The Nāṣirī Generations 185: III. MALIK [SULTAN] NASIR-UD-DIN, KABA-JAH, AL-MU'IZZI-US-SULTANI.
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 185
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III. MALIK [SULTAN] NASIR-UD-DIN, KABA-JAH, AL-MU'IZZI-US-SULTANI.
185.1
Malik [Sultan] Nasir-ud-Din, Kaba-jah, was a great monarch, and the slave of the Sultan-i-Ghazi, Mu'izz-ud-Din, Muhammad-i-Sam. He was endowed with very great intellect, sagacity, discretion, skill, wisdom, and experience, and had served Sultan Mu'izz-ud-Din many years in various departments of every sort of political employment, both important and subordinate, about the Court, in military affairs, and the administration of civil duties, and had acquired great influence. Malik Nasir-ud-Din-i-Aetamur, the feudatory of Uchchah, in the engagement at Andkhud—which took place between the Sultan-i-Ghazi, Mu’izz-ud-Din, and the forces of Khita, and the Maliks of Turkistan—displayed great valour before the stirrup of the Sultan, and fought against the infidels as by orthodox law enjoined, and despatched great numbers of them to hell. The Maliks of the army of Khita became dejected through the amount of slaughter inflicted [upon them] by Nasir-ud-Din-i-Aetamur, and they simultaneously came upon him, and he attained martyrdom. The Sultan-i-Ghazi reached his capital and the throne of Ghaznin in safety, from that disaster; and the government of Uchchah was entrusted to Malik Nasir-ud-Din, Kaba-jah.
185.2
He was son-in-law to Sultan Kutb-ud-Din, I-bak, through two daughters; and, by the elder daughter, he had a son—Malik ’Ala-ud-Din, Bahram Shah. He [Bahram Shah] was of handsome exterior and of good disposition, but addicted to pleasure; and, according to the way of youth, he had an excessive predilection for vice. In short, when Malik Nasir-ud-Din, Kaba-jah, after the catastrophe of Sultan Kutb-ud-Din, I-bak, proceeded to Uchchah, he possessed himself of the city of Multan, and Sindustan and Diwal, as far as the sea-coast. The whole he brought under his sway, and subjected the fortresses, cities, and towns of the territory of Sind, assumed two canopies of state, and annexed [the country to the eastward] as far as the limits of Tabarhindah, Kuhram, and Sursuti. He also took Lohor several times; and fought an engagement with the troops of Ghaznin which used to come [into the Panjab] on the part of Sultan Taj-ud-Din, I-yal-duz, as our author mentions ; but, after the defeat of I-yal-duz, and he had been put to death in captivity by I-yal-timish, Kaba-jah got possession of these territories again, and apparently as a tributary of I-yal-timish, or in some way subject. Our author leaves out here, but mentions in two lines, and under a wrong date, the first hostilities which arose between Kaba-jah and I-yal-timish under the latter’s reign. These hostilities arose in 613 H., many years before the defeat of Sultan Jalal-ud-Din, Khwarazm Shah, by the Mughals.
185.3
According to the Taj-ul-Ma’asir, Kaba-jah was tributary to I-yal-timish, and the tribute was in arrears. At the advice of his Wazir, I-yal timish marched from Dihli towards Lahor to enforce payment ; others say, and more probably, that it was for the possession of the province of Lahor— in Jamadi-ul-Awwal, 613 H. [The Tabakat-i-Akbari, Buda’uni, and some others, make a great blunder here. They state correctly enough that war arose between these two rulers about Lahor, and that Shams-ud-Din, I-yal-timish, was always victorious ; but add that, on the last occasion, in 614 H., Shams-ud-Din moved against him in person, and invested Uchchah, and then proceed to mention Kaba-jah’s death, which happened ten years or more after, thus confounding or mixing up the two events. Firishtah is completely at sea about these events in Kaba-jah’s life.] Kaba-jah with his forces was encamped on the Biah [the Bias of Europeans] to defend its passage. Arrived on its banks, I-yal-timish, on the 14th of Shawwal, began to cross with his army, without the aid of boats [this in Elliot, vol. ii. page 571, is called crossing the Indus !], at the ford near a village named Chambah [?] ; but we must remember that the present course of the Biah is not what it was then. In those days it separated into two branches at a village named Lowah-wal, one branch flowing by Kusur, Kabulah, Kha-e, and Hujrah-i-Shah Mukim, passed about a mile and a half N.W. of the fort of Dibal-pur, and fell into the river Ghara.
