The Nāṣirī Generations 263: ACCOUNT OF THE CAPTURE OF THE CITIES OF KHURASAN, AND THE MARTYRDOM OF THEIR INHABITANTS.
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 263
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Contents
ACCOUNT OF THE CAPTURE OF THE CITIES OF KHURASAN, AND THE MARTYRDOM OF THEIR INHABITANTS.
263.1.1
Trustworthy persons relate after this manner, that the Chingiz Khan had four sons. The eldest of them was named Tushi, the next younger than he was named Chaghatae, the third was called Uktae, and the fourth, who was the youngest of all, was named Tuli. When the Chingiz Khan marched from Mawara-un-Nahr into Khurasan, he despatched Tushi and Chaghatae, with a large army, towards Khwarazm, Khifchak, and Turkistan; and Tuli was nominated to proceed, with a numerous army, towards the cities of Khurasan; and Uktae, the Chingiz Khan kept near himself. In the year 617 H., Tuli turned his face from the [great camp at the Pushtah-i-Nu’man towards the city of Marw, and took that city, and martyred its inhabitants. From thence he advanced to Nishapur, which, after much fighting, captured the fortress of Jand, which was near Tus, and likewise massacred the inhabitants. In the work entitled “The Mongols Proper,” these proceedings, under the names “Thus” and “Kuhustan,” are wrongly attributed to Tuli Khan, who never went near those places.
263.1.2
In the meanwhile Tuli marched towards Marw, but, before doing so, he sent requisitions into the different parts adjacent, which had submitted to the yoke, such as Sarakhs, Abiward, and some other towns, to levy men to assist in his operations against their fellow-countrymen, so that, besides his army, some 70,000 men were brought together. After demolishing some few small forts and places on his route, and drawing near Marw, according to the Mughal custom, he despatched a body of 400 horse to reconnoitre. This force, having advanced during the night, fell upon an encampment of ilats, or nomads, and on making investigation found it was an encampment of Saljuk Turkmans, then preparing to make a raid upon the environs of Marw. How these Turkmans happened to be there at this time I must briefly explain, for the details are very long. At this period Marw-i-Shah-i-Jahan—a different place from Marw-ar-Rud was one of the largest, wealthiest, richest, and most populous cities of Asia [a place, or rather that which has taken or stands in its position, which, at this moment attracts, and, for some time past, has attracted the serious attention of those patriotic Britons, who would not see the hordes of another Chingiz dominant over Asia and Eastern Europe to the mortal injury of British interests both in India—which they do not desire to see “perish and in Europe].
263.1.3
Sharaf-ud-Din, Muzaffar, who bore the title of Majir-ul-Mulk, was one of the great men of Sultan Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah's court, and carried his head very high, because his mother, who had occupied a subordinate position in the Sultan's haram, when she was conferred in marriage on the reputed father, who was made a mushrif [clerk or accountant in a treasury] on that occasion, was said to be pregnant by the Sultan. The son whom she bore, in time, rose to a high position, and had been a Wazir, and Hakim of Marw and its dependencies. He had, however, for some reason, been removed, prior to the Mughal invasion, and another person, who bore the title of Baha-ul-Mulk, son of Najib-ud-Din, had been appointed in his stead, and the Majir-ul-Mulk, Sharaf-ud-Din, Muzaffar, consequently, returned to the presence of the Sultan. When the Sultan, dreading lest he might fall into the hands of the barbarian Mughals, proceeded towards Mazandaran, he gave directions to all his Amirs to secure the fortresses of Khurasan, and to have them garrisoned and provided with catapults and other war engines, so as to afford protection to the people around, while of such places as could offer no opposition the unfortunate Sultan recommended the inhabitants to submit to the invaders on their appearing, and so save their lives, and to trust to the upshot of events.
