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The Nāṣirī Generations 289: VIII.—HULAKU, SON OF TULI, SON OF THE CHINGIZ KHAN.

Tabakat-i-Nasiri 289

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289

Hulaku is the brother of Mangu Khan, and Tuli [his father] was the youngest of the Chingiz Khan's sons. When the Chingiz Khan crossed the Jihun into Khurasan, he despatched Tuli towards Nishapur, Hirat, and Marw; and Tuli took all those cities, and destroyed them. Trustworthy persons related, that Tuli was a good-looking youth; and, when he returned from Khurasan to Turkistan, he died, leaving four sons, as has been previously recorded.
When Mangu Khan, son of Tuli, ascended the throne, he despatched Hulaku into the countries of Iran and 'Ajam, and assigned those territories to him; and the armies which were in 'Irak, and the troops which were in Turkistan, Khatlan, Tae-kan, and Kunduz, and the forces which were in the territories of Ghur, Khurasan, Hirat, and the Garmsir, were all directed to obey the command of Hulaku. On Hulaku's entering Khurasan he chose Badghais as his head-quarters; and the Maliks of the different parts of 'Ajam presented themselves before him.
The Mughal army of Jurmaghun, which was in 'Irak, was continually fighting and carrying on hostilities with the troops of the Lord of the Faithful, but, on no occasion, and in no wise, was it able to gain the superiority over the forces of the Khalifah's capital; and the infidels used continually to be defeated, more particularly in their attempts to take the city of Safahan [Isfahan]. It occupied the infidels fifteen years before they were able to gain possession of that city. If the Kazi of Safahan had not attained martyrdom, the infidels would not have found it possible to take that place, for the army of Jurmaghun, and the Nu-yin, Khaina, for a period of fifteen years, continued to carry on hostilities, and to wage war before the gate of that city and its environs. During this entire period of time, the people of Safahan kept the city gates open, so that, night and day, the gates used not to be closed ; and, through the great valour and spirit of the holy warriors of Safahan, the Mughals did not have the power of entering the city, until a party of powerful renegades seduced an individual from the right path to assassinate the Kazi, saying : “ It is necessary to kill the Kazi because the trouble and annoyance of defending the city is caused by him.” After they had martyred the Kazi the city was taken.
When, in the year 655 H., the Amir-i-’Alam [Lord of the Standard] of the rightful Khalifah. Al-Musta’sim B'illah, the Lord of the Faithful — God reward him ! — whose name was Suliman Shah, the Aiyubi Turk-man— on whom be the mercy of the Almighty !— entered Irak with the troops of the Khilafat. he defeated the Mughal forces which were in the territory of Azarbaijan, and in 'Irak, and sent great numbers of Mughals to hell, so that the Mughal troops were unable to stand before Suliman Shah, and the forces of the Khalifah's dominions. They [the Mughals], despatched swift messengers to Hulaku, in Khurasan, and sought aid from him. Hulaku got ready the forces of Khurasan, both Mughal and others, and determined to march into 'Irak, and set out towards it.