The Nāṣirī Generations 183.1
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 183.1
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183.1.1
The beneficent Sultan Kutb-ud-Din, I-bak, the second Hatim, was a high-spirited and open-handed monarch. The Almighty God had endowed him with intrepidity and beneficence, the like of which, in his day, no sovereign of the world, either in the east or west, possessed; and, when the Most High God desireth to make manifest a servant of His in magnificence and glory in the hearts of mankind, He endows him with these attributes of intrepidity and beneficence, and makes him especially distinguished, both by friend and foe, for bounteousness of generosity and the display of martial prowess, like as this beneficent and victorious monarch was, so that, by the liberality and the enterprise of him, the region of Hindustan became full of friends and empty of enemies. His gifts were bestowed by hundreds of thousands and his slaughters likewise were by hundreds of thousands, like as that master of eloquence, the Imam, Baha-ud-Din, Ushi observes in praise of this beneficent sovereign:— Truly, the bestowal of laks thou in the world didst bring: Thy hand brought the mine's affairs to a desperate state. The blood-filled mine's heart, through envy of thy hand, Therefore produced the ruby as a pretext [within it].”
183.1.2
At the outset of his career, when they brought him from Turkistan, Kutb-ud-Din reached the city of Nishapur. The Kazi-ul-Kuzat [Chief Kazi], Fakhr-ud-Din, ’Abd-ul-’Aziz-i-Kufi, who was a descendant of the Imam-i-A’zam, Abu Hanifah of Kufah, the governor of the province of Nishapur and its dependencies, purchased him; and, in attendance on, and along with his sons, he read the Word of God, and acquired instruction in horsemanship, and shooting with the bow and arrow, so that, in a short time, he became commended and favourably spoken of for his manly bearing. When he attained unto the period of adolescence, certain merchants brought him to the Court of Ghaznin; and the Sultan-i-Ghazi, Mu’izz-ud-Din, Muhammad, son of Sam, purchased him from those traders. He was endowed with all laudable qualities and admirable impressions, but he possessed no outward comeliness; and the little finger of one hand had a fracture, and on that account he used to be styled I-bak-i-Shil [The powerless-fingered]. At that period, Sultan Mu’izz-ud-Din, now and then was wont to give himself up to pleasure and jollity. One night he had given directions for an entertainment and conviviality, and, during the entertainment, he commanded a gift to be bestowed upon each of the slaves present, consisting of sums of ready money, and gold and silver, both wrought and unwrought.
183.1.3
As to the portion of these gifts which came to Kutb-ud-Din’s share, he came forth [with] from the jovial party, and bestowed the whole of the wealth upon the Turks and janitors, and other attendants, so that nothing whatever, little or much, remained to him. Next day, this story was conveyed to the royal hearing, and the Sultan distinguished Kutb-ud-Din by his favour and intimacy, and assigned to him an honourable post among the important offices before the throne and the royal audience hall and he became the leader of a body of men, and a great official. Every day his affairs attained a high degree of importance, and, under the shadow of the patronage of the Sultan, used to go on increasing, until he became Amir-i-Akhur [Lord of the Stables]. In that office, when the Sultans of Ghur, Ghaznin, and Bamian, advanced towards Khurasan to repel and contend against Sultan Shah, the Khwarazmi, Kutb-ud-Din was at the head of the escort of the foragers of the stable [department], and used, every day, to move out in quest of forage Unexpectedly [upon one occasion], the horsemen of Sultan Shah came upon them and attacked them. Kutb-ud-Din displayed great energy; but, as the horsemen [with him] were few in numbers, he was taken prisoner; and, by Sultan Shah's commands, was put under restraint.
183.1.4
When a battle took place between Sultan Shah and the Sultans of Ghur and Ghaznin, and the former was put to the rout, the Sultan Mu’izz-ud-Din's men brought Kutb-ud-Din, placed on a camel, in gyves of iron, as they found him, into the victorious Sultan's presence. The Sultan commended and encouraged him; and, after he returned to the seat of government, Ghaznin, the fief of Kuhram was committed to Kutb-ud-Din’s charge. From thence he advanced towards Mirath, and took possession of that place in the year 587 H. From Mirath likewise he issued forth in the year 588 H. and captured Dihli; and, in the year 590 H., Kutb-ud-Din proceeded, at the august stirrup of the victorious Sultan, along with the Sipah-Salar, ’Izz-ud-Din, Husain, son of Khar-mil, both of them being the leaders of the van of the army, and fell upon the Rae of Banaras, Jai-Chand, on the confines of Chand-wal and overthrew him. Subsequently, in the year 591 H., Thankir was taken; and, in 593 H., Kutb-ud-Din marched towards Nahrwalah, and attacked Rae Bhim Diw, and took vengeance upon that tribe [of people] for the Sultan-i-Ghazi[’s previous defeat]. He likewise subdued other territories of Hindustan, as far [south ?] east as the frontier of the territory of Ujjain; and Malik 'Izz-ud-Din, Muhammad, son of Ba^t-
183.1.5
Nahrwalah”] had appeared before Hansi. The governor of that tract, Nusrat-ud-Din, Salari, had been obliged to shut himself up within the walls, and to send to Kutb-ud-Din for aid. He flew to his assistance, marching the same night the news reached him twelve leagues. The enemy, hearing of his approach, decamped; but, being closely pursued, faced about, and were overthrown. Their leader was slain [Firishtah says he retired to Nahrwalah of Gujarat], and Kutb-ud-Din, having again placed Hansi in an efficient state, returned to Kuhram, and soon after made Dihli his head-quarters and the seat of government; but some authors state that he did not make it the capital until the following year, after taking Kol.
