[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate) › [Ṭabaqāt-i Nāṣirī](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri) › [Tabakat-i-Nasiri](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty) › 244.7 # The Nāṣirī Generations 244.7 Tabakat-i-Nasiri 244.7 - **Language:** English ### [244.7.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.244.7.1) The both armies \[the Sultan's and the rebels’\] came into near proximity to each other in the vicinity of Samanah and Kaithal, and all were in expectation of an engagement, when the intriguing among the turban-wearers \[i. e. ecclesiastics\] of the capital, Dihli, indited letters to Malik ’Izz-ud-Din, Balban-i-Kashlu Khan, and Malik Kutlugh Khan, and entreated them, saying: “The gates of the city are in our hands : it behoveth you to move towards the city, for it is denuded of troops. You are among the servants and supporters of the sublime Court, and are nothing alien intervening. When you shall come hither, and shall attach yourselves to the service of the exalted throne of sovereignty, Ulugh Khan, with that army \[now with him\], will remain outside, and affairs will come to pass according to desire; and this, which is stated \[herein\], will be rendered easy and brought to pass.” ### [244.7.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.244.7.2) A number of persons among the loyal adherents of the Sultan’s Court, and well-wishers of Ulugh Khan-i-A’zam’s service, on becoming aware of this hostility and design of theirs \[the turban-wearers’\], with all despatch, wrote a statement and sent it to Ulugh Khan-i-A’zam, and, from Ulugh Khan-i-A’zam, a representation reached the sublime throne, to the effect that the disaffected parties should be expelled from the city, the whole of which circumstances are recorded in the account of the reign of Sultan Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah,—whose glory God preserve!—and, in the details thereof, the names of the persons concerned are mentioned. May Almighty God overlook their enmity, and cause them to repent of it ! ### [244.7.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.244.7.3) During this state of affairs while the two armies were in close proximity to each other, a person of a certain name, whom they were wont to call the son of so-and-so, came \[to Ulugh Khan’s camp\] as a spy on the part of Malik ’Izz-ud-Din, Balban-i-Kashlu Khan, and made out that he was come to present himself to Ulugh Khan-i-A’zam, and \[pretended\], on the part of the Maliks and Amirs who were supporting Malik Balban-i-Kashlu Khan, to represent that they all desired to make their submission in Ulugh Khan’s presence, and that, if a deed of immunity were granted, and the right hand pledged, assurance given, and means of subsistence and a fief assigned to himself who had presented himself before Ulugh Khan, he would bring over all the Maliks and Amirs of Malik Balban-i-Kashlu Khan's party, and cause them to be ranged on the series of the other servants \[of the state\]. ### [244.7.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.244.7.4) As Ulugh Khan-i-A’zam, in secret, had become cognizant of the bent of that individual, he commanded that the whole of the troops should be paraded before him, in such wise that he might behold the whole force with their armament, their numbers, their efficiency, and the elephants, and horses in defensive armour. Then Ulugh Khan-i-Azam directed that a letter should be written secretly and clandestinely to the Amirs and Maliks of Malik Balban-i-Kashlu Khan's party saying: “Your communications have come under observation, and the purport thereof has been understood. There is no doubt that, if, in an obedient manner, you shall present yourselves, fiefs and suitable subsistence will be assigned to you; indeed even more; and, if the contrary should happen, on this day it will be manifest and evident unto mortals what the upshot of each one's affairs will come to by the wound of the flashing sword and flaming spear, and, when confounded and humbled, bound in the bonds of destiny, they are dragged to the foot of the sublime standards and banners.” When that letter, after the manner of honey mixed with gall, a sting with sweet drink, and graciousness with rigour, was written, and that person went back again, and related to Malik Balban-i-Kashlu Khan — The Almighty have him in His keeping! — all that he had seen and heard, those having an insight into the human mind will conceive to what the state of antagonism between the Maliks and Amirs and the agent \[deputed\] would reach. ### [244.7.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.244.7.5) In the meantime the letters from the city of Dihli reached them, and Malik Balban-i-Kashlu Khan, and Malik Kutlugh Khan turned their faces towards the capital, but returned again from thence without having effected their object \[as previously narrated\]. Two days subsequently, their design became known to Ulugh Khan-i-A'zam, and he became disturbed in mind as to how affairs might be \[going on\] at the Court, and before the throne of sovereignty, when, after the happening of this strange circumstance \[the arrival of the spy in his camp\] letters reached him from the city. He set out for the capital, and reached it safe and prosperous under the protection of the Creator, and under the Divine guardianship and keeping, on Monday, the 10th of the month of Jamadi-ul-Akhir, 655 H. The royal troops continued at the city of Dihli for a period of seven months, until, in the month of Zi-Hijjah of the before mentioned year, an army of infidel Mughals arrived in the territory of Sind, and the head of those accursed ones was the Nu-yin, Sari. Since Malik Balban-i-Kashlu Khan had brought a Shahnah \[Intendant\] of that people thither, as a matter of necessity, he had to go to them, and they \[the Mughals\] dismantled the defences of the citadel of Multan. ### [244.7.