The Nāṣirī Generations 267: ACCOUNT OF THE EVENTS WHICH HAPPENED IN GHUR, GHARJISTAN, AND FIRUZ-KOH.
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 267
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ACCOUNT OF THE EVENTS WHICH HAPPENED IN GHUR, GHARJISTAN, AND FIRUZ-KOH.
267.1
The city of Firuz-koh which was the capital and seat of government of the Sultans of Ghur, the Juzbi Ughlan with the Mughal forces [under him] appeared before, in the year 617 H., and for twenty days and more attacked it vigorously, but retired without having effected their purpose. The people of Firuz-koh showed opposition towards Malik Mubariz-ud-Din, the Sabzwari [who was in charge], and rose against him; and he was under the necessity of entering the upper fortress, which is situated to the north-east of the city, upon a lofty and overhanging mountain. During the time of the Sultans of Ghur there was no more upon that spot than a great kasr [castle], and it used to be impossible for laden beasts to get there; but, at this period, that Malik Mubariz-ud-Din, the Sabzwari, had restored and enlarged that fortress, he had carried a rampart all round the top of that mountain, and had made a road to that fortress so that laden camels used to go up to it, and a thousand men could find quarters therein.
267.2
When disagreement arose between the people of Firuz-koh and Malik Mubariz-ud-Din, the Sabzwari, and the latter took up his quarters in the upper fortress, the people wrote letters to Malik Kutb-ud-Din, Husain—may he rest in peace!—and solicited him to come thither. Malik Kutb-ud-Din, Husain, with the forces of Ghur, proceeded to Firuz-koh, and Malik Kutb-ud-Din, Husain, located his uncle’s son, Malik ’Imad-ud-Din, Zangi, Ba’lami, at Firuz-koh, and this circumstance happened in the year 618 H. When the forces of the infidel Mughal, under Uktae, moved from Ghaznin and advanced towards Giur, a body of troops [from that army] pushed on, suddenly and unexpectedly, and fell upon Firuz-koh. Malik ’Imad-ud-Din, Zangi, they martyred in the year 619 H. ; and the people of the city were martyred also. Malik Mubariz-ud-Din, the Sabzwari, evacuated the [upper] fortress, and came to Hirat, and there attained martyrdom ; and the city of Firuz-koh was wholly destroyed. The fortress of Tulak, however, of which Amir Habashi-i-Nezah-war [the expert at the lance] on the part of Sultan Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah — on whom be peace ! — was governor, did not fall into the hands of the Mughals. The fortress of Tulak is a fortification totally unconnected with any adjoining mountain, and the foundation of it dates from the time of Manuchihr, and Arash, the Archer [then] held it.
267.3
In the upper part of it are chambers hewn in the solid rock which they call Arashi [after Arash], and Amir Nasr, the Tulaki, sunk a well, in the upper part of the fortress; and the diameter of the well will be about twenty gaz [ells], and it is excavated in the solid rock. The water, however much is drawn from it, shows no decrease, and its depth is immense. The fortress is of great strength, and lies between Ghur and Khurasan. When Sultan Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah, came to Balkh, Habashi-i-Nezahwar, with the troops of Tulak, proceeded to Balkh also, and presented himself before the sublime threshold [of that monarch]. He was directed to return to Tulak, and put the fortress in order and make preparation for opposing the Mughals. After he returned from thence, in the beginning of the year 617 H., on several occasions, bodies of Mughal horsemen came to the foot of the fortress, and made raids in its neighbourhood; and, in the year 618 H., the Nu-in, Fiku, who was a son-in-law of the Chingiz Khan, and who commanded a force of 40,000 Mughal cavalry, and troops of other races, appeared at the foot of the fortress of Tulak with a numerous army.
