The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c20.126

v3.c20.126

We may now conveniently revert to the course of events in Bengal, where Ikhtiyār-ud-dīn, having firmly established himself in Lakhnāwatī, had begun to indulge in dreams of carrying his arms beyond the Himālaya. He had already extended his influence to the foot of these mountains among the Mongoloid tribes, Koch, Mech, and Kachārī, and one chieftain, known after his conversion as ‘Alī the Mech, had exchanged his animistic belief for the doctrines of Islam. ‘Alī undertook to guide Ikhtiyār-ud-dīn through the great mountains and about the middle of the year 1205 he set out, with an army of 10,000 horse, on his perilous adventure. The interest which this enterprise might have possessed is unfortunately diminished by the impossibility of tracing the adventurer’s footsteps, for the vague accounts of historians ignorant of geography preserved in corrupted texts afford us no means of following his course. Having entered into a treaty with the raja of Kāmrūp, who agreed to refrain from molesting him and to assist him, at least with advice, he marched from Debkot in the modern district of Dīnājpur, to the banks of a great river which seems to have formed the boundary between his territory and Kāmrūp and followed its course northwards for ten days until he reached a city, perhaps Burdhankot, in the raja’s dominions. Here the river was spanned by a stone bridge, and Ikhtiyār-ud-dīn, leaving a force to hold the bridge, set out, against the advice of the raja, who counselled him to wait for the spring, for Tibet. In what direction he marched, or what part of Tibet was his objective, is uncertain, but after fifteen days’ marching he reached a strong fortress standing in open country which was well cultivated and thickly populated. The inhabitants joined the garrison of the fortress in opposing the invader and though Ikhtiyār-ud-dīn held his ground throughout the day his losses were very heavy and information received from prisoners, who reported that large reinforcements from a neighbouring city were confidently awaited, convinced him of the necessity for an immediate retirement. During his retreat he paid the penalty of his rashness in advancing so far into an unknown country without securing his communications. The natives had destroyed or obstructed the roads and burnt all vegetation, so that neither fodder nor fuel was procurable and the army was reduced to living on the flesh of its horses. When the river was reached it was discovered that the inhabitants had taken advantage of quarrels between the officers left to secure at least this point to destroy the bridge, that the river was unfordable, and that no boats were at hand. The raja of Kāmrūp perfidiously attacked the retreating army and drove it into the river. Ikhtiyār-ud-dīn succeeded in reaching the opposite bank with about a hundred horsemen, with which sorry remnant of his army he returned to Lakhnāwatī.