183.1.6
Kutb-ud-Din had soon to take the field again to support the son of Rae Pithora, who had been installed tributary ruler of Ajmir. The Sadr-i-’Ala, Kiwam-ul-Mulk, Rukn-ud-Din, Hamzah, who held the fief of Rantabhur, sent information that Bhim, also written Bhum, who is called Hiraj in some imperfect copies of the Taj-ul-Ma’asir, Hemraj by Firishtah, and Hamir by some others, brother of the late Rae Pithora, had broken out into rebellion; that the son of Rae Pithora, who is sometimes called [the?] Golah, but generally styled merely “the son,” was in great danger; and that the rebel was advancing against Rantabhur itself. Kutb-ud-Din marched from Dihli against him; but Bhiraj [or Hamir], on hearing of his coming, made off and took to the hills. Rae Pithora’s son [see Tod, who says his only son, Rainsi, did not survive him! He further states that Dow, mistaking the appellation of Pirt’hwiraja’s natural brother for a proper name, calls him Golah. The error is Firishtah’s, however, not Dow’s, in this instance], ruler of Ajmir, was, upon this occasion, invested with an honorary robe; in return he presented valuable offerings, among which were three golden melons [kettle-drums, in the shape of melons], and, in all probability, the very same as mentioned at page 404.
183.1.7
About this time, also, while Kutb-ud-Din was still absent from Dihli, its former Rae raised an army to make an effort against the Musalmans. He was pursued and defeated by Kutb-ud-Din, taken prisoner, and his head struck off and sent to Dihli. According to the Taj-ul-Ma’asir, Kutb-ud-Din, at this time, sent an account of his proceedings to his master, and was summoned to Ghaznin. As it was then the hot season, he waited until the beginning of the rains to set out for the capital. Having reached Ghaznin, and having been received with great honour yar, the Khalj, in his [Malik Kutb-ud-Din's] time, and and favour by the Sultan, he fell dangerously sick ; but subsequently recovered, and was permitted to return to Hindustan again, and the government was again conferred upon him.
183.1.8
Our author, under the reign of I-yal-timish [see next Section], also refers to this journey, but he says it took place after the expedition against Nahrwalah. It must have occupied some months; but, in the meantime, who acted as the Sultan’s lieutenant at Dihli? It would almost seem as though Kutb-ud-Din had been suspected of being too powerful, and that this summons to Ghaznin was to test his obedience and loyalty. One thing, however, is certain, from the account of Malik Baha-ud-Din, Tughril [page 544], and the mention of Malik Husam-ud-Din, Aghul-Bak, and others [page 549], that there were powerful chiefs left by the Sultan in Hindustan who held fiefs independent of Kutb-ud-Din. It was on this occasion, on his return to Dihli by way of Gardaiz and Karman [which Dow, translating Firishtah, who is perfectly correct, renders "Persian Kirman," and adds, in a note, that it is "the ancient Carmania"!], that Kutb-ud-Din espoused the daughter of Taj-ud-Din, I-yal-duz. This journey Firishtah, who constantly quotes the Taj-ul-Ma’asir, mentions as taking place in 592 H.
183.1.9
After remaining a short time at Dihli, Kutb-ud-Din marched from it in 590 H., crossed the Jūn, and took the strong fortress of Kol after an obstinate resistance, and acquired great booty. It was after this, according to some histories, including the Tabakat-i-Akbari, — a work compiled from the best authorities, — that Kutb-ud-Din made Dihli the seat of his government ; but the Taj-ul-Ma’asir seems to imply, but not exactly expressing it, that Dihli was made the seat of government in 588 H., although, by its own account, the Hindu ruler “was allowed [in that year] to hold it upon the same terms as Ajmir was held,” already mentioned.