present any passages worthy of extract, but the following are selected as comprising a few anecdotes which have escaped the notice of some more ponderous chroniclers :

Sultan Mahmúd.

:

"The exploits of the Sultán Mahmúd are more conspicuous than the sun, and his exertions in the cause of religon surpass all description and eulogy. The Tarikh Yamini, Makámát Abú Nasr Miskati, and the volumes of Abú-1 Fazl Baihakí, testify to his achievements.1

“He was a friend to learned men and poets, on whom he bestowed munificent presents, insomuch that every year he expended upon them more than 400,000 dínárs. His features were very ugly. One day, regarding his own face in a mirror, he became thoughtful and depressed. His Wazír inquired as to the cause of his sorrow, to which he replied, 'It is generally understood that the sight of kings adds vigour to the eye, but the form with which I am endowed is enough to strike the beholder blind.' The Wazír replied, 'Scarcely one man in a million looks on your face, but the qualities of your mind shed their influence on every one. Study, therefore, to maintain an unimpeachable character, that you may be the beloved of all hearts.' Amínu-ddaula Mahmud was pleased with this admonition, and he paid so much attention to the cultivation of his mental endowments, that he surpassed all other kings in that respect.2

"In the first year of his accession to the throne a mine of gold was discovered in Sístán, in the shape of a tree, and the

[See supra, Vol. II. pp. 430, 433.]

? This anecdote is given in the Gemäldesaal d. Lebensb., but Firishta merely says Mahmud was marked with the small-pox. In the reign of Mas'úd, that historian ascribes a statement to the Guzida which is at variance with the MSS. I have consulted. He says that, according to the Guzida, Mas'úd reigned nine years and nine months, whereas the Guzida distinctly says that monarch reigned thirteen years. It may be as well to mention here that Briggs, in his translation of Firishta, has, by some oversight, entered the History of Hamdu-lla Mustaufi and the Tarikh-i Guzida, as two different works.

lower the miners dug the richer and purer it became, till one of the veins attained the circumference of three yards. It disappeared in the time of Sultán Mas'úd, on the occurrence of an earthquake.

In the month of Muharram of the year 293 he made war upon Jaipál, in Hindustan, and made him prisoner. He spared his life, but exacted tribute. It is a rule among the Hindus that a king who has been twice made prisoner by Musulmáns ought no longer to reign, and that his fault can only be purged by fire. Jaipál, therefore, made the kingdom over to his son, and burnt himself. In this war Yamínu-d-daula Mahmúd obtained the title of Ghází.

"In the year 394, he set out on an expedition to Sístán against Khalaf,1 the son of Ahmad, because Khalaf, on returning from his pilgrimage, had appointed his son Táhir as his successor, he himself having retired from the world and devoted himself to the worship of God. But he repented this step, and put his son to death by treachery. Yamínu-d-daula, in order to avenge this perfidy, attacked Khalaf, who took shelter in the fort of Ták. Yamínu-d-daula Mahmúd besieged the fort and took it. Khalaf came out in safety, and when he entered the presence of Mahmúd he addressed him as Sultán.' Yamínu-d-daula Mahmud, being pleased with this title, freely pardoned Khalaf, and reinstated him in the government of Sístán. From that period he assumed the title of Sultán. Khalaf, son of Ahmad, after a while, rebelled against Sultán Mahmúd, and sought the protection of Ilak Khán. Sultán Mahmúd, on hearing this, dethroned him from Sístán, and sent him to the fort of Juzján where he remained till the day of his death.

"Sultán Mahmúd, having conquered Bhátiya and Multán as far as the frontiers of Kashmir, made peace with I'lak Khan, who some time after broke faith with him, and advanced to battle

1 See Jenisch, Hist. Reg. Pers. p. 46.

against him; but he was defeated, and took to flight. Many beautiful youths fell into the hands of the Záwuliyáns, who were delighted with their prisoners. I'lak Khán then sought the assistance of the Ghuzz and the Turks of Chín, the descendants of Afrásiyáb, but was again defeated in an action at the gates of Balkh, and took a second time to flight. He again made peace with the Sultán, and went to reside in Máwaráu-n-nahr.

"Sultán Mahmúd then made war with Nawása (the grandson of) the ruler of Multán; conquered that country; converted the people to Islám; put to death the ruler of Multán, and entrusted the government of that country to another chief.

"Sultán Mahmúd now went to fight with the Ghorians, who were infidels at that time. Súrí, their chief, was killed in this war, and his son was taken prisoner; but dreading the Sultán's vengeance, he killed himself by sucking poison which he had kept under the stone of his ring. The country of Ghor was annexed to that of the Sultán, and the population thereof converted to Islám. He now attacked the fort of Bhím, where was a temple of the Hindus. He was victorious, and obtained much wealth, including about a hundred idols of gold and silver. One of the golden images, which weighed a million miskáls, the Sultán appropriated to the decoration of the Mosque of Ghazní, so that the ornaments of the doors were of gold instead of iron.

"The rulers of Ghurjistán were at this time called Shár, and Abú Nasr was Shár of the Ghurjis. He was at enmity with Sultán Mahmúd, who sent an army against him, and having taken him prisoner, the Sultán concluded peace with him, and purchased his possessions. From that time he remained in the service of the Sultán to the day of his death.

"The ruler of Márdain,1 having likewise rebelled against the Sultán, withheld the payment of tribute. The Sultán deputed Abú Sa'id Táí, with an army, to make war with him, and he himself followed afterwards, and a battle ensuing, the chief of

1 Other authorities usually say Nárdín or Nárdain. [See Vol. II. pp. 450, 452, 465.]

VOL. III.

5

Márdain took refuge in a fort. The Sultán destroyed its walls by means of elephants, and thus gained possession of the fort. In a house there were found some inscriptions on a stone, giving the date of the erection of the fort, which they carried so far back as 40,000 years. Upon this all were convinced of the folly of the idolaters; as, from the creation of Adam, the age of the world did not (as it is generally understood) reach 7,000 years; nor is it probable, according to the opinion of the learned, that a building could remain in a state of repair so long; but as their ignorance is carried to such a degree that they worship idols instead of the Supreme Being, it is not improbable that they really did entertain such a belief.”

67

XIV.

TARIKH-I 'ALAI.

OR

KHAZAYNU-L FUTUH,

OF

AMIR KHUSRU.

THE history which goes by both these names is a work in prose, by Mír Khusrú, who died in 1325 a.d. It contains an interesting account of the first years of the reign of Sultán 'Aláu-d dín Khilji (whom he also styles Muhammad Sháh Sultán), from his accession to the throne in 695 H. (1296 A.D.) to his conquest of Ma'bar at the close of 710 H. (1310 A.D.) It is most probably the same work as that which is quoted by some of the general historians, under the name of Táríkh 'Aláu-d din Khilji ; but, if so, it has not been closely examined, for several facts of interest have escaped the compilers.

It will be observed that this small work contains much information on the subject to which it relates. The mode of warfare of that period, especially, receives illustrations such as can be obtained from no other work. The style in which it is composed is for the most part difficult, as the whole is constructed of a series of fanciful analogies, in the same manner as the preface to the Bakiya Nakiya and the I'jáz-i Khusruvi of the same author, and the Odes of Badar-cháchí, and the treatises of Mirzá Katil and several other works, in which fancy is predominant over Every portion is devoted to a selection of words connected with one particular subject. For instance, among the

sense.