185.4
This branch was called Biah and Nalah-i-Biah ; whilst the other branch, flowing southwards, fell into the Sutlaj, as the Ghara, above its present confluence with the Biah, is called. One author, copied by Firishtah, states that this affair between Kaba-jah and I-yal-timish took place between Mansuriah and the banks of the Chinab, which seems very unlikely, being too far west. Kaba-jah, on witnessing this daring deed, according to the Taj-ul-Ma’asir, abandoned his position and fled towards “Luhawar,” whither he was pursued. His standard, kettle-drums, war material, and other booty to a vast amount, fell into the hands of his rival. After this disaster, Kaba-jah fled towards Uchchah, whither I-yal-timish appears not to have been then prepared to follow him. I-yal-timish remained some time at Lahor to arrange its affairs ; and, having published the news of his success in all parts, conferred the government of that ud-Din, Yal-duz, and was overthrown by the Khwajah, the Mu-ayyid-ul-Mulk, Muhammad-i-’Abd-ullah, the Sanjari, who was the Wazir of the kingdom of Ghaznin.
185.5
When [Sultan] Nasir-ud-Din, Kaba-jah, became quietly established in the territory of Sind during the calamities [attending the inroads] of the infidels of Chin, a great number of the chief men of Khurasan, Ghur, and Ghaznin presented themselves before him, and he bestowed upon the whole of them ample presents, and provided liberally for them. There used to be constant contention between him and the august Sultan, Shams-ud-Din, I-yal-timish, up to the time of the battle on the banks of the Sind, which was fought between Sultan Jalal-ud-Din, son of Sultan Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah, and Chingiz Khan, after which, Jalal-ud-Din, Khwarazm Shah, came into the land of Sind, and proceeded towards Diwal and Mukran. After the taking of Nandanah by the forces of the infidel Mughals, Turti, the Mughal Nu-in, with a large army, appeared at the foot [of the walls] of the city of Multan, and, for a period of forty-two days, closely invested that strong fortress. During that contest Malik [Sultan] Nasir-ud-Din, Kabajah, opened the door of his treasury, and conferred numerous benefits upon the people, and showed such proofs of boldness, ability, expertness, and courage that the mention thereof will endure upon the pages of time until the judgment day.
185.6
This affair of the fortress [of Multan] happened in the year 621 H.; and, one year and a half subsequently, the Maliks of Ghur, through the ravages of the Mughal infidels, joined Malik [Sultan] Nasir-ud-Din, Kaba-jah; and, in the latter part of the year 623 H., a body of [the tribe of] Khalj, a part of the Khwarazmi forces, acquired supremacy over the district of Mansurah which is [one] of the cities of Siwastan, and their head was Malik Khan, the Khalj. Malik [Sultan] Nasir-ud-Din, Kaba-jah, moved on to repel them, and a battle took place between the two armies, and the Khalj force was overthrown, and the Khan [Chief] of the Khalj was slain; and Malik [Sultan] Nasir-ud-Din, Kaba-jah, returned again to Uchchah and Multan.
185.7
In this same year likewise, the writer of this work, Minhaj-i-Saraj, reached the city of Uchchah from Khurasan by way of Ghaznin and Banian, by boat, on Tuesday, the 27th of the month Jamadi-ul-Awwal, in the year 624 H. In the month of Zi-Hijjah of the same year, the Firuzi College of Uchchah was committed to the charge of the author, together with the office of Kazi of the forces of ’Alā-ud-Dīn, Bahrām Shāh [the son of Sultān Nāsir-ud-Dīn, Kabā-jah] ; and, in the month of Rabī’-ul-Awwal of the same year 624 H., the august Sultān, Shams-ud- Dunya wa ud-Din [I-yal-timish] pitched his camp in sight because there can be no doubt but that the course of the Indus, at this part, has greatly altered during the lapse of upward of six centuries, and with respect to the fortress of Bhakar in particular, and its connexion with Sakar. To return to Uchchah however: some say it held out vigorously for a period of two months and twenty days; but, as it capitulated—some say it was taken—on Tuesday, the 29th—one author says the 22nd—of Jamadi-ul-Akhir—this must be incorrect, as, between the two dates given for the arrival of I-yal-timish and the fall of Uchchah, is a period of exactly four months. Our author, although present, can scarcely be depended upon, for here he says it occurred in 624 H., and under I-yal-timish’s reign says 625 H.
