The Nāṣirī Generations 159: XX. SULTAN BAHA-UD-DIN, SAM, SON OF GHIYAS-UD-DIN, MAHMUD, SON OF GHIYAS-UD-DIN, MUHAMMAD, SON OF BAHA-UD-DIN, SAM, SHANSABI.
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 159
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XX. SULTAN BAHA-UD-DIN, SAM, SON OF GHIYAS-UD-DIN, MAHMUD, SON OF GHIYAS-UD-DIN, MUHAMMAD, SON OF BAHA-UD-DIN, SAM, SHANSABI.
159.1
Sultan Baha-ud-Din, Sam, son of Sultan Mahmud [at this time] was about fourteen years of age, and his brother, Malik Shams-ud-Din, Muhammad, about ten. Their mother was the daughter of Malik Taj-ud-Din, of Timran; and in the haram likewise were two daughters by this Malikah. When Sultan Mahmud was martyred, the next morning, all the Amirs of Ghur and the Turk Amirs assembled together, and raised Baha-ud-Din, Sam, to the throne of Firuz-koh; and the Malikah-i-Mu’izziah, who was the mother of Baha-ud-Din, and the other children of Ghiyas-ud-Din, Mahmud, incited the Turkish slaves to slay the competitors for the sovereignty. Of that party one was Malik Rukn-ud-Din, Mahmud-i-Iran Shah, the son of Malik ’Ala-ud-Din, Muhammad-i-Abi-’Ali, and they martyred him, as has been previously recorded. Malik Kutb-ud-Din, Timrani, was imprisoned, as was Malik Shihab-ud-Din, ’Ali, Madini, likewise, who was the son of the uncle of the Sultans [Ghiyas-ud-Din, and Mu’izz-ud-Din]; and the Ghuri and Turk Amirs, in concert, stood around the throne with girded loins.
159.2
The followers of ’Ali Shah, after five days, when they found the city had become tranquil, and that ’Ali Shah still remained in durance, contrived to get up another tumult. They placed a number of men in chests, and pretended that they were going to bring treasure into the city from without, such was the plan they chose to enable them to enter the city and create another disturbance; but, unexpectedly, one among them who had conceived the idea of this wicked action came and gave information about The chests were seized at the gate of the city, and about eighty men came out of the chests, of whom three were of those who had killed Sultan Mahmud. All three were made a public example of and put to death, two others were cast headlong from the hill [of Azad], and seventy-five were thrown at the feet of the elephants and killed, amid the clamours and reprobation of the crowd.
159.3
Subsequent to this, Malik Husam-ud-Din, Muhammad-i-Abi-'Ali, Jahan Pahlawan, from Fiwar and Kal-yun presented himself [at the court]; and, when three months of the sovereignty of Sultan Baha-ud-Din, Sam, had passed away, Malik ’Ala-ud-Din, Utsuz [son of ’Ala-ud-Din], Husain [Jahan-soz], who was in attendance on Sultan Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah, solicited aid from that monarch to enable him to possess himself of the dominions of Ghur. Malik Khan [governor] of Hirat, who at the commencement of the reign of the Khwarazmi Sultan bore the title of Amir-i-Hajib, and who was an 'Ajami Turk of great intrepidity, and the slayer of Muhammad-i-Khar-nak, was nominated to proceed from Khurasan to render assistance to ’Ala-ud-Din, Utsuz, son of ['Ala-ud-Din], Husain.
159.4
Malik Khan, with the forces of Khurasan, set out accordingly to assist Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din, Utsuz-i-Husain, in possessing himself of Firuz-koh. When they arrived in the vicinity of Firuz-koh, the Maliks and Amirs of Ghur took counsel together, and came to the conclusion that it was advisable to release Malik ’Ali Shah from confinement ment, and treat him with great honour and reverence, so that, on his account, some of the Khurasani forces might evince an inclination towards that Prince, and, as he was also the adversary of his brother [Sultan Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah], he might, in concert with this sovereignty, oppose in battle the forces of Khurasan. Malik ’Ali Shah they accordingly set at liberty, and they appointed Amirs to the [defence of] different sides around the city.
159.5
Malik Kutb-ud-Din, Husain, son of ’Ali, son of ’Abi-’Ali, and Amir ’Usman-i-Khar-fash and other Amirs, with troops, were appointed to occupy the summit of the Koh-i-Maidan, and Amir ’Usman-i-Maraghani, who was the Sar-i-Jandar [the Chief Armour-Bearer], with a body of forces, was named to occupy the upper part of the Koh-i-Azad. Other Amirs, such as Muhammad-i-’Abd-ullah, and Ghuri, Shalmati, and ’Umr, Shalmati, were nominated to the Zar-Margh gate; and on a Thursday, during the whole day, round about the city and on the hills constant fighting went on. On a Friday, in the middle of the month of Jamadi-ul-Awwal, in the year 607 H., the city [of Firuz-koh] was taken [by the Khwarazmi forces], and the dominion of the family of [Ghiyas-ud-Din] Muhammad, son of Baha-ud-Din, Sam, passed away. I have already pointed out [note page 407] what discrepancy exists between authors as to the year of Mahmud’s assassination, and that, in all probability, 609 H. is the correct date, and not 607 H. Our author himself says, in his account of Taj-ud-Din, ’Ali Shah [page 253], that he was put to death in 609 H. and every copy of the text available agrees, and Yafa-i, and Fasih-i, and Jami’-ut-Tawarikh confirm it ; and, from the various accounts of these events, it is beyond a doubt, that both Mahmud and Taj-ud-Din, ’Ali Shah, were put to death in the same year, probably within a few months of each other, and before ’Ala-ud-Din, Utsuz, ascended the throne, subject to the Khwarazmis.
