The Nāṣirī Generations 45: II. SULTAN-UL-A’ZAM, YAMIN-UD-DAULAH, NIZAM-UD-DIN, ABU-L-KASIM, MAHMUD-I-GHAZI, SON OF SABUK-TIGIN.
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 45
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II. SULTAN-UL-A’ZAM, YAMIN-UD-DAULAH, NIZAM-UD-DIN, ABU-L-KASIM, MAHMUD-I-GHAZI, SON OF SABUK-TIGIN.
45.1
Sultan Mahmud-i-Ghazi was a great monarch, and was the first among the sovereigns of Islam, who was styled Sultan by the Court of the Khalifahs of Baghdad. He was born on the night of 'Ashura, the 10th of the month Muharram, in the year 361 H., in the seventh year of the government of Amir Balka-Tigin, at Ghaznin. About one hour before his being ushered into the world, Sabuk-Tigin, his father, saw in a dream, that there began to issue from the chafing-dish [used in those countries instead of having fire-places in the wall, and placed in the centre of the apartment] in his room, a tree, which began to grow to such a height that the whole world began to be overshadowed by it. When he awoke from his sleep, he began to ponder in his mind what the interpretation of this dream could be, when a bearer of good news presented himself, bringing intelligence that the Almighty had been pleased to give him a son. At this joyful announcement Sabuk-Tigin became overjoyed, and said to the messenger: I have given him the name of Mahmud. The same night also upon which Mahmud was born, the idol-temple of Wahand or Bihand [it may also be read Wahind, or Bahind], which was situated on the confines of Barshabur, on the bank of the river Sind, split asunder. He was endowed with great virtues and vast abilitics;
45.2
and the same predominant star was in the as- Cendant at his birth as appeared at the dawn of Islam correctly copied, the situation of the rivers, and the number mentioned, will not agree with actual facts. The Muhammadan traveller I refer to, states, from actual observation: “The Kabul river, after flowing through the darah of Mandror — called by the same name as the chief town of Lamghan is joined, to the north of that place, by the Tahkri generally known as the river of Lamghan ; and near the or mountain of Duiuntha those streams are joined by the Surkh-rud [Red-River], which then flow past Jalalabad on the east, and near the town of Kamah are joined by the Qitrar or Chitral [also called the Kamah], and thus united flow on towards Peshawar. On issuing from the Khaibar mountains at Michani [not Michni], the united streams again separate into three branches, and thus [not united] pass by Peshawar — which is some distance from the nearest branch— for some miles, and do not unite again until just after receiving the Landaey Sind and its tributaries at Nisatah, after which the united waters fall into the Indus a little above, and opposite Attak.” The courses of rivers may alter in the lapse of centuries, in a flat country, as they have in the Punjab, in some instances, but not in such a mountainous tract as the Kabul and its tributaries flow through, on their way to the Indus.
45.3
I cannot but coincide with Abu-l-Fazl, the secretary [but never “minister”] of Akbar, in his remarks upon the accounts of India, written by early travellers, such as Al-Biruni and others. He says, in the Ain-i-Akbari [I give the pith of his remarks merely], that Fanakati, Hafiz-Abru, and others, wrote down all the nonsense that was palmed off upon them; and, therefore, what they state is contrary to facts, and not to be depended upon, while other writers have wilfully perverted them. Now could it be otherwise, when such persons knew nothing of the languages of India, or of its people, or their customs ? They could neither make investigations themselves, nor could they obtain efficient interpreters, or reliable information. See R. A. S.’s Journal, vol. iv. p. 356. Farther investigation, since the above remarks were written, has, I think, enabled me to throw some light upon the situation of what is called Wahind and Bahind, and as to its correct name. The Tarikh-i-Mir’at-i-Jahan Numa, a general history by Muhammad Baqa, contains the following respecting Mahmud’s two first ‘expeditions against Hindustan. “In 390 H., Mahmud set out for Hindustan and captured the fortress of Barjanid or Barjunid [possibly but this word is not quite certain], and again retired. In Shawwal, 391 H., he again set out towards Hindustan, and reached Peshawar with 10,000 horse, and defeated Jai-pal, who, with fifteen brothers and sons, was taken captive. This took place on Saturday, 8th Muharram, 392 H.
45.4
From thence, Mahmud advanced to the fortress of [Bahindah], which was the residence of Jai-pal ; and he subdued that territory.” In a history of the Rajahs of Jamu, said by its author, a Hindu, to have been compiled from Hindu annals, [Bathindah] is said to have been Jai-pal’s capital and place of residence, which Mahmud captured. Mirza Mughal Beg, who, about eighty-three years since, made a survey of great part of the North-West Provinces between Dihli and the Sutlaj, the Punjab, and great part of Afghanistan, and the countries on the northern slopes of Hindu-Kush, in his account of the Lakhi jungle, says : “ Bhatindah, which is also called Whatindah is the name of a territory, with a very ancient stronghold bearing the same name, which was the capital of the Chahil tribe. Lakhi, son of Jundharah, of the Bhati tribe, having been converted to the Muhammadan faith, during an invasion by Sultan Mahmud of Ghaznin, itself. In the year 387 H. Mahmud proceeded to Balkh, and received the title of Rana Lakhi, and he and his tribe were removed thither. They found there some three hundred and fifty or sixty towns and villages of considerable size, some with large and fine buildings; and began to make inroads into the tracts adjacent, against the infidels.” According to traditions quoted by this author, which are also to be found in other works, there were formerly two or three considerable rivers in this now sandy tract of country.
