The Nāṣirī Generations 163: I. MALIK FAKHR-UD-DIN, MAS’UD, SON OF ’IZZ-UD-DIN, AL HUSAIN, SHANSABI.
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 163
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I. MALIK FAKHR-UD-DIN, MAS’UD, SON OF ’IZZ-UD-DIN, AL HUSAIN, SHANSABI.
163.1
Malik Fakhr-ud-Din, Mas’ud, son of Al-Husain, was older than his other six brothers; and his mother was a Turkiah. He was a sufficiently great monarch; but, as he was not by the same mother as [his brothers] the Sultans they did not permit him to occupy the throne of the dominions of Ghur, for this reason, that five other brothers, both on the side of the father and mother, were Shansabanis, while the Malik-ul-Jibal, Muhammad, who attained martyrdom at Ghaznin, was by another mother, who was the attendant of the mother of the Sultans, and Malik Fakhr-ud-Din, Mas’ud, was by a Turkish bondwoman, as has been previously stated. After Sultan ’Ala-ud-Din, Husain [Jahan-soz], became disengaged from taking revenge upon the inhabitants of Ghaznin, and had demolished the Kasrs of Bust, which was the place of residence of the house of Mahmud, he caused an army to be got ready from the capital of Ghur, and marched towards Tukharistan, and, in the subjugation of that territory, and the strongholds thereof, manifested great alertness and dexterity; and the Amirs of Ghur, in that army, displayed such valour and martial heroism, that, if Rustam-i-Dastan had been present, he would have recited the story of their valour.
163.2
When those tracts were taken possession of, ’Ala-ud-Din, Husain, placed Malik Fakhr-ud-Din, Mas’ud [his brother], upon the throne of Bamian, and that territory was committed to his charge. Malik Fakhr-ud-Din, Mas'ud, having ascended the throne, the adjacent hill territories, [namely] the mountain tract of Shaknan Tukharistan, as far as Dar-gun and Bilaur, and the tracts towards Turkistan to the boundary of Wakhsh and Badakhshan, the whole came under his jurisdiction. Malik Fakhr-ud-Din, Mas'ud, had able and accomplished sons; and, when Kimaj from Balkh, and Taj-ud-Din, Yal-duz, from Hirat, who were slaves of the Sanjari dynasty, conspired to eject Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din, Muhammad-i-Sam, in order to take possession [of the country] as far as Firuz-koh, and the Ghiyasiah sovereignty was, as yet, in the morning of its ascendancy, Malik Fakhr-ud-Din, Mas'ud, rendered assistance to them, under the stipulation that whatever pertained to Khurasan should go to them, and what belonged to Ghur to [him] Malik Fakhr-ud-Din, Mas'ud.
163.3
When Almighty God bestowed victory upon Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din, and Malik Taj-ud-Din, Yal-duz, of Hirat, was slain, he despatched the head of Yal-duz to his uncle, Malik Fakhr-ud-Din, Mas'ud, whose forces had arrived near at hand. Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din followed in pursuit of them, and Malik Fakhr-ud-Din was put to the rout. Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din discerned him, and caused him to turn back again, and conducted him to his camp, and there placed him on the throne; and Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din, and Mu'izz-ud-Din, both of them, stood before the throne in attendance on him. Chroniclers state that Malik Fakhr-ud-Din, Mas’ud, became enraged [at this], and that he reproached both of them unjustly, saying that they mocked him. His words were these: ''You two rascally boys laugh at me!'' The Almighty's mercy be upon them ! This exclamation of his has been mentioned here for this reason, that the beholders and readers of these pages may know the laudable qualities of these two monarchs, the extent of their compassion and clemency, to what degree they guarded the honour and respect [due] towards their uncle, and to what extremity they bore his injustice.
163.4
When the two Sultans became disengaged from this audience, they caused complete arrangement to be made for the return of their uncle, and conferred honorary dresses upon the whole of his Amirs and Slaves, and caused them to return. Malik Fakhr-ud-Din, Mas'ud, retired towards Bamian again ; and there he acquired great power, and the Sultans and Maliks of Ghur used constantly to pay him homage. His career came to an end in [the enjoyment of] sovereignty and he ruled for a long period and died. He had several worthy and deserving sons. Sultan Shams-ud-Din was the eldest, and Malik Taj-ud-Din, Zangi and Malik Husam-ud-Din, 'Ali.