The Nāṣirī Generations 269.1878

269.1878

Trustworthy persons have narrated, that, when the Chingiz Khan determined to advance from his camp at the Pushtah [hill] of Nu'man of Tal-kan of Khurasan towards Ghaznin, he left behind there his baggage and heavy materials, and his treasures, because it was impossible for wheeled carriages to be taken into the defiles and passes of Gharjistan, by reason of the very mountainous nature of that country, and the impracticability of the roads. When the Mughal army moved towards Ghaznin, only a small force was left behind for the protection of the heavy materials, baggage, and wheeled-carriages. The fortresses of Gharjistan of Khurasan were near by, namely, the fortresses of Rang, and Bindar [Pindar], Balarwan, Laghri, Siya-Khanah, Sabekji, and Ashiyar. The most of these fortresses are galleries on the faces of the mountains, in such wise that the rain falls upon the inhabitants of those strongholds, and springs of water flow forth in front of the galleries of [forming] these fortifications.
Within the fortress of Ashiyar was a Gharjah Amir of great determination and energy, and his name was Amir Muhammad, the Maraghani. As there was a vast amount of wealth, and also innumerable captives, and numerous horses, in the Mughal camp [at the Pushtah-i-Nu’man], Amir Muhammad-i-Maraghani, with a strong force, started from the fortress of Ashiyar, and seized upon as many wheeled carriages, laden with gold and other wealth, as he possibly could, from the Mughal camp, set a great number of captives free, and obtained possession of many horses. On one or two occasions Amir Muhammad performed such like feats of daring, and displayed similar determination.
When the Chingiz Khan set out from the territory of Gibari towards Turkistan, and despatched his son, Uktae, towards Ghur, Uktae, that winter, fixed his camp between Firuz-koh and Ghaznin, and sent out bodies of his forces in every direction, as has been previously recorded. The Nu-in Abkah, who was the Amir of 10,000 Manjanik-chis referred to above, and previously, says by what route it went, and no reference is made to it either under the reign of Kaba-jah or I-yal-timish. This army is said to have overrun the whole of the territories in question, and to have wintered [the winter of 619-20 H. — A.D. 1222-23], within the limits of a territory named Kalinjar—on the banks of the Sind river [but the name is also written Lanjar—Kanjar, and even Lanhar, the letter in the latter, however, is without points, and may be intended for r, z or zh]. The Rauzat-us-Safa calls it Kalanji—the ruler of which part of the country was the Salar, Ahmad; but who he was, and whether he was independent, or the feudatory of any sovereign, the chroniclers say not; and he is not known to the historians of Hind or Sind.
The Jami'-ut-Tawarikh says he passed the hot season on the confines or frontiers of but this name, being without points, is unintelligible, and that the ruler of this part was the Salar, Ahmad.
The fort in which Isra'il, the Saljuk, was imprisoned and died, referred to at page 117, and note is spelt like the first name mentioned, and with long a—and the word the Rauzat-us-Safa may have been originally. This fort lay, we are told, in the Multan province, and was subsequently called Talwarah, but the place where Chaghatae's army wintered is said to have been on the banks of the Sind.
Whoever this Salar Ahmad was, he is said to have done his utmost to supply the requirements of the Mughals, and the subsistence of that great army. It, however, became prostrated with sickness through the unhealthiness of the climate [in the Mongols Proper this sickness, by mistake, is transferred to his father's army!], and also impeded with a vast number of captives, in such wise that, in every tent [or dwelling, or hut—the word used is khanah] there were from ten to twenty, or twenty to forty, and they had the task of bringing and preparing the food of the army. In this sickly state of his troops, Chaghatae issued commands for each captive to clean 400 manns [of 4 sers or 8 lbs. each] of rice—and this shows they were in a rice-growing country—and the task was completed within the following week. His next command was to massacre the whole of these Hindus [sic in MSS.] and, by the next morning, they were all killed, and their bodies lay about in great heaps. How unjust to call those times the dark ages! The Mughals, barbarians and infidels as they were, carried on war as it was carried on by "Christians" in the years of grace 1877 and 1878.