45.5
In ancient times the Ghaghar flowed past Bhatnir, and fell into the Sind [Indus] on the confines of Jaisalmir. One of these rivers is called the Sadhura [see the various readings of the original at the beginning of this note], which falls into the Ghaghar, and in its neighbourhood, at about five miles west, is a sacred pond or small lake, visited by hundreds of thousands of persons, and there is no other place accounted like unto it in sanctity.” There is a great deal more about this district, but I have no space for it here. I think it very probable that what has been called Wahind or Bahind is no other than Bhatindah or Whatindah, which, written without the points — or are much the same in appearance as the words in the various MSS. of our author’s text — and
45.6
As to some confusion in the arrangement of Elliot’s India, tending to distract, which I have referred to above, I would mention, with respect to the name “Wahind,” that at p. 63, vol. i., “Wahind” is said to be the capital of Kandahar [stands for as well as and Kandahar in Afghanistan is always with]; in a note at p. 397, the “river of Wahand or Wahind-Sagar” is mentioned; in vol. ii. p. 28, in the extract from Yamini, “Waihind” is said to be a country; at p. 33, and other places, it is again called “the river of Wahind;” and at p. “the river of Waihind or the Indus.” Notwithstanding all this, this identical passage in our author, after having been “revised and sundry long gaps filled up by the Editor,” is thus translated [vol. ii. p. 269]: “On the same night that he [Mahmud] was born, an idol-temple in India, in the vicinity of Parshawar, on the banks of the Sind, fell down!!” There is nothing like giving a bold translation. ascended the throne of sovereignty, and donned the robe of honour which had been sent to him from the Dar-ul-Khilafat. At this time the throne of the Khalifahs was adorned by the Lord of the Faithful, Al-Kadir-B’illah.
45.7
When Sultan Mahmud ascended the throne of sovereignty, his illustrious deeds became manifest unto all mankind within the pale of Islam, when he converted so many thousands [!] of idol-temples into masjids, and captured so many of the cities of Hindustan, and overthrew and subdued its Raes. Jai-pal, who was the greatest of the Raes of Hind, he made captive, and kept him [a prisoner] at Man-Yazid, in Khurasan, and commanded that he might be ransomed for the sum of eighty dirams. He led an army to Nahrwalah of Gujarat, and brought away Manat, the idol, from Somnath, and had it broken into four parts, one of which was cast before the entrance of the great masjid at Ghaznin, the second before the gateway of the Sultan’s palace, and the third and fourth were sent to Makkah and Madinah respectively. Concerning this victorious expedition the poet ’Un§uri composed a Ka§idah, or poem, two couplets of which are here inserted : — “ When the potent sovereign made the expedition to Somnath, He made the working of miracles his occupation. He staked the Chess of dominion with a thousand kings ; Each king he check-mated, in a separate game.” Out of the different occasions in which the Sultan’s greatness showed itself pre-eminent, one occurred during this expedition. When he retired from Somnath, and desired to lead back the army of Islam by way of the desert to Sindh and Mansurah, out of Gujarat, he directed that guides should be procured.
45.8
A Hindu presented himself, and offered to act as guide, and that sovereign, with the army of Islam, proceeded on his way. After the army had marched all night and next day, and the time had come round for the troops to halt, although search was made for water, none was any where to be found. The Sultan directed that the Hindu guide should be brought before him, and inquiries made from him. This was done, when the Hindu guide replied to the Sultan, saying : 'I have devoted my life for the idol Somnath, and I have led you and your army into this desert, in any part of which water is not to be found, in order that you may all perish.' The Sultan commanded that the Hindu should be despatched to hell, and that the troops should halt and take up their quarters for the night. He then waited until night had set in, after which he left the camp, and proceeded to some distance from it, aside. Then, kneeling down, and with his forehead to the ground, he prayed devoutly and fervently unto the Most High for deliverance. After a watch of the night had passed, a mysterious light appeared in the horizon, and the Sultan gave orders for the troops to be put in motion, and to follow him in the direction of the light. When the day broke, the Almighty God had conducted the army of Islam to a place where there was water, and all the Musalmans were delivered safely out of this impending danger.
