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The Nāṣirī Generations 204: Second Year: 645 H.

Tabakat-i-Nasiri 204

Language
English

Second Year: 645 H.

204.1

The capital city Dihli was reached on the 2nd of Muharram, 645 H., and the Sultan remained at Dihli on account of the abundance of rain and severity of the rainy season. In the month of Jamadi-ul-Akhir of this same year, the camp and the royal pavilion were pitched in the direction of Pani-pat, and, in Sha’ban, [the Sultan] returned again [to Dihli] ; and the sublime standards moved towards the part of Hindustan situated in the Do-ab. Within the limits of [the district] of Kinnauj there was a fortified place and strong fort, the name of which was Talsandah, which was reported to be as stout as the wall of Sikandar. In that fort a body of infidel Hindus sought a place of security, and washed their hands of their lives. For a period of ten days, the troops of Islam in attendance at the august stirrup carried on the conflict against that place with the Hindus until they despatched the whole of those rebels to hell, and the place was taken.

204.2

[An account of] this holy war, as by the faith prescribed, this servant of the realm has composed in poetry on five or six sheets of paper; and all that happened on this expedition—the ravages by the way, the onslaughts and the slaughtering of the contumacious infidels, and taking of that stronghold, the successes which attended Ulugh Khan-i-A’zam in the slaying [of infidels] and taking Dalki and Malki, are, in those sections [of paper], fully and completely described in verse, and, after the name of the Sultan, it was entitled the Nasirī Nāmah. In satisfaction thereof the author received from his Majesty the Sultan-i-Mu’azzam—may his sovereignty continue!—a permanent grant which should be received yearly; and, from the Khākān-i-Mu’azzam Ulugh Khān-i-A’zam—the Almighty prolong his power!—he obtained the grant of a village within the Hānsī province—may the Most High God preserve and continue the both of them on the seat of sovereignty and cushion of vicegerency! I now return to my Chronicle again.

204.3

On Thursday, the 24th of the month of Shawwāl, 645 H., that fort, after much fighting and great slaughter, was captured; and, after that, on Tuesday the 12th of the month of Zī-Ka’dah of the same year, the territory of Karah was reached. Thirty days previous to that, Ulugh Khān-i-A’zam, with the whole of the Maliks and Amīrs and forces appointed to serve under him, had been despatched on an expedition; and that lion-hearted Khān, of Rustam-like nature, like Suhrāb in battle, and of elephant-like person during that movement, showed such proofs of spirit and skill, as cannot be sufficiently praised, in important battles, the capture of strongholds and forts, making way through forests and wilds, the slaughter of obdurate infidels, the acquirement of booty and captives, together with making prisoners of the dependents of great Raes and Ranahs such as cannot be fully contained in the writing of the scribe nor the narrative of the detailer; a little has been rendered into verse in the book [entitled] the Nasiri Namah.

204.4

There was a Ranah in those mountains and that tract [of country] which they were wont to call Dalki and Malki with numerous dependents, and fighting men beyond compute, and possessing dominions and wealth unlimited, and strong places, and defiles and passes of excessive strength, the whole of which he [Ulugh Khan] devastated, and captured all the dependents, together with the women and children of that accursed one, and obtained great booty. Of one description of horses alone, fifteen hundred head fell into the hands of the Musalman forces, and, from this, one may infer the extent of other booty. After he [Ulugh Khan] thus felicitously had rejoined the sublime Court, all expressed exultation at these successes; and the imperial standards, on Thursday, the 12th of the month of Zi-Hijjah, 645 H., returned from that territory [Karah]. On this march, Malik Jalal-ud-Din, Mas'ud Shah, who was the feudatory of Kinnauj, and the Sultan's brother, presented himself at the Court. He accomplished [the ceremony of] kissing the sublime hand, and returned; and the army of Islam and the imperial standards, by regular marches, continued moving towards the illustrious capital, Dihli, until the