The Nāṣirī Generations 284.2.1

284.2.1

"Bathus, with his forces, had ravaged Great Russia, Lithuania, Poland, and Bohemia. The Cumani, a Sarmatian nation [the Kumans of Oriental authors], whose territory had been previously ravaged by the Mughal troops, brought intimation to the king of Hungary of the invasion of the countries of Rus, Alan, and Kifchak by the Mughals, and sought permission themselves to take shelter in Hungary, promising, in return, to turn Christians, and to be loyal subjects. Permission was granted; and some 40,000 Kumans, with their slaves, came into Hungary. The subjects of Bela IV., king of that country, were disaffected towards him; and, as the advance of Bathus took place within a year of the Kumans' arrival in their country, the Hungarians accused them of having instigated the Mughals to come, and slew their chief, and his attendants, on his way to join King Bela. This act caused the Cumans to join the invaders, who had ravaged Russia and sent part of their forces into Silesia, Moravia, and Bohemia, while Bathus with an army of 300,000 men was advancing towards the frontiers of Hungary. Meanwhile, King Bela, with an army nearly as numerous, moved to encounter them; and, as he advanced, they retreated leisurely towards Agria, both leaders seeking a favourable opportunity to give battle; but Bela's troops, as I have said before, were under his sway; and, in that region, he subjugated all the disaffected, and rather wished that Bela might be defeated.