The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v2.c32.s4.192

v2.c32.s4.192

1178), and which was beaten back by the young Bhīma, the Caulukya king of Anhilvada.¹ It is clear from the account of the royal *praśastikāra* that the Cāhamāna offered no material assistance to his cousins at Naḍḍūla or to the Caulukya king Bhīma. It was very fortunate for the Hindu principalities that the Muslims were beaten back this time. But this policy of the Indian States which kept their efforts against their common foe isolated and prevented them from offering a concerted front, was soon to bear disastrous results. According to the *Ṭabaqāt-i-Nāṣirī*, in 587 A. H. (1191 A.D.) Sulṭān-i-Ghāzī (Mui‘zz ud-dīn) “caused the forces of Islām to be organised, and advanced against the fortress of Tabarhindah² and took that stronghold, and made it over to the charge of the Malik Ziyā-ud-dīn, the Ḳāẓī Muḥammad-i-’ Abd-us-Sallām, Nisāwī, Tūlakī…… They selected 1,200 horses from the forces of Hindūstān and Ghaznīn, all men of Tūlak and the whole of them were ordered to join his khayl (band or division) and were located within that fortress under the stipulation, that they should hold it for a period of eight months, until the Sulṭan-i-Ghāzī should return again from Ghaznīn; but the Rāe Kolah³ Pithorā, however had arrived near at hand and the Sulṭān marched to Tarā’īn to meet him. The whole of the Rānās¹ of Hind were along with the Rāe Kolah. When the ranks were duly marshalled the Sulṭan seized a lance and attacked the elephant on which Govind Rāe, Rāe² of Dihlī, was mounted, and on which elephant he moved about in front of the battle. The Sulṭān-i-Ghāzī, who was the Ḥaidar of the time, and a second Rustam, charged and struck Govind Rāe on the mouth with his lance with such effect that two of that accursed one’s teeth fell into his mouth. He launched a javelin at the Sulṭān of Islām and struck him in the upper part of the arm and inflicted a very severe wound. The Sulṭān turned his charger’s head round and receded, and from the agony of the wound he was unable to continue on horseback any longer. Defeat befell the army of Islām so that it was irretrievably routed, and the Sulṭān was nearly falling from his horse. Seeing which a lion-hearted warrior, a Khalj stripling, recognised the Sulṭān and sprang up behind him, and, supporting him in his arms, urged the horse with his voice, and brought him out of the battle. On the Musalmān forces not seeing the Sulṭān, lamentation broke from them, until they reached a place of safety where the defeated army was safe from pursuit by the infidels.’’³