185.8
The author of the Tarikh-i-Sind, Mir Ma'sum, says that I-yal-timish marched an army against Kaba-jah in 624 H., but that the Wazir was left to carry out the investment, and I-yal-timish returned to Dihli; and that the place capitulated 28th of Jamadi-ul-Awwal, 625 H. On becoming aware of the fall of Uchchah, Kaba-jah despatched his son, 'Ala-ud-Din, Muhammad, Bahram Shah, to treat for an accommodation; but, although he was received with all outward marks of kindness, and matters had been discussed, he was not permitted to depart. As the Wazir was close at hand to invest Bhakar, Kaba-jah was alarmed; and, with the fate of Taj-ud-Din, I-yal-duz, before his eyes, threw himself on board a boat in order to escape, and was drowned by the sinking of the vessel on the 22nd of Jamadi-ul-Akhir, 625 H. According to the Taj-ul-Ma’asir, Kaba-jah, having been invested in Bhakar by the Wazir, and the place reduced to extremity, then despatched his son to I-yal-timish, with an offering of 100 laks of Dihli-wals [a coin so called], and 1000 dresses of different kinds; but, being alarmed at the detention of his son, shortly after, died of grief! He left treasures to the amount of 500 laks of Dihli-wals, 1000 large river boats, jewels and valuable pearls, inlaid vessels of silver and gold, costly garments and other valuable property, the whole of which was appropriated by I-yal-timish. What became of Muhammad, Bahram Shah, Kaba-jah’s son, is not known.
185.9
The Jami’-ul-Hikayat, a book of anecdotes, written about this period, and dedicated to the Wazir of I-yal-timish, states—but the statements contained in such works must be received with due caution—that I-yal-timish sent an army to repress the encroachments of Kaba-jah,” but does not mention Uchchah expressly, and adds, that “he, being unable to cope with this army, sent his forces to Bhakar in boats. The troops of Dihli reached Bhakar on the 10th of Rabi’-ul-Awwal, 625 H., and preparations for attack were made. It was, however, not made until near seven weeks after, on 1st of Jamadi-ul-Awwal; but Kaba-jah, driven from the outer walls, lost the town and had to retire to the fort.” This description, however, is not applicable to the island of Bhakar in its present extent. Kaba-jah is then said to have offered to capitulate, if he were allowed to send away his sons and his treasure. This was refused; and he, placing no faith in his conqueror [rival?], preferring death to surrender and captivity, cast himself from the walls into the water, on the night of Thursday, the 19th of Jamadi-ul-Akhir—one month and nineteen days after the first investment of the place.
185.10
As a specimen of the random manner in which history is often written, Buda’uni says that the Mughals invested Multan in 611 H., and that, in 624 H., Kaba-jah was made captive by Sultan Shams-ud-Din, “and took the road of the other world.” of Uchchah. Malik [Sultan] Nasir-ud-Din, Kaba-jah, discomfited, embarked on boats [with his troops and followers ?] and retired towards Bhakar ; and [a body of?] the Sultan’s forces, along with the Wazir of the State, the Nizam-ul-Mulk, set out in pursuit of him, and invested him within the fortress of Bhakar. Sultan Shams-ud-Din, I-yal-timish, remained encamped before the gate of the fortress of Uchchah for a period of two months and twenty-seven days. On Saturday, the 27th of the month, Jamadi-ul-Awwal, the citadel of Uchchah was given up. When the news of the capture of the place reached Malik [Sultan] Nasir-ud-Din, Kaba-jah, he sent his son, ’Ala-ud-Din, Bahram Shah, to the presence of the Sultan. Subsequent to his reaching the camp of the Sultan, on the 22nd of the month, Jamadi-ul-Akhir, information arrived of the taking of Bhakar ; and that Malik [Sultan] Nasir-ud-Din, Kaba-jah, had drowned himself in the river Sind, and the term of his existence was severed. The period of his rule in the land of Sind, and Uchchah, and Multan, was twenty-two years.