263.1.4
On this command being issued, the Baha-ul-Mulk removed all the valuable property [from Marw] to the fortress of Taj—the Rauzat-us-Safa, and Abu-l-Ghazi, Bahadur, have Yazar and Yaraz, respectively—whither he himself withdrew, and left a Deputy at Marw, while the people, all but those whom fate induced to remain, dispersed into various other places. It was at this crisis that the Nu-yans, Jabah [Yamah] and Swidae [Sahudah], with a large army, appeared before it, as already related, and the chief ecclesiastics, who had remained behind in Marw, afraid of the Mughals, sent a person to those leaders with presents, and tendered submission. They could not stay to he captured ; and, in order to take vengeance because the take possession, and so, contenting themselves with the presents and offerings, passed on without molesting Marw.
263.1.5
At this time, a predatory Turkman chief, named Buka, having concerted with a body of his clansmen, succeeded, unexpectedly, in throwing himself into Marw, and made himself Amir and Hakim, and a great number of the Sultan’s soldiery, and Turks of those parts, as well as other soldiers of fortune, gathered around him, so hostile were they to the Mughals. In the meantime, the Majir-ul-Mulk had left the Sultan in his retreat [Rauzat-us-Safa says, after the Sultan’s death] in one of the islands in the Caspian, and gained the fort of Sa’luk [in Gilan], the seneschal of which, Shams-ud-Din, ’Ali, received him with honour and reverence, and rendered him all assistance in his power. This enabled the Majir-ul-Mulk to collect a large force of Turks and Tajziks, and he marched to Marw, and took up a position in the garden facing the Dar-i-Sarrajan, or Gate of the Saddlers. A number of the chiefs of the Marghazi, who had formerly been in the Majir-ul-Mulk’s service, hearing of his arrival, flocked round him with the men of that tribe. Buka, however, would not admit the Majir-ul-Mulk, until the latter, by presents and promises, had gained over a great number of the inhabitants, who had gone and waited on him, and on this accession of strength, one day at noon, boldly proceeded towards the city, and entered it without opposition. Buka, out of necessity, now went and waited on him, and, with his followers, was enrolled among the rest of the Majir-ul-Mulk’s retainers.
263.1.6
The Majir-ul-Mulk, having now gathered around him followers and fighting men to the number of 8000, began to think of something more than a subordinate position. This raised the ire of the Shaikh-ul-Islam of Marw, Shams-ud-Din, Harisi, who began intriguing against him with a relative, the Kazi of Sarahs—which place the Mughals had obtained possession of, and left an Intendant at—in order, even at the cost of giving up Marw to the Mughals, to bring about the Majir-ul-Mulk’s downfall. Some informers brought this to the latter’s notice, and he accused the Shaikh-ul-Islam, who stoutly denied the charge. At last, a letter, in his own hand-writing, to the Kazi of Sarakhs, in reply to one of his own, the bearer having been intercepted by the way—some say, a letter of the Kazi to him—fell into the Majir-ul-Mulk’s hands, who at once requested the Shaikh-ul-Islam to visit him. On his arrival, he said: “What news hast thou from Sarakhs? and what are its people doing?” The Shaikh replied: “I have no cognizance of their affairs, and have no information respecting them.” The Majir-ul-Mulk threw his own letter towards him, saying, “There, read that!” and, seeing his own letter, he was utterly confounded.
263.1.7
The Majir-ul-Mulk, in a contemptuous manner, exclaimed, “Depart!” and the traitor was rising to do so when several chiefs closed with him, and with their daggers slew him, and then, dragging the corpse along by the heels, cast it into the market-place, and left it to the dogs, as all traitors to their country deserve. After this, the Majir-ul-Mulk began to detach troops to harry the vicinity of Sarahs; and the Baha-ud-Mulk [the Sultan’s governor], hearing of the state of affairs, and the predominance acquired by the Majir-ul-Mulk, came forth from the Hisar of Tak, and went to the Mughal Amirs in those parts [our author mentions how numerous bodies of Mughals were sent into Ghur and Gharjistan about this time], acquainted them with the state of affairs, and sought to obtain, through them, the charge of the territory of Marw agreeing to pay a certain amount yearly as tribute. His offers were accepted and he was sent to Marw, along with a body of Mughal troops. Arrived at Shahristan, the Baha-ul-Mulk indited a letter to the Majir-ul-Mulk, saying: “Some ill-feeling and distrust existed between us on account of a certain office, but that has vanished; and, as the power of the Mughals is such as cannot be coped with, wisdom and foresight alike demand that no other road save that of submission and obedience, should be traversed.
