The Nāṣirī Generations 241: XXIII. MALIK NUSRAT-UD-DIN, SHER KHAN, SUNKAR-I-SAGH-I-LAKSUZ.
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 241
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XXIII. MALIK NUSRAT-UD-DIN, SHER KHAN, SUNKAR-I-SAGH-I-LAKSUZ.
241.1
Malik Sher Khan is a person consummately brave and sagacious, and distinguished for all princely qualities, and famed for all kingly accomplishments. He is the uncle's son of the Khan-i-Mu'azzam, Ulugh Khan-i-A'zam, and, in Turkistan, their fathers have been persons of importance, and among the families of the Ilbari [tribe] have borne the name of Khan, and, for their numerous clan and dependents, have been noted and renowned, each of whom will, Please God, in the account of that Malik of the Maliks of the universe, be separately mentioned. Sher Khan was the slave of the august Sultan [I-yal-timish] who purchased him; and he performed much service before the throne, and the signs of worthiness were indicated upon his brow. He served the Sultans of that dynasty much in every rank and degree; and, when he attained greatness, Sultan 'Ala-ud-Din, Mas'ud Shah, at the time he led an army from the capital towards Lohor with the object of repelling the army of infidel Mughals which was before the walls of the fortress of Uchchah, assigned to Malik Sher Khan the fortress of Tabarhindah and the whole of its dependencies as his fief. Afterwards, when the Karlughs wrested Multan out of the hands of Malik 'Izz-ud-Din, Balban-i-Kashlu Khan, Malik Sher Khan led an army from the preserved city of Tabarhindah towards Multan, and liberated it again out of the hands of the Karlughs, and placed therein Malik Ikhtiyar-ud-Din, Kurez.
241.2
Subsequently, upon several occasions, contention arose between Malik Sher Khan and Malik Balban, arising from their proximity to each other, as has been previously stated; and Malik Sher Khan wrested the fortress of Uchchah out of the hands of Malik Balban, and the whole of the territory of Sind came under the sway of Malik Sher Khan. When the Malik-i-Mu'azzam, Ulugh Khan-i-Azam, led a body of forces towards Nag-awr, and strife went on between Malik Sher Khan and him near the banks of the river Sind, Malik Sher Khan [retired from thence], and proceeded towards Upper Turkistan, and went to the Urdu [camp] of the Mughal, and presented himself at the Court of Mangu [Ka'an], He returned with honour from thence, and set out towards Lohor. When he arrived in the neighbourhood of Lohor and these parts he joined Malik Jalal-ud-Din, Mas’ud Shah son of the august Sultan Shams-ud-Din, I-yal-timish. In the end, matters did not go on without disagreements between them, and Malik Jalal-ud-Din, Mas’ud Shah, retired in disappointment, and his dependents and followers fell into the hands of Malik Sher Khan’s train. After that affair, Malik Sher Khan endeavoured to gain possession of Tabarhindah [again], but, as Malik Taj-ud-Din, Arsalan Khan-i-Sanjar [the then feudatory], issued from the fortress [to oppose him], Malik Sher Khan was under the necessity of withdrawing again.
241.3
Swift messengers went from the capital from the nobles, and a covenant and pledges were entered into, and Malik Sher Khan proceeded and presented himself at Court. Malik Taj-ud-Din, Arsalan Khan, likewise came to the capital, and [the fief of] Awadh was assigned to him, and Tabarhindah was [again] committed to Malik Sher Khan, with the whole of the territory and fiefs which he had previously held. For some time he remained upon that frontier during which contention used to go on between him and Malik 'Izz-ud-Din, Balban-i-Kashlu Khan, as on former occasions. A mandate was issued from the sublime Court so that Malik Sher Khan returned to the capital; and, in order to avert strife on the frontier, the fief of Tabarhindah was entrusted to the charge of Malik Nusrat Khan, Sunkar-i-Sufi. The territory of Kol and Bhianah, and Balaram, Jali-sar, Baltarah, Mihir and Mahawan, and the fortress of Gwaliyur, which is among the most famous strongholds of Islam, were placed in Malik Sher Khan's charge; and there he still is, up to the date that these pages were written, in the month of Rajab, 658 H. May the Most High God long preserve the Sultan-i-Mu'azzam upon the throne of sovereignty!