The Nāṣirī Generations 263.3.5

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.