The History of Fīrūz Shāh (Baranī) 1.1

1.1

Zíá-Barní, the author of this history, and an earnest well-wisher of the Muhammadans, declares that what he has written upon the life and actions of Sultán Ghiyásu-d dín Balban he himself heard from his father and grandfather, and from men who held important offices under that sovereign. Ghiyásu-d dín Balban ascended the throne in 662 H. He was one of the Shamsí slaves, and belonged to the band of Turk slaves which was known as "The Forty." * * * Before he became king the glory of the State had greatly declined from what it had been in the days of Sultan Shamsu-d din, who was the equal of the Sultan of Egypt, and the compeer of the kings of 'Irak, Khurasan, and Khwarizm. For thirty years after him, during the reigns of his sons, the affairs of the country had fallen into confusion through the youth and sensuality (of his immediate successors), and through the mildness and humility of Sultan Nasiru-d din. The treasury was empty, and the royal court had but little in the way of wealth and horses. The Shamsi slaves had become Khans, and divided among them the wealth and power of the kingdom, so that the country was under their control.