The Nāṣirī Generations 263.1.2

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].