263.1.8
At this time 7000 Mughals and 10,000 levies are on the way to this part along with me and therefore regret and sorrow will follow aught save submission to them.” When the Majir-ul-Mulk received this communication, he became disturbed and astounded, in such wise, that his most trusted and confidential followers were for at once dispersing and seeking places of security. After a time, however, they advised him not to believe this statement of an interested person and a traitor, and that to abandon Marw would be an act of great folly. The messengers from the Baha-ul-Mulk were separated and questioned respecting the actual number of troops along with him, and, on their giving replies confirming the Baha-ul-Mulk’s statement, the Majir-ul-Mulk ordered both of them to be put to death, and despatched from Marw a body of 2500 Turk troops of the Sultan of Khwarazm, to drive off the Baha-ul-Mulk and his Mughal allies. When the Mughals found this, they secured the Baha-ul-Mulk, whose own followers now deserted him, and returned towards Tus where they struck off his head.
263.2.1
The body of Turk cavalry, detached by the Majir-ul-Mulk, pushed on as far as Sarakhs; and, on their appearance there, the Musalmans seized the Kazi, Shams-ud-Din, who had taken offerings to Jabah [Yamah] and Swidae [Sahudah], and had assumed the authority there, and made him over to a man whose father the Kazi had caused to be put to death unjustly, who slew him according to the law of retaliation. All noise respecting the Mughal armies now became suspended—it was the calm preceding the hurricane, however—and the Majir-ul-Mulk gave himself up to pleasure and revelry, drinking, and other unlawful acts. At this juncture, Ikhtiyar-ud-Din, a Turkman, who was Hakim of Amuyah, came to Marw, and reported that the Mughal forces were coming, that they had reached the Amu, and were then investing Kala’-i-Nau. Although the Majir-ul-Mulk received him with great distinction, nevertheless Ikhtiyar-ud-Din was hostile to him—on account of his remissness probably, at such a crisis—and he went and took up his quarters with the Turkmans. Soon after 800 Mughal horsemen came in search of Ikhtiyar-ud-Din, and threw themselves upon the Turkmans. At this juncture, Shaikh Khan, and Aghul, the Hajib, who arrived with 2000 men from the side of Khwarazm, laid an ambuscade for the Mughals, slew the greater part of them, and took sixty of them captive who were paraded about Marw, and then put to a cruel death.
263.2.2
Shaikh Khan, and the Hajib, Aghul, made no stay, and retired to the Dasht-i-Khurz, upon which the Turkmans chose Ikhtiyar-ud-Din as their head and ruler, entered into a covenant with him, left the service of the Majir-ul-Mulk, and contemplated taking the city out of his hands. He, however, got information of it, and prepared to defeat their design, upon which they, being hopeless of surprising Marw, went and pitched their camp on the banks of the river of Marw. They then began to plunder the villages around, and the suburbs of the city, up to its very walls, and to appropriate place, he martyred every person in Nishapur, desolated it, everything they could lay their hands upon. In the meantime, Tuli Khan, having drawn a levy of 70,000 men from Sarakhs, Nisa, Abiward, and other towns of Khurasan, which had submitted to the Mughal yoke, and incorporated them into his army, moved towards Marw. Having arrived in the vicinity, he sent in advance — so say the pro-Mughal historians — a body of 400 horse — much more probably 4000 — to reconnoitre, so that, in the night, they reached the banks of the Marw river, close to the khels of the Turkmans, and there they halted. There were 12,000 men there assembled for the purpose of making a raid in the vicinity of the city; and, in that dark night, each detachment of Turkmans, as they came up, totally unsuspecting the presence of such foes, were attacked unawares, in detail, and slaughtered;
263.2.3
and, during that night, the Mughals destroyed the whole of the 12,000 Turkmans, and Ikhtiyar-ud-Din is also said to have been killed. Now if the former only numbered 400 men, each man must have killed thirty on the average, and this they could scarcely have accomplished in the time, even had the Turkmans lain down quietly to be butchered like sheep, which they probably did not do. The whole 12,000 must have come by precisely the same road, just at the propitious time, and when the 400 Mughals had just finished the preceding detachment; and of course, in the stilly night, the cries and shouts, groans and screams, and the clash of arms could not be heard, and close to their khels too. All this is gross exaggeration, although contained in the Jahan-Kushae, the Rauzat-us-Safa, and several other pro-Mughal works. Having thus broken the back of their strength, the Mughals, next day, made for the encampments where were the families of the Turkmans, and early in the morning fell upon them and slew the whole — with the exception of some, who, while the slaughter was going on, threw themselves into the river of Marw, hoping to escape, and perished — male and female, young and old — who were butchered, to the number of 70,000 souls!
