The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c11.127.3

v1.c11.127.3

'Utbī paints this prince as 'one of malignant craftiness, deceitful treachery, dubious fidelity and detestable inclinations.' According to this authority, 'he set up a claim over the people of the Khutbah (*i.e.*, the chief sovereignty) of Multan, to deal with them according to his will and pleasure, and cast the people into the lubricity of his error, and the ruin of his folly. They signified the case to the Sulṭān, whose reverence for Islam and jealousy for the faith stirred up and excited him, to a sufficient examination of this crime.'³ According to Nizām ud-Dīn Dā'ūd belonged to a sect of the Malāḥida. Hence the Sulṭān was incited by his zeal for religion to punish him.⁴ According to Firishta, the cause of the attack was the abandonment by Dā'ūd of the 'tenets of the faithful,' and the shaking off of his allegiance to the Yaminī dynasty.⁵ The true cause however was Maḥmūd's ambition, and everything else came as welcome pretexts. As I have said Dā'ūd tried to stem the advancing tide by renewing his alliance with the *Sāhis*. Ānandapāla, who was appealed to by Dā'ūd, 'detached the greater part of his army to oppose Maḥmūd at Peshawar,' but was defeated and fled to Kashmir, and Multan was besieged by Maḥmūd.¹ After a siege of seven days, Dā'ūd agreed to pay a tribute of 20,000 dirhams, 'engaged to follow the true religion and foreswore his errors'² A.H. 396=1005 A.D.). This was the beginning of the end. In 401 A.H. (A.D.