267.4
Amir Habashi-i-Nezah-war agreed with him that he would become tributary to the Mughals; and came down from the fortress and paid homage to him, and returned to it again. The subsidy which he had assented to, Habashi-i-Nezah-war apportioned among the people of Tulak, and enforced its payment rigorously. This Habashi-i-Nezah-war, in his younger days, in the beginning of the reign of Sultan Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah, was a common man, a Nishapuri, and a maker of sacks; and, in Khurasan and Khwarazm, there never has been one so skilled in the use of the lance as he. This has been heard oftentimes from his own lips, — “If, upon occasion, I should lie down on my back upon the ground, and take a staff in my hand, I would defend myself against four men with spears.” In short, he was a very excellent man, and his good works were many, and his charities countless. At this time, however, through his having apportioned this subsidy among them, the whole Tulaki people decried him, and considered themselves oppressed in the collecting of it. One of the clever, of that time, composed a verse, and, as it is witty, it has been here inserted in order that it may come under the observation of the sovereign of Islam, and that the people of the Tulak district may be remembered with an invocation. The Khwajah, and Imam, Jamal-ud-Din, the Khazinchi—on whom be the Almighty’s mercy!—says:
267.5
“I said: ‘Habashi, Nezah-war! what is this wrong? What have the Tulakis to do with rack and prison?’ He replied: ‘I am a leather-worker and Fiku a dog: The dog knows and the leather-worker knows what the wallet contains.’” The inhabitants of Tulak, both the soldiery and the peasantry, having suffered extortion [at his hands], revolted against him, seized him, and delivered up the fortress of Tulak and Habashi-i-Nezah-war to Malik Kutb-ud-Din Husain, in order that he might take charge of it, who came to the fortress of Tulak, and he located therein his own son, Malik Taj-ud-Din, Muhammad; and the maternal uncle of the writer [of this work], which is Minhaj-i-Saraj, and whose name was Kazi Jalal-ud-Din-i-Majd-ul-Mulk Ahmad-i-’Usman, Nisawi, was Hakim [governor], and the Khwajah [Jamal-ud-Din?] directed its affairs. After Habashi-i-Nezah-war fell into the power of Malik Kutb-ud-Din, Husain, the latter for a time kept him in confinement, and, at length, gave him permission to proceed to the fortress of Fiwar. The Malik of that fortress was the Pahlawan, Asil-ud-Din, the Nishaburi, and he seized Habashi-i-Nezah-war and martyred him.
267.6
When the fortress of Kal-yun fell into the hands of the infidels [the Mughals], the inhabitants of the fortress of Tulak, who were also kinsmen of the Khwajah, and fifteen heads of families, also kinsmen of each other, entered into a compact together, in the year 619 H., and caused the Khwajah to be martyred, and sent the son of Malik Kutb-ud-Din, Husain, back to the presence of his father. For a period of four years, they [the Tulakis] waged war against the Mughal infidels a great many times, and the author of this work, which is Minhaj-ud-Din-i-Saraj, during these four years, used to join the people of Tulak, who were all kinsmen and brethren, in their holy warfare, and, in the end, it continued safe from the hands of the infidels. After the people of Tulak became disobedient to the authority of Malik Kutb-ud-Din, Husain, he determined upon retiring into Hindustan, in the year 620 H., and the fortress of Tulak remained unmolested.
267.7
Subsequently to these events, the author of this work chanced, upon two occasions, to undertake journeys into the Kuhistan on the subject of a mission: the first time, in the year 621 H., and, on the second occasion, in 622 H. Afterwards, in the year 623 H., on the part of Malik Ruknud-Din, Muhammad-i-’Usman, the Maraghani, of Khaesar [of Ghur], the author proceeded to the presence of Malik Taj-ud-Din, Binal-Tigin, the Khwarazmi; and, in the same year, on the part of Malik Taj-ud-Din, Binal-Tigin, he went on another mission to the Badshah of the Kuhistan, to Neh and to Sistan. After this the author set out [on his journey] towards Hindustan. Taj-ud-Din, Binal-Tigin [subsequently?], came to Tulak, and the people of that fortress paid obeisance to him, and he removed [some of?] them to Sistan. In the disaster of Sistan, they all attained martyrdom, and [the remainder of?] that people continued there [at Tulak]. The Amir of Tulak [at that time?] was Hizabr-ud-Din, Muhammad, son of Mubarak, and he went to Kyuk Khan, and, up to this present day, his children hold that fortress.