The Nāṣirī Generations 265.5

265.5

In the city of Hirat, to the gate of which [another] Mughal force had advanced—as has been previously recorded—there was a Khwajah, whom they were wont to style the Khwajah Fakhr-ud-Din-i-’Abd-ur-Rahman, the ’Ibrani [Hebrew] Banker, a Khwajah of vast opulence, and held in great respect ; and, on this occasion, he held out the city of Hirat for some days. Malik Mubariz-ud-Din, the Sabzwari, having evacuated and fled from the fortress of Firuz-koh, had arrived at Hirat, and they [the inhabitants] had made him commander of the forces of Hirat. They related on this wise that, when the Mughals The Nu-yan, Iljidae, in due course reached the river of Hirat, where he halted for the period of one month in order to prepare for undertaking operations, and make ready the catapults and other warlike engines. From the neighbouring places, previously indicated by the Chingiz Khan himself, which had submitted to the Mughal yoke or had been subdued, he obtained assistance and war materials; and, in a short space of time, from the confines of Khurasan, the territories of Balkh, and the highlands of Shiwarghan, some 50,000 horse and foot, of the people of the country compelled to serve, arrived to aid in the siege. On the other hand, they were not idle in Hirat; and Malik Mubariz-ud-Din prepared for a vigorous defence. All the people, high and low, great and small, bound themselves by most solemn pledges not to do as was done on the former occasion, but to fight while life remained.