45.9
The Almighty had endowed that ruler with great power of performing many miraculous and wondrous acts, such as He has not bestowed since upon any other sovereign, nor such vast military resources, so large a number of troops, and unbounded wealth. Sultan Mahmud possessed two thousand five hundred elephants; and his court was guarded by four thousand Turkish slave-youths, who, on days of public audience, were stationed on the right and left of the throne, — two thousand of them with caps ornamented with four feathers, bearing golden maces, on the right hand, and the other two thousand, with caps adorned with two feathers, bearing silver maces, on the left. This monarch, by his manliness, his bravery and intrepidity, his wisdom and foresight, and his prudent counsels and wise measures, considerably extended the Muhammadan conquests in the east, and greatly increased the dominion of Islam in that quarter. The whole of 'Ajam, Khurasan and Khwarazm, Tabaristan, 'Irak, the territory of Nimroz, Fars, the mountain districts of Ghur, Tukharistan — all came under the control of his officers. The Maliks, or rulers, of Turkistan paid him obedience and acknowledged his superiority. He threw a bridge over the Jihun, and marched his forces into Turan, and Kadr Khan had an interview with him, as had the Khans of the Turks likewise; and the Khakans of Turkistan came and presented themselves before him, and tendered him their allegiance.
45.10
At their request, the son of Saljuk, through whose activity, and boldness, too, the whole of the Khakans of the Turks were reduced to a state of helplessness, was permitted to Sanjan Rae in his work. He was doubtless chief of the tribe of Bhati—See also Elliot, Appendix to vol. ii., pages 34 and 439, wherein great confusion appears to exist]. Bhija Rae was slain, and the fortress of Bhatiah near [i. e. not far distant from] Multan was taken. After this, the Sultan returned to Ghaznin, but in the same year he undertook an expedition against the Wali of Multan, Abu-l-Fath, who fled from that territory. Whilst Mahmud was absent in Hindustan, in 397 H., I-lak Khan broke the newly made treaty of alliance, and invaded Khurasan. This made Mahmud return to Ghaznin to make arrangements for marching against him, for I-lak Khan had penetrated as far as Hirat, which he took; but, in the following year, Mahmud encountered him at Balkh, and compelled him to retire. Khalaf, the late ruler of Sijistan, it was found, had been intriguing with him during Mahmud’s absence, and had advised this invasion. On this account Khalaf was immured in the fortress of Juzdez of Kuhistan. In 401 H., Mahmud again advanced into Hindustan against the fortress of Bhim [also called Bhim-nagar], the chief of which was Bhim Narayan. There is no mention of any expedition undertaken in that quarter in Fasih-i, as contained in the Jami’-ut-Tawarikh, against Nardin;
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but, in some works, an expedition against Nandanah, in 404 H., is mentioned. In 407 H., Mahmud’s son-in-law, Abu-l-’Abbas-i-Mamun, Farighuni, ruler of Jurjaniah of Khwarazm, was murdered by some of his troops. Mahmud went in person into Khwarazm, defeated the insurgents, and put Nial-Tigin [called Alb-Tigin by Baihaki], the ringleader, and the murderers, to the sword, reduced that territory under his sway, and Altun-Tash, the great chamberlain, was entrusted with its government. I-lak Khan had died in Mawar-un-Nahr, in 403 H.; and in 408 H. Mahmud sought from her uncle, Tughan Khan, who had succeeded him, the hand of I-lak’s daughter in marriage for his son Mas’ud, whom he nominated as his heir and successor. Tughan Khan himself died in the same year, and was succeeded by his brother, Bughra Tigin, entitled Arsalan Khan. On that lady’s arrival shortly after at Balkh, the capital was illuminated; and soon after Mahmud made over the government of Khurasan to Mas’ud, with Hirat as the seat of government, having previously assembled the whole of his Ulus, or tribe, together, to take oath of fealty to his son. [According to Baihaki, however, this lady had been betrothed to Muhammad, Mas’ud’s brother, but the former, having been immured in a fortress by the latter, when he ascended the throne, Muhammad could not marry her, and Mas’ud did, with the consent of her brother; but this was several years subsequent to the events above-mentioned.]
45.12
After having disposed of these affairs, Mahmud had leisure again to turn his attention to Hindustan; and I will here mention, as briefly as possible, his next expedition into that country, because the narrative will greatly differ from the accounts of other writers. In the year 409 H. [see Elliot, vol. ii. p. 460], Sultan Mahmud undertook another expedition against the infidels of Hind, and overcame Hardab [— the “Hardat” of ’Abd-ul-Kadir-i-Budauni, the “Hirdat of Mathurah” of the Jami’-ut-Tawarikh] in that region, at which—[my authority so styles Hardab, but must mean his capital, Mathurah]—there were nearly a thousand palaces of stone, and an idol-temple of such extent and size, that “if a thousand times a thousand thousand dinars should be expended, and builders and workmen of the greatest pass the Jihun with all his kindred and dependents, and cross over into Khurasan. The wisest and most sagacious men of that time considered the granting of this permission a grave error in the Sultan’s policy; for they perceived therein danger to the empire of his sons and descendants. Sultan Mahmud entered ’Irak and subdued that territory, and purposed proceeding to the Court of Baghdad to pay his respects; but, on the receipt of a mandate to the contrary from the Lord of the Faithful, he retired, and returned to Ghaznin, where he died at the age of sixty-one, after a reign of thirty-three years, in 421 H.
45.13
His sons were Muhammad, Nasr, Mas'ud, Suliman, Isma'il, 'Abd-ur-Rashid, styled 'Izz-ud-Daulah, Amir of Ghaznin, and Ibrahim, which latter had a son named Suliman.