The Nāṣirī Generations 265.3

265.3

Uktae reached a place situated between Ghur and Ghaznin which they [the people] call Pul-i-Ahangaran [the Blacksmiths' Boundary], near unto Firuz-koh, and there Uktae pitched his camp. From thence he nominated the Juzbi, Sa'di, and the Juzbi, Mankadhu, and several other Nu-ins, with a large force, to proceed into Sistan, and the Nu-in Abkah, who was the Chingiz Khan's personal Manjaniki [Engineer — head of the catapult workers], and in whose corps were 10,000 Mughal Manjanikis, was despatched against the fortress of [the] Ashiyar of Gharjistan. Uktae likewise sent the Nu-in, Ilji, into the hill-tracts of Ghur and Hirat. In short, Shahnahs [Intendants] and bodies of troops were appointed to proceed into every part of Ghur, Khurasan, and Sistan ; and, during the whole of that winter, those bodies of troops from the Mughal forces, which had entered into those different territories, carried slaughter into all the townships and villages thereof. When information had reached the Chingiz Khan of the slaying of the Mughal Shahnahs, he commanded, saying: "From whence have these people whom I have killed come to life again? On this occasion my commands are on this wise, that the heads of people shall be separated from their bodies, in order that they may not come to life again." Consequent upon this, they [the Mughals] devastated all the cities of Khurasan, a second time.