263.2.4
Now, at this rate of 400 men, each individual Mughal must, on the average, have killed, during the night and following day, just 230 souls, which is as incredible as it is ridiculous to expect any sane person to believe it, and, even assuming that these barbarian butchers numbered 4000, each one must have slain, on the average, thirty-two persons. Taking the fighting men at 12,000, and the average number of each family at from five to six persons, each furnishing one fighting man, 70,000 is not beyond the mark. The Mughals captured likewise 60,000 quadrupeds — oxen and camels — besides innumerable sheep, and proceeded to join Tuli’s camp. This account reads like a page out of Mr. Eugene Schuyler’s work, or a leaf from the annals of the "Christian" and "knightly warfare" in Asia Minor and European Turkey in 1878: the Turkmans of that day, like the Turkmans of this, were treated a la Kaufmann, and the whole proceedings were carried out in true "Circassian style." I would observe here, however, with respect to some strange theories respecting the origin of the name "Turkomen," in the "Geographical Magazine," for 1875, there would be some difficulty to find such a word in any oriental writer whosoever.
263.2.5
The day after this fearful slaughter, which is said to have taken place on the 1st of Muharram [which must be an error for the 11th or 21st, as Tuli was only despatched early in that month], 618 H. [25th February, 1221 A.D.], Tuli Khan, with his army arrived, and took up a position opposite the Shahristanah Gateway, which is mentioned in the "Masalik wa Mamalik" as situated near the great masjid, and commenced to assail the place. The Mujir-ulrazed the walls of the city, and having had a pair of oxen Mulk, who had made great preparations for its defence, distributed his treasures liberally among the troops, and used to send forth large bodies of men to make sallies upon the Mughals, in such wise, that, on the first day, in the course of one hour, more than 1000 Mughals were slain. Here it will be remarked how large bodies of Turks and Tajziks only kill 1000 Mughals, in about the time that 400 Mughals, by the writer’s account, would cut up a whole host.
263.2.6
At this show of resistance, Tuli, next day, attacked the place in person, at the head of 22,000 Mughals—but the Rauzat-us-Safa says, an army in numbers beyond all computation—and inflicted great slaughter on the defenders; and, in this manner, from morn to eve, for a period of twenty-two days, the fighting went on. The Tarikh-i-Jahan-gir, Habib-us-Siyar, and Jahan-Kushae, say the fighting only lasted for seven days, and that on the eighth the Majir-ul-Mulk sent to beg for quarter, but this statement is much the same as that of the 400 horsemen slaughtering 12,000 Turkman soldiers and 70,000 of their people. In the meantime, the vast population of Marw became reduced to great straits, and began to say among themselves, that there was no hope of resisting the Mughals. Besides this, many persons from Balkh, Samrkand, Bukhara, Khwarazm, and other places captured by the Mughals, had taken shelter in Marw; and these fugitives persuaded the Marwazis that the city must surely be captured at last, and that it was better to seek an accommodation, and thus prevent the shedding of torrents of Musalman blood. On the twenty-third day, therefore, the Majir-ul-Mulk was prevailed upon to despatch the Imam, Jamal-ud-Din, the chief ecclesiastic, who, attended by a body of the priesthood, came out of Marw, and sought the presence of Tuli Khan.
