The Nāṣirī Generations 60: I. TUGHRIL, SON OF MIKA’IL.
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 60
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I. TUGHRIL, SON OF MIKA’IL.
60.1
The author of the Tarikh-i-Nasiri, Imam Abu-l-Fazl-i-Baihaki, relates after this manner: that at this period when the Saljuks entered the skirt of the desert of Khurasan, and the son of Yag-mur retired discomfited before them, their Mihtars [chiefs] were three persons—Tughril and Da’ud, two brothers, the sons of Mikail, and their uncle Beghu; and all three in accord determined to tender their services to Sultan Mas’ud, and despatched a confidential agent to the Sultan’s presence—he, at that time, having come to Nishapur from Gurgan—and solicited that the districts of Nisa, Farawah, and certain places at the head of the desert might be assigned to them in fief. In the missive in question they had written their own names in the following manner: — “Tughril, and Beghu, and Da’ud, who proceeded to Nisa, where they had joined the Turkmans [see note «, page 119] there, and that they had been reinforced by other Saljuks and Khwarazmis ; and further, that he, Bu-Fazl, enclosed therewith a communication addressed to him by Beghu, Tughril, and Da’ud, in order that the Sultan might give such orders upon it as he might deem fit.
60.2
The communication began thus : “To his Excellency the Shaikh, the Illustrious Lord, the Sayyid Maulana Abi-ul-Fazl-i-Suri, from his servants, Beghu [it will be noticed that the uncle here takes precedence of the nephews], Tughril, and Da’ud, the Muwali or lieges of the Amir-ul-Muminin ;” and began, “We, your servants.” They went on to state that they found it impossible to dwell in Mawar-un-Nahr and Bukhara since the death of Ali-Tigin, who had been kind and friendly towards them, as his affairs were now administered by his two sons, inexperienced boys, who were hostile towards them. On account of the distracted state of Khwarazm, through Harun, its ruler, having being killed, they found it impossible likewise to remove thither ; and therefore they had come to put themselves under the protection of the Sovereign of the World and Lord of Beneficence, the great Sultan. They hoped the Khwajah [Abi-ul-Fazl] would aid them at this juncture, and write on their behalf to the Khwajah ’Abu Nasr [the Wazir], and advocate their cause as they were known to him. They farther solicited that, as through that minister’s good offices [Khwajah Abu Nasr-i-Ahmad had previously been Wazir to Harun and his father], the late Harun, Khwarazm Shah, used to allow them to remove with their families and flocks into his territory in winter, he would assist them now.
60.3
If the Sultan, they said, would accept their vassalage, one of them would constantly attend at Court [as a pledge of good faith], and the other two would serve him in such manner as he might command ; and they would rest under his great shadow. They asked that the territories of Nisa and Farawah, which lay on the edge of the Desert [between the mountains bounding Khurasan on the north-east, and the Jihun or Oxus], should be conferred upon them, in return for which they promised they would undertake to prevent any rebel from raising his head in Balkan Koh, Dihistan, the direction of Khwarazm, or the Jihun ; and would assail the ’Irakis [the Turkmans under Yaghmur’s son are here referred to] and drive them out. Their request was couched in civil words, to all appearance, but concluded as follows : “but if, which God forbid, the Sultan would not grant their request, and should refuse his permission, they did not know what the state of affairs might become, because they had no place on earth, and none remained to them. Not having the boldness to venture to address such an august person [as the Sultan’s Wazir], they had addressed the Khwajah [Abi-ul-Fazl] to solicit him, Please God ! to bring their request to a favourable issue.”
60.4
Sultan Mas’ud wished to move at once against them, so wrath was he at this insolent demand ; and bitterly complained of the injury and trouble his father had entailed upon the empire and upon him, through allowing any of those “camel-drivers,” as he styled the Saljuks, to pass the Jihun, in the first instance. The Wazir and some others counselled the acceptance of the allegiance of the Saljuk chiefs ; but another party at the Court advised the Sultan not to think of marching against them himself, or at the present time, as they would have it that the cattle of his army, after the late expedition, required rest. They advised that a reply should be sent to Abi-ul-Fazl, telling are the Mawali [lieges] of the Lord of the Faithful, represent unto your presence,” &c. The Almighty had been pleased to fill their hearts with much arrogance and contumacy; and, when the purport of their request was made known to the Sultan, he at once commanded that they should have a reply couched in courteous words, but a force of about 15,000 horse, under the command of the Salar [general], Bak-Taghdi, was told off in the year 430 H., to proceed against them.
60.5
When that force reached the Saljuks, it fought a stubborn battle with them, and the Sultan’s army sustained a defeat, and the Sultan, out of necessity, had to come to an accommodation with them. He bestowed Nisa upon Tughril, and the Dihistan on Da’ud, and gave Farawah to Beghu. The Sultan then proceeded towards Balkh, and conferred the government of Hindustan upon his son Maudud. In 429 H., the Saljuks possessed themselves of the towns on the skirt of the desert, such as Marw, Sarakhs, and other places besides, and solicited that Khurasan should be made over to them. The Sultan thereupon despatched the Hajib, Subasi, with a large army to expel them. An engagement took place between the Sultan’s forces and the Saljuks, and the Sultan’s troops were defeated, and the Saljuks acquired power over the territory of Khurasan. They sent Ibrahim, Nial-iah to seize upon Nishapur, and, subsequently, Tughril himself followed him thither. At Nishapur he ascended the throne, and became a sovereign; and the Khutbah was read in his name. He despatched Da’ud to Sarakhs, and nominated Beghu to proceed to Marw; and they took possession of Khurasan, and one-half of that territory passed from the sway of the servants of the Mas’udi dynasty.