History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c9.33

c9.33

have therefore condemned it in strong terms.¹⁴ Firishta unequivocally asserts that the Sultan wished to conquer the countries of China and Himachal and the conquest of the latter was meant to facilitate the task of conquering the former. On this point Firishta's text differs from the *Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi*, which simply says that the Sultan made an attempt to bring under his control the mountain of Qarājal, which is situated between Hind and China, and it is copied by Badāoni. The *Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi* does not mention the conquest of China as the ultimate object of this expedition.¹⁵ But Firishta is not supported by any contemporary writer in suggesting the conquest of China as the objective of this expedition. Both Barani and Ibn Batūtah clearly state that the expedition was aimed against the Qarājal or Qarāchil mountain which lies between the territories of Hind and China, and they are corroborated by the author of the *Masalik* who writes that the people of Qaraj also owned the suzerainty of Muhammad and paid tribute to him.¹⁶ Ibn Batūtah who gives a more detailed account of the expedition than all others