The Nāṣirī Generations 45.9

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.