The Nāṣirī Generations 256.6.6

256.6.6

creased his forces, and his war materials accumulated; and, shortly after, he despatched an army under the command of his general, Arbaz [this name is also mentioned by our author: “Imuz” is not correct] towards the Khwarazm territory, in order to sack and devastate the rustaks [a word particularly applied in Khwarazm to villages or collections of huts or felt tents, in distinction from the words dih and karyah used in ’Irak and Khurasan]. His troops created great havoc, and Itsiz, Sultan of Khwarazm, despatched an envoy to the Gur Khan to sue for peace, and agreed to pay allegiance to him for the future, and a yearly tribute of 30,000 dinars besides cattle, flocks, and other things. On this accommodation having been entered into, Arbaz retired; and soon after, in 537 H. [A.D. 1142-3], the Gur Khan died. He was of the Mani [Manichean] religion himself, but his wife was a Christian. It is stated in Alfi that he died in the month of Rajab of the following year. He was succeeded by his wife, as no son remained to him, but some authors distinctly state that his daughter succeeded. To judge, however, from the events which followed, it is very improbable that the daughter then succeeded her father, because the name of the husband of the female sovereign who ruled so long is given, and it is scarcely probable that the Gur Khan’s wife married again, without some mention of it being recorded, nor was it the custom, I believe, for widows to re-marry.