The Nāṣirī Generations 152.2.6

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.