The Nāṣirī Generations 244.6.8

244.6.8

Ulugh Khan-i-A’zam moved from Dihli on Thursday, the 15th of the month of Jamadi-ul-Awwal, 655 H., and pushed on with the utmost expedition to the limits of Kaithal; and Malik ’Izz-ud-Din, Balban-i-Kashlu Khan and Malik Kutlugh Khan were in that vicinity. When they drew near towards each other — all brethren and all friends of each other, two hosts of one dynasty, two cavalcades of one Court, two armies of one habitation, two wings of one main body — never could there be a case more wonderful than this ! All were cronies of one purse, and messmates over one dish, between whom, Satan, the accursed, disclosed such discord. A gang of demon-natured men, for their own carnal objects, and of their infernal malignity, were sowing dissension among those brethren and were raising the banner of sedition, and, for the aggrandisement of their own affairs, were setting things by the ears. Ulugh Khan-i-A'zam, in accordance with his own wise policy, was keeping his own personal followers together with those of Malik Sher Khan-i-Sunkar, who was his brother and the son of his paternal uncle, separate from the troops of [the contingents forming] the centre of the Sultan’s forces, and Malik Saif-ud-Din, I-bak-i-Kashli Khan, the Amir-i-Hajib, who was his own full brother, with the Maliks of the Court, and the [contingent] troops of the centre, and the elephants, separate also, in such wise that those two columns of the army were appearing like two efficient and distinct hosts.