حبیب السیر 6.2

6.2

During that time, when the neighbourhood of Multan was the place where the standard of victory of Mahmud was fixed, I'lak Khan rebelled, and sent the leader of his army, Siashitigin, to govern Khurasan, and appointed Ja'fartigin viceroy of Balkh. When Arslan Jazib, who had been exalted by Yaminu-d daula to the government of the great city of Hirat, obtained intelligence of the direction in which the Turks had turned their steps, he left Khurasan, and hastening to Ghaznin, he despatched a swift messenger with the intelligence to Multan. The Sultan came to Ghaznin like the lightning and wind: from that place he turned the reins of his desire towards Balkh, the tabernacle of the faithful. Siashitigin and Ja'fartigin fled like weak flies before a hurricane, and saved their lives by a precipitate retreat. I'lak Khan then craved help from the king of Khutan, Kadr Khan, who, with 60,000 men capable of breaking the ranks of their enemies, joined him, and those two chiefs, with their countless army, prepared for battle with Yaminu-d daula.