The Nāṣirī Generations 263.1
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 263.1
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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.