حبیب السیر 19.5

19.5

As the star of the destiny of Mas'ud had reached the limits of misfortune, he listened not to this advice, and having passed the river, he directed his steps in search of Tuztigin. During that winter, the rain and the snow fell very heavily in Mawardu-n nahr, on account of which the Ghaznivides were extremely distressed. In the middle of all this, Daud Saljuki marched from Sarakhs towards Balkh, with the intention of fighting, upon which Mas'ud was obliged to beat the drum of retreat, and Tuztigin, following in the rear of the army of Ghaznin, plundered and carried away all the best horses and camels of Mas'ud, and thus disgrace fell upon the army of the Ghaznivides. After Mas'ud had arrived at his royal residence, having finished repairing the state of confusion into which his troops had been thrown, he turned his attention towards the Saljukians, and several times fighting took place between the two parties, the end of which was, that Mas'ud was defeated, and obliged again to return to Ghaznin; on his arrival at which place he put to death some of the nobles and chief men of the State, under the pretence that they had misbehaved themselves during the war. He sent his son Maudud with an army to Balkh, while he himself, with Muhammad Makhul and Muhammad's sons, Ahmad, 'Abdu-r Rahman and 'Abdu-r Rahim moved towards Hindustan, with the intention of remaining during the winter there, and then, when the spring arrived, of turning his attention towards dislodging the Saljukians.