263.2.7
After presenting befitting the Imam offered, if the conqueror would promise to spare the lives of the inhabitants, and not destroy the city, to pay a ransom of 200,000 dinars, 30,000 Mar-wars of grain, 100,000 ambling horses, and 100 Hindu and Turk slaves, to receive a Mughal Shahnah or Intendant, and pay yearly taxes into the Khan’s treasury. Tuli accepted these offers, a dress of honour was conferred upon the Imam and those with him, and he was sent back to the city with that Khan’s reply. The next day, the Majir-ul-Mulk, attended by ten of his principal officers, placing faith in the word of a Mughal prince, and taking with him valuable offerings of all descriptions, came out of Marw, and proceeded to the audience tent of Tuli Khan. On his reaching the entrance, he was stopped by the Amirs of Tuli—the matter, of course, had been previously arranged—and he was required to give an assignment of 300 Mar-wars—each computed at an ass’s load—of dinars as an offering to the Badshah-Zadah [Tuli Khan], and another 100,000 dinars for themselves, on the wealthy people of the city, on which they would obtain from Tuli Khan a written deed of security for the lives of the inhabitants; and this they swore most solemnly to observe according to the rites of their belief. Willing to save the people, and again trusting the perfidious Mughals, the Majir-ul-Mulk, at once, gave an assignment on 100 great merchants of the city;
263.2.8
and sent a person of his own, with a party of Mughals, to receive the amount. The Mughals went and brought back with them the persons named, and, with the aid of the rack and other tortures, succeeded in extorting the money; and, besides these unfortunates, nearly 10,000 other persons were tortured to death. After this, the Majir-ul-Mulk was mutilated by having his ears, nose, and lips cut off—the fashion of the Sag-lab Montenegrin and Bulgarian “heroes” of the present day—and then yoked [to a plough], he had them driven over [the area on put to death. Orders were then issued by this fiend in human form to destroy the city, and massacre the inhabitants. The Mughals poured in, and continued to expel the inhabitants, whom they drove out into the plain. Four days were occupied in separating the males from the females, and then, after the selection of a few young females for captivity, and about 400 artisans, the whole of the remainder were butchered, and not a soul was left alive.
263.3.1
By the generality of writers it is said, that some 300 or 400 victims fell to the share of each Mughal butcher; and, although the number seems incredible, when we consider that the people of other cities were fugitives at Marw, and that the inhabitants of the towns and villages near had taken shelter within the walls, it is doubtless correct. The Sayyid, 'Izz-ud-Din of Nisa, and a number of clerks, were occupied during thirteen days and nights in recording the number of the slain, and the number, without accounting such as it was impossible to recognize, belonging to the city and neighbouring villages alone, it is said, amounted to a little over 1,300,000 souls. See page 281. After this, the walls and defences of this great city, after it had been thoroughly sacked, were demolished, and in such wise “that scarce a trace of it was left; and for a period of two hundred and nine years its desolation was such that its site did not afford sufficient shade for a wild beast,” after which, in 812 H., through the favour of Sultan Shah-Rukh, the son of Amir Timur, the Gurgan, the city was rebuilt.
263.3.2
Tuli Khan now bent his steps towards Nishabur; and, according to the Jahan-Kushae, when he had proceeded two marches on his way, fearing, probably, that enough blood had not been shed, with the instinct of a fiend, sent back a body of 2000 horse to slay all who might have crept out of holes and corners since his departure; and about 10,000 persons more were, in this wise, massacred. The Tarikh-i-Jahan-gir, however, states that, after sacking Marw, Tuli nominated the Amir, Ziya-ud-Din, 'Ali, one of its great men, who had been spared because he had retired previously from public life, and was dwelling in seclusion, to proceed thither, and remain there as governor of the desolated city and its dependencies, along with a Mughal Daroghah or Overseer, named Barmas—also styled Barmas and Barmias—over such of the inhabitants as might, from holes and corners, and other places of concealment, return to the city.
