After the death of his sister, Násiru-d dín remained undisputed master of the State, and reigned in peace for twenty years. He was a religious king. He made copies of the Holy Book and sold them, supporting himself on the money thus obtained. Kází Kamálu-d dín showed me a copy of the Kurán, written by this sovereign, with great taste and elegance. At length his lieutenant, Ghiyásu-d dín Balban killed him, and succeeded to his throne.

Sultán Ghiyásu-d dín Balban.

After Balban had killed his master Násiru-dín, he reigned with absolute power for twenty years. He had previously been lieutenant of his predecessor for a similar period. He was one of the best of sovereigns—just, clement (halím), and good. One of his acts of generosity was this:—He built a house to which he gave the name, “Abode of security.” All debtors who entered it had their debts discharged, and whoever in fear fled there for refuge found safety. If a man who had killed another took refuge there, the Sultán bought off the friends of the deceased; and if any delinquent fled there he satisfied those who pursued him. The Sultán was buried in this building, and I have visited his tomb.

* * * The Sultán Shamsu-dín altamsh sent a merchant to buy slaves for him at Samarkand, Bokhárá, and Turmuz. This man purchased a hundred slaves, among whom was Balban. When they were presented to the Sultán, they all pleased him except Balban, who was short in stature and of mean appearance. The Sultán exclaimed, “I will not take this one,” but the slave cried, “Master of the World, for whom have you bought these servants?” The Sultán laughed and said, “I have bought them for myself.” Balban replied, “Then buy me, for the love of God.” “Good,” exclaimed the Sultán. So he purchased him and placed him with his other slaves.

Balban was treated with contempt, and placed among the water-carriers. Men versed in astrology told the Sultán that one of his slaves would take the kingdom from his son and appropriate it to himself. They continually reiterated this prediction, but the Sultán in his rectitude and justice paid no heed to it. At length they repeated this prediction to the chief queen, mother of the king's sons, and she told the Sultán of it. The words now made an impression upon him, and he sent for the astrologers and said, “Can you recog­nize, if you see him, the slave who shall deprive my son of the kingdom?” They replied that they had a means by which they could pick him out. The Sultán ordered all his slaves to be brought out, and sat down to review them. They came before him, class after class, and the astrologers looked at them and said, “We have not yet seen him.” It was one o'clock in the afternoon, and the water-carriers being hungry, resolved upon collecting a little money and sending some one to the market to purchase food. So they clubbed their dirhams, and sent Balban with them, because there was no one among them who was more despised than he. In the market he could not find what his companions wanted, and so he went to another market. This delayed him, and when it came to the turn of the water-carriers to be passed in review, he had not come back. His companions took his water-bottle and pot, and putting them on the back of another youth, presented him as Balban. When the name of Balban was called, this youth passed before the astrologers, and so the review passed over without their finding the person they sought. When the review was over, Balban returned, for it was the will of God that his destiny should be accomplished.

Eventually the noble qualities of the slave were discovered, and he was made chief of the water-carriers. Then he entered the army, and became in course of time an amír. Sultán Násiru-d dín, before he came to the throne, married his daughter, and when he became master of the kingdom he made him his lieutenant. Balban dis­charged the duties of this office for twenty years, after which he killed his sovereign, and remained master of the empire for twenty years longer, as we have already stated. He had two sons, one of them was “the Martyr Khán,” his successor designate, and his viceroy in Sind, where he resided in the city of Multán. He was killed in a war which he carried on against the Tátárs and Turks (Mughals). He left two sons Kai-kubád and Kai-khusrú. The younger son of Balban was called Násiru-d dín, and ruled as viceroy for his father at Lakhnautí.

Upon the death of “the Martyr Khán,” Balban named Kai-khusrú, son of the deceased, as heir to the throne, preferring him to his own son Násiru-d dín. The latter had a son named Mu'izzu-d dín, who lived at Dehli with his grandfather. This young man, upon the death of his grandfather, and while his father was living, became successor to the throne under the extraordinary circumstances we will now mention.

Sultán Ghiyásu-d dín died in the night while his son Násiru-dín was at Lakhnautí, after naming as his successor his grandson Kai-khusrú, as we have above stated. Now the chief of the amírs and deputy of Sultán Ghiyásu-d dín was the enemy of this young prince, and he formed a plot against him which succeeded. He drew up a document, in which he forged the hands of the chief amírs, attesting that they had taken the oath of allegiance to Mu'izzu-d dín, grand­son of the deceased Balban. Then he presented himself before Kai-khusrú, feigning the greatest interest in him, and said: “The amírs have sworn allegiance to your cousin, and I fear their designs against you.” Kai-khusrú inquired what was best to be done, and the chief of the amírs advised him to fly to Sind and save his life. The prince asked how he was to get out of the city, as all the gates were shut; and the chief amír answered that he had got the keys and would let him out. Kai-khusrú thanked him for his offer and kissed his hand. The amír advised him to take horse immediately, and so he mounted his horse and was followed by his connexions and slaves. The amír opened the gate and let him out, and closed it immediately he had quitted Dehli.

The amír then sought an audience of Mu'izzu-d dín, and took the oath of submission. The young prince inquired how he could be Sultán, when the title of heir presumptive belonged to his cousin. The chief of the amírs then informed him of the ruse he had used against his cousin, and how he had got him to leave the city. Mu'izzu-d dín thanked him for his exertions, and accompanied him to the palace of the king, where he called together the amírs and courtiers who swore allegiance to him in the course of the night. When morning came, the population followed the same course, and the authority of Mu'izzu-d dín was firmly established. His father was still alive, and was in Bengal at Lakhnautí. When he heard of what had taken place, he said, “I am the heir of the kingdom; how, then, can my son have become master, and have gained absolute power, while I am alive?” He set off for Dehli with his troops. His son also took the field at the head of his army, with the design of repulsing him from Dehli. They met near the town of Karra, on the banks of the Ganges