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.244.7.6) On intimation of this reaching his august hearing, Ulugh Khan-i-A’zam represented for the consideration of the sublime Court, that it was advisable that the royal standards of the kingdom, conjoined with victory and triumph, should move from the capital. It was the year 656 H., and, on the 2nd of the month of Muharram of that year, the sublime standards, under an auspicious horoscope, moved out from the capital, and the Sultan’s tent was set up outside, in sight of the city of Dihli. In consultation with Ulugh Khan-i-A’zam, mandates were at once issued and despatched to all parts of the country, to the great Maliks and Lords of the kingdom, and on the confines, directing them all to turn their faces towards the capital, and, in the greatest possible state of efficiency, present themselves \[with their contingents\] at the sublime threshold. On the 10th of the month of Muharram, within the tent of sovereignty, which in victory and triumph be ever set up, and the ropes of its prosperity be secured with the pegs of stability! — this suppliant, by command, delivered an exhortation, with the object of stimulating to holy warfare, and the merit of fighting against infidels, and efforts to defend the glories of Islam, and serve the sublime Court, by obeying the orders of the legitimate commanders — May God increase the execution of His commands ! ### [244.7.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.244.7.7) — and Ulugh Khan-i-Azam, with a body of troops in array, and attended by a numerous equipage, in association with the august stirrup of sovereignty, issued forth. All the Maliks joined \[with their contingents\], and all the troops united. ### [244.7.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.244.7.8) When intimation of this concentration reached the accursed \[Mughals\] and their camp, they did not advance beyond the frontiers which they had assailed and ravaged, and evinced no further audacity; but it was considered advisable that the army, for a period of four months, or even longer, should remain concentrated within sight of the city. Bodies of horse \[during this period\] used to go out in various directions, and make holy war upon the independent \[Hindu\] tribes, until, when news of the withdrawal of those accursed \[Mughals\] arrived, and the heart was freed of the sedition of that gathering, \[the Hindus’\] a number of intelligencers brought to the blessed hearing of Ulugh Khan-i-A’zam that, probably, Taj-ud-Din, Arsalan Khan-i-Sanjar from Awadh, and Kutlugh \[Kulich?\] Khan, Mas’ud-i-Jani, on account of their having delayed in joining the Sultan’s camp, were, in consequence, in a state of apprehension, and in their minds thoughts of contumacy were presenting themselves. Ulugh Khan-i-A’zam submitted to the notice of the sublime Court that, before that party acquired feathers and wings, and, through the fear they were in, should take a flight into the air of contumaciousness, it was advisable that time should not be given them, and that this fire should be speedily smothered. ### [244.7.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.244.7.9) In conformity with the prudent advice of Ulugh Khan-i-A’zam, notwithstanding it was the time of the hot season, and that the army of Islam, on account of the advance of the accursed Mughals, and guarding the frontiers, had experienced trouble, still, as there was expediency in moving, on Tuesday, the 6th of the month of Jamadi-ul-Akhir, 656 H., the sublime standards departed towards the country of Hindustan and advanced, march by march, as far as the boundaries of Karah and Manik-pur. Ulugh Khan-i- A’zam made such exertions in chastising the seditious Hindus and harassing the Ranahs as cannot be conceived. On his reaching that territory \[Karah and Manik-pur\], Arsalan Khan-i-Sanjar and Malik Kutlugh \[Kulich?\] Khan, Mas’ud-i-Jani, got away, and out of necessity sent away their families and dependents among the independent \[Hindu\] tribes, and despatched confidential persons to the presence of Ulugh Khan-i-A'zam asking that he should make a representation before the exalted throne and explain the necessity they were under of withdrawing, and to supplicate that the sublime standards might be directed to return towards the capital on the stipulation that, when the royal standards should reach Dihli, the illustrious capital, Arsalan Khan-i-Sanjar and Kutlugh \[Kulich?\] Khan, both of them, should present themselves in attendance at the sublime Court, the Asylum of the Universe. ### [244.7.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.244.7.10) When Ulugh Khan-i-Azam made this representation, the sublime standards returned towards Dihli, and, on Monday, the 2nd of the month of Ramazan, 656 H., the illustrious seat of government was reached. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.244.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.244.7) · Pramāṇa