263.3.3
After the departure of the Mughal army towards Nishabur, about 5000 fugitives once more assembled, but their cup of misery was not yet full. A body of Mughals, who subsequently arrived there on their way to join Tuli, desired to have their share of slaughter, and so they required that every person in the place should bring out a skirt full of grain for them. By this stratagem all who did so were massacred; and this same detachment slew all they met with on the road to Nishabur. Soon after another body of Mughals, who had separated from the Nu-yan Jabah [Yamah] arrived, and they also put to death all who chanced to come in their way. There was still more misfortune in store for Marw. Some time after, an outbreak of Musalmans against the Mughals took place at Sarakhs, and the Amir, Ziya-ud-Din, 'Ali, set out to suppress it, and the Mughal, Barmas, or Barmias, the Overseer, moved outside Marw, with his following, taking with him the artificers and mechanics of the place, with the object, in case of need, of retiring to Bukhara. Those left within Marw imagined that he had heard news of the Sultan, Jalal-ud-Din's arrival, and that he was preparing to fly. which] the city [stood], in such wise that not a vestige of the buildings thereof remained.
263.3.4
Having finished with them [the inhabitants], and the city, and territory, Tuli's army, greater in magnitude than the previous one, notwithstanding the vast preparations they had made for defence, as previously narrated, became disheartened, and so no other remedy remained than to despatch the Kazi-i-Mamalik, Rukn-ud-Din, son of Ibrahim, to the presence of Tuli. On reaching his quarters, which was a considerable distance from the place, the Kazi besought security for the lives of the inhabitants, and tendered submission and payment of tribute, but all was of no avail, and he was dismissed. On Wednesday, the 12th [in some, the 2nd] of Safar, 618 H., early in the morning, the attack commenced, and was persisted in until the afternoon of the Friday, during which time, also, the Mughals had dammed up the water in the ditch in several places, so as to cause breaches in the walls. They then renewed the attack on all sides with greater vigour than before, and effected a lodgment on the top of the walls, where they were as bravely resisted ; but the defenders were being gradually forced back. A lodgment had also been effected near the Sher-ban gate ; and, during the Friday night, the walls and bastions became crowded with Mughals. On the following day they poured in through the gates, and began their work of plunder and massacre, while the people were still resisting at every favourable point. The Mughals made search for the Mujir-ud-Din [the Fakhr-ul-Mulk, Nizam-ud-Din, probably.
263.3.5
See note page 990, para. 11], and at last dragged him forth, and he, to make them put him speedily out of pain, was reviling and defying them, and they put him to death in the basest manner possible. Alfi says the defence was carried on for eight days, during which great numbers perished on both sides, and, on the ninth day, the city was taken by assault. The remainder of the inhabitants were now, as customary, driven out into the open country outside the city and slaughtered ; for it was directed, in order to avenge the death of the Gurgan, Taghachar, that Nishabur should be utterly destroyed, and no living creature, not even a dog or cat, was to be left alive. The daughter of the Chingiz Khan, the Khatun of Taghachar, with her own followers, afterwards [not before. The idea of her “ leading the avenging force at the head of 10,000 men,” as stated in the “ Mongols Proper,” is as absurd as the idea of “cutting off all the heads, and making separate heaps of men’s, women’s, and children’s heads ”] entered the place, and caused all that could be found, and any who might have crept out of concealment, to be slaughtered. Only forty — not so many as four hundred — who were mechanics and artisans, were allowed to escape, and they were carried off to Turkistan ; and in the time of Amir Timur their descendants were still dwelling there.
263.3.6
The walls, towers, and all the buildings of Nishabur were thrown down, and for seven days and nights the water of the neighbouring river, which had been dammed up for the purpose, was made to run over it, so as to sap whatever buildings remained — the greater number of houses were probably built of unburnt bricks — and bullocks and ploughs were brought, and its site was sown with barley, and the Mughal horses [some of them ?] fed with it when it sprang up. One Mughal officer and four Tajziks were left there to slay any persons who might have escaped the general massacre ! It is stated in the Tarikh-i-Khurasan, quoted by some of my authorities, that it took twelve days to number the slain, and that, without enumerating women and children, and such as could not be accounted for, the number recorded was 1,747,000 souls. With respect to this immense, and almost incredible, number of persons said to have been butchered by the Mughal advanced towards Hirat, and pitched his camp before the barbarians, we must understand that the people of the open country always sought shelter within the walled cities and towns. This fact, no doubt, tended to hamper their garrisons, and, from the quantity of food required for their subsistence, caused the early surrender of many very strong places that, otherwise, would have held out like the fortresses of Ghur and Gharjistan, as our author so graphically relates farther on.
263.3.7
The next movement of Tuli Khan was against Hirat. On reaching the verdant plain of Shabartu near that city, he despatched an agent, named Zanbur, demanding that the Amir who was governor on the part of Sultan Jalal-ud-Din, and the Kazi, the Khatib, and chief men of the city of Hirat, should come out and wait on him, and submit to the Mughal sovereign, and secure protection for their lives and property, lest the fate of Marw and Nishabur might be theirs also. The governor, Amir Shams-ud-Din, Muhammad, the Juzjani, and other Maliks therein, on hearing of the advance of the Mughals, had prepared to make a determined resistance, and all the approaches and defences were strongly guarded. The Tarikh-i-Jahan-gir, Rauzat-us-Safa, and Hafiz Abru, state, that there were 100,000 troops at that time in Hirat, but this is mere exaggeration for the glorification of the Mughals, as the sequel shows the contrary to have been the fact, but there certainly was a strong force there. When the envoy from Tuli Khan appeared before Amir Shams-ud-Din, Muhammad, and delivered his message, he forthwith ordered him to be put to death, saying at the same time: “Let not that day come for me to be subject to Mughal and Tattar infidels while breath remains in my body!” Next day, when intimation reached Tuli of the fate of his envoy, he was greatly enraged, and directed the troops to take up positions round about the city, and to slay every Harawi Tajik they could meet with.
263.4
For a period of seven days Malik Shams-ud-Din, Muhammad, opposed the Mughals with great valour, and inflicted heavy loss upon them, among those killed being several of the principal Amirs, and 1700 others of lesser note, besides common men. On the eighth day Tuli led the Mughals in person to the attack, and Malik Shams-ud-Din, Muhammad, sallied out, at the head of a large force, to encounter him, and an engagement ensued which was carried on with great obstinacy. The Mughals were so severely handled at last, that they were nearly giving way, when an arrow struck Malik Shams-ud-Din, Muhammad, and he fell from his horse, and then and there expired.
His fall caused division within the city, and the people became separated into two parties — those who were devotedly loyal to Sultan Jalal-ud-Din, and the soldiery, who were for vigorous resistance to the last, while the civilians, such as the Kazi and the ecclesiastics, the priesthood holding grants of land, and those to whom trade and their own selfish interests were all and everything, and patriotism nothing, who were for accommodation; and it will be noticed that, throughout these misfortunes, such persons invariably caused resistance to be abandoned, or they betrayed their people and their sovereign's interest for their own ends.
In the meantime, Tuli Khan, who had taken a great fancy to Hirat, and liked its climate and situation, did not wish to desolate it like other cities [and who, doubtless, had information of the state of affairs within, and the resistance likely to be offered], and whose ranks had been thinned, and were then drawn up facing the Firuzi — some say Firuz-abad — gateway, which, according to the “MASALIK WA MAMALIK,” was the most flourishing quarter of Hirat, rode forward on the ninth day, with 200 horse, to the edge of the ditch, and requested a parley. Then, removing his head-dress [some say helmet, others gate of that city, and the attack began, and catapults were placed in position in every direction.
Malik Shams-ud-Din, Muhammad, the Jurjani, and Malik Taj-ud-Din, the Juzjani, and other Amirs who were within the city, made preparations for resistance; but trustworthy persons have related after this manner, that the stone of every catapult, which they used to discharge from the city in the direction of the Mughal camp, used to go into the air, and again descend into the city.
The city of Hirat which Sultan Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah, sat down before, and, before which, he carried on hostilities for a period of eleven months before it was surrendered to him, the Mughals took up a position before, and, in the space of eight months, they captured that place which [in strength] was the barrier of Sikandar, and martyred the whole of the inhabitants [with few exceptions]. Persons, whose statements are to be depended upon, relate, that, in one quarter [part] of the city, 600,000 martyrs were counted. According to this proportion, in the whole four quarters of the city, twenty-four laks [2,400,000!] Musalmans were martyred. May the Almighty reward them!
When Tuli came to the determination of returning, he set at liberty some of those captives, and gave them a Shahnah [Intendant] and left him there, and commanded him to restore the city.