159.6
Our author here says it happened in the fourth year of Mahmud’s reign, and, as he ascended the throne about the middle of 602 H., this would make it before the middle of the year 606 H. ; and, in this case, the date given by most authors for the battle between Sultan Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah, and Baniko of Taraz, namely Rabi’-ul-Awwal 607 H., cannot be correct, as it is certain that the Sultan entered Hirat, after ’Izz-ud-Din, Husain, son of Khar-mil, had been put to death, in Jamadi-ul-Awwal, 607 H., three months after the date of Mahmud’s assassination given by our author and several others. See note 7, pages 260-261.
159.7
Fasih-i distinctly states, that, after Mahmud had been killed in 609 H., as no one remained of the descendants of the Sultans of Ghur worthy of the wand of sovereignty, the chief personages of Firuz-koh concerted together [our author’s own statement above tends to confirm this, although probably he did not like to acknowledge that the Ghurian Amirs had set up a Khwarazmi as ruler], and raised Taj-ud-Din, ’Ali Shah, to the throne. They then despatched an emissary to the presence of Sultan Muhammad, to represent to him the facts of the case, and to solicit him to confirm ’Ali Shah in the sovereignty. The Sultan [seemingly] acceded to their request, and despatched Muhammad-i-Bashir [one of his chamberlains] with a robe of honour for ’Ali Shah. After Muhammad-i-Bashir arrived and began to congratulate ’Ali Shah with the usual ceremonies, ’Ali Shah proceeded towards an inner apartment and commenced arraying himself in the robe, when Muhammad-i-Bashir drew his sword, and with one blow struck off his head ; and congratulation was turned into condolement. After this event no other could be found capable of the sovereignty, and Firuz-koh and Ghur, and parts adjacent, were left in the possession of the Khwarazmi Sultan.
159.8
Habib-us-Siyar says that Khwarazm Shah, unable to secure his brother’s person, advanced upon Ghur with a numerous army. The Ghurian nobles released ’Ali Shah to create a diversion, but it was of no avail, and Firuz-koh was taken in 607 H. Rauzat-us-Safa states, that, after two or three days fighting in the hills and around the city, it was taken, as our author mentions, in the middle of Jamadi-ul-Awwal, 607 H., and in this Jahan-Ara, Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh, and others agree, the latter giving the 15th of that month as the exact date, which was just three months and seven days after the death of Mahmud, if he died in that year. The statement of Yafa-i is different from those of other authors, who probably copied from our author’s work, but as the former work gives far more details The Amirs, who had been despatched to occupy the hill-tops around, all escaped in safety, and ’Ali Shah, and Malik Husam-ud-Din, Muhammad-i-Abi-’Ali of Kal-yun, went out by the gate of the Reg Pul of Bust, and each and every one of them betook himself to some part or other. Malik Husam-ud-Din betook himself to Kal-yun, and ’Ali Shah set out towards Ghaznin. Sultan A’la-ud-Din, Utsuz, was placed on the throne, and Malik Khan of Hirat returned thither.
159.9
Sultan Baha-ud-Din, Sam, with his brother [Malik Shams-ud-Din, Muhammad], his sisters, and his mother, together with the treasure then ready at hand, and their aunt the Malikah-i-Jalali, the daughter of Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din, Muhammad-i-Sam, who was betrothed to Malik ’Ala-ud-Din, Muhammad, and the whole, with the bier of Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din, Mahmud, were conducted towards Khurasan. The bier of Sultan Mahmud was deposited in the Gazar-gah [catacombs] of Hirat. The dependents, the married and the younger ladies of the family, and their property were removed to Khwarazm; and, up to the time of the troubles caused by the irruption of the infidels of Chin, they continued in Khwarazm, and were treated with esteem and honour. Chroniclers have related in this wise, that, when the Mughal troubles arose, the mother of Sultan Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah, had those two Princes [Baha-ud-Din, Sam, and Malik Shams-ud-Din, Muhammad] drowned in the Jihun of Khwarazm the Almighty have mercy upon them and forgive them! Two daughters of Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din, Mahmud, up to the date of the composition of this History [are still living]—one is at Bukhara, and the other is at Balkh. married to the Malik-zadah of Balkh, the son of Al-mas, the Hajib.