The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c20.74

v3.c20.74

Mas‘ūd returned to Ghaznī on February 11 to learn that the Saljūqs were besieging the ancient town of Rai, near the modern Tehrān, and had also invaded Khurāsān. He encouraged his officers with promises of speedy relief but lingered at Ghaznī until the following winter and by the time he had taken the field Chaghar Beg Dāūd the Saljūq was in possession of Nīshāpūr. The campaign against the Saljūqs was ended by a crushing defeat sustained by Mas‘ūd in 1040 at Tāliqān, three marches from Marv, Khvārazm was lost, and Mas‘ūd was compelled to retreat to Ghaznī while the Saljūqs besieged Balkh. It was during this campaign that the character of the Hindu troops was first impugned. The Muslim officers complained that five hundred of them could not be induced to face ten Turkmāns, and the Hindu officers retorted that while the Muslim troops had fared well their men were starved, and had received no flour for four months. When it was suggested that an Indian corps should be raised for the expulsion of the Saljūqs, Mas‘ūd exclaimed, with petulant ingratitude, ‘Never! These are the men who lost us Marv.’