The relations of historians are after this manner; that when Syfe-ud-deen Kalawun, otherwise Alfi, had reigned in Egypt eighteen years, in the year 690 Hejri he departed this life, and his son, Mullik Ashruf, ascended the throne, and after a reign of about three years he was assassinated by a slave named Meedra, (who had conspired against him in concert with a number of other slaves,) and his brother, Nasir-ud-deen Alfi, was installed in his place. Meedra made himself ameer-ul-omra, but after reigning twelve months he was assassinated, in his turn, by the slaves of Mullik Ashruf Kunyooka and Lacheen, &c. These slaves made Lacheen commander of the forces, and the affairs of Egypt remained in this state for two years under Lacheen, when Kunyooka was assassinated.
In the beginning of 697 the chiefs of Egypt murdered Lacheen, and the supreme authority was again restored to Mullik Nasir-ud-deen Alfi. Mullik Nasir, during his government, despatched four thousand horse to Mordeen and Rasulain, the chiefs of which cities were tributary to Sultan Ghazan. This detachment plundered those countries and killed a great number of the Mussulman inhabitants; for this cause Ghazan Khan determined to attempt the conquest of Egypt and Syria, and on the 26th of the month of Suffur, 699 Hejri, marched with an army of ninety thousand men towards those countries. Mullik Nasir also assembled a large army, and marched to oppose him, and their armies met on the 23d Rubbi-el-Avul 699, near Hums, on the borders of Syria, and a battle was fought, in which the Persian troops were victorious. The Egyptians turned their backs on the field of battle, and in their flight sustained a very heavy loss; the king of Egypt on this occasion fled with such speed that only seven horsemen were with him when he dismounted. Sultan Ghazan remained two days at Hums, and then marched to Damascus, and on his arrival there he spared the inhabitants, and committing the siege of the citadel to Ameer Kutluk Shah, and having placed his agents in all the cities of Syria, he returned towards Persia. After he had crossed the Euphrates, the troops of the fortified places in Syria began to rebel, and, leaving their strong-holds, at night attacked the Moghool soldiers singly, and stole and carried off their horses. The Moghool officers perceiving they were not able to maintain their footing in Syria, assembled, and having crossed the Euphrates joined the army of Sultan Ghazan. The next year Sultan Ghazan, therefore, again prepared to invade and conquer Syria, and, in the year 702 Hejri, arrived by easy marches at Aleppo, where he passed some time in hunting, and pleasure, and committed the conquest of the country to the Ameers Kutluk Shah and Ameer Choban Suldooz, and having placed a large army at their disposal he again returned to Persia. The ameers, however, as they could do nothing, abandoned Syria, and returned to his camp. Towards the end of the year 702 Hejri, Sultan Mahmood Ghazan again despatched Ameer Kutluk Shah, and Ameer Choban Suldooz with an army to Syria, and Mullik Nasir with a large army, also encamped at Damascus waiting for one of his chiefs named Ghazi Khan. After Sultan Ghazan’s ameers had crossed the Euphrates, they laid siege to the castle of Hums, when a man arrived from Damascus with intelligence that Mullik Nasir had not as yet arrived at that city, but that the people of Damascus had fled with their wealth to Egypt. On receiving this news the ameers of Ghazan Khan marched towards Damascus; when they arrived at the town of Mirh Suffur, on ascending a height they discovered the whole of the plains, beyond, covered with troops; for Mullik Nasir had advanced, having heard that Sultan Ghazan’s troops had returned. The next day, the armies being disposed in order of battle, the conflict began, and many were slain on both sides. On that day the actions of Ameer Choban Suldooz renewed the memory of Rustam and Isfendiar, but, notwithstanding his exertions, victory remained on the side of Mullik Nasir, and Ameer Kutluk Shah and Ameer Choban Suldooz were obliged to seek their safety in flight. Two thousand Moghools fell in this action; Ameer Suldooz, however, covered the retreat, and had it not been for his courage and firmness not a man of the whole army would have escaped. In the month of Suffur 703 Hejri, the fugitives of this army arrived in the camp of Sultan Ghazan, at Owjan, and the sultan placed the chiefs in confinement, and punished those who had behaved cowardly, but distinguished Meer Choban Suldooz by presenting him with a kulah (a cap or crown), and an ornamented girdle.
It is related, that after the defeat of his ameers and troops in Syria, Sultan Ghazan, seeing no hope of succeeding in his projects in that country, fell sick from vexation, and at Nobeh Seraie, near Kazvin, his disease increased, and on his removal with the army towards Yoorut Kushlak, he died on the road. Before his death, he ordered all his ameers to be assembled, and declared his will to them, that Ooljaitoo Sultan, his brother, who was in Khorasan, should succeed him; he then departed to the gardens of eternity, that is, he died on Saturday, the 10th Shawal 703 Hejri, much lamented by his ameers and family, and was carried to Tubreez, and buried in a mausoleum erected by himself, and now called the shunub or shunsub of Ghazan; before his time the tombs of the Moghool kings were unknown. Ghazan Khan reigned eight years and nine months, and his age was thirty-nine years.