The Nāṣirī Generations 263.3.7

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.