, and the district of Zabul, and parts adjacent thereunto; and, at that period, the territory of Kabul, Zabul, and Ghaznin were in the hands of the tribes of the Ghuzz, who had wrested them out of the possession of Khusrau Shah. The reign of Khusrau Shah had terminated, and his son, Khusrau Malik, had made Lohor his capital.
152.2.2
The Amirs of the Ghuzz [tribe] who were in Ghaznin, not being able to oppose the forces of Ghur [in the field] threw up intrenchments, and, from the excessive firmness of the Ghuzz, the Ghurian army very nearly sustained an overthrow. Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din retired, and despatched a body of Ghurians to the aid of Sultan Mu’izz-ud-Din. Suddenly a body of Ghuzz warriors attacked [the army of Ghur], and captured the royal standard of the Ghurians, and carried it away within their own intrenchments. The Ghurian forces in the right and left wings imagined that the royal standard had accompanied their own centre into the intrenchments of the enemy, and they advanced to the attack in all directions, broke through the intrenchments of the Ghuzz, and carried them, and put the Ghuzz to the rout. The news reached Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din, who returned; and the troops of Ghur commenced slaughtering the Ghuzz, and laid the greater number of that race on the earth, and Ghaznin was left in the possession of the Ghuris. This victory was gained in the year 569 H.
152.2.3
When Ghaznin was conquered, Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din placed his brother, Sultan Mu'izz-ud-Din, upon the throne of the Mahmudis and returned himself to Firuz-koh. After two years, he [Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din] summoned his troops [again], and the armies of Ghur and Ghaznin were got ready, and he advanced to the gates of the city of Hirat. The people of that place had been manifesting signs of duty and desire [to place themselves under his rule]. When Baha-ud-Din, Tughril, became aware of this [latter] fact, he evacuated the city of Hirat, and retired to the Khwarazm-Shahis; and, in the year 571 H. the city of Hirat was taken possession of. Two years subsequent to this, Fushanj was taken; and, after these successes, the Malik of Nimroz and Sijistan despatched envoys, and he enrolled himself among the vassals of that Sultan. Subsequently to these events, the Ghuzz Maliks who were in Kirman paid submission to him; and different parts of the territory of Khurasan, which were dependent upon Hirat and Balkh, such as Tal-kan, Andkhud, Maimand, Faryab, Panj-dih, Marw-ar-Rud, Dajzak, Kilaf, the whole of those towns came into the possession of the Ghiyasi officers, and the Khutbah and the coin became adorned by the august name of Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din.
152.2.4
After some time, Sultan Shah, Jalal-ud-Din, Mahmud, son of I-yal-Arsalan, Khwarazm Shah, was ousted by his brother, Takish, Khwarazm Shah, and presented himself at the Court of Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din. After a time he became seditious, as has been previously recorded, and departed for Khita, and from thence brought aid, and took Marw, and began to ravage the frontier districts of the territories of Ghur, and commenced harrying and plundering them, until, in the year 588 H., Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din commanded, so that Sultan Mu’izz-ud-Din from Ghaznin, Malik Shams-ud-Din of Bamian, and Malik Taj-ud-Din-i-Harab, from Sijistan, with their forces, assembled at Rudbar of Marw, and they came and confronted the forces of Sultan Shah, who, with his troops, marched out of Marw, and proceeded up [the river]; and, in opposing the Sultan, used to make irregular and sudden attacks, and to continually harass the foragers of the Sultan’s army. For a period of six months this harassing warfare went on ; and the two armies continued in proximity to each other until Sultan Mu'izz-ud-Din commanded that a ferry over the river Murgh-ab should be sought for, and he crossed it [with his own forces], and the other troops crossed over after him ; and Sultan Shah was defeated and put to the rout.
152.2.5
This success was gained in the year 588 H. ; and Malik Baha-ud-Din, Tughril, the Sanjari, in that encounter, fell into the hands of the Bamian troops, and they brought his head to the presence of Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din. On that day, likewise, Malik Shams-ud-Din of Bamian, son of Malik Fakhr-ud-Din, Mas’ud, who was the Sultans’ uncle, obtained [the honour of] a canopy of state, and they gave him the title of Sultan. In this same year likewise, previous to the time that the forces of Ghur, Ghaznin, and Bamian were about to assemble at Rudbar of Marw, for the purpose of restraining Sultan Shah, commands had been issued for the martyrdom of the gentle and beneficent Sultan, Khusrau Malik. The mercy of the Almighty be upon him ! Every year fresh successes were taking place in different directions of the territories of Ghur, until, in the year 596 H., Sultan 'Ala-ud-Din-i-Takish, Khwarazm Shah, died Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din and Mu’izz-ud-Din moved into Khurasan with the armies of Ghur and Ghaznin, and advanced to the gate of Nishapur.
152.2.6
While the forces occupied a position in the vicinity of Nishapur, and hostilities commenced, trustworthy persons have, among the miracles of the victorious Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din, related on this wise, that one day he mounted, in order to reconnoitre a place from which to attack the city, and rode round the edge of the ditch, and reached a spot from whence, in his august opinion, he determined to make the attack, as being the point where the capture of that city was likely to be effected. He made a sign with his whip, saying; — It is necessary that the battering-rams should be planted from this tower to that tower, in order to make a breach, and enable a general assault to be made, so that the capture of this city may be effected, and this victory achieved.” At the very time that he made this indication [with his whip] towards those towers, the very portion of the walls of the city which he had pointed out, and the [two] towers, with everything near them, gave way, and the whole fell down, and became destroyed in such wise that not one brick remained upon another, and Nishapur was taken. Malik 'Ali Shah, son of Sultan 'Imad-ud-Din, Takish, Khwarazm Shah, together with the Khwarazmi Maliks who were there, and chiefs, and other persons of distinction, such as Surtash and Gaz-lak Khan, and a considerable body of others, fell into their hands.
152.2.7
To Malik Ziya-ud-Din, Muhammad, son of Abu 'Ali, Shansabi, who was the uncle’s son of both the [Ghurian] Sultans, and the son-in-law of Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din, they gave the government and throne of Nishapur, and returned [to their own dominions] that same year. The next year [597 H.] they advanced to Marw-i-Shah-i-Jahan, and took it ; and Malik Nasir-ud-Din, Muhammad-i-Khar-nak, they installed at Marw ; and conferred the government of Sarakhs upon their uncle’s son, Malik Taj-ud-Din, Zangi, who was the son of Malik Fakhr-ud-Din, Mas’ud, Bamiani. Malik Taj-ud-Din acquired jurisdiction over the whole of that territory, and Khurasan became clear.
152.2.8
Malik ’Ala-ud-Din, Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah, used great endeavours that they [the Sultans] might perhaps consent to accept his services [as their vassal], and relinquish Khurasan to him again; but it was not given up to him. Trustworthy persons have related after this manner, that, when Takish, Khwarazm Shah [the father], died, Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah [the son], sent envoys to the presence of Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din, the purport of their embassy being to the effect, that, between the Sultans of Ghur and his father, a compact of friendship and unanimity was firmly established. He, their servant, desired that, according to that same compact, he might be [accounted] in the series of their other servants. If his exalted opinion thought well of it, the Sultan-i-Ghazi, Mu'izz-ud-Din, should take his [servant’s] mother to wife, and consider him, his very humble servant, as a son; that from the Ghiyasiah Court he, his [Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din’s] servant, might receive an honorary robe, and a patent of investiture for Khurasan and Khwarazm, and his servant would set free all the territory of ’Irak and Mawar-un-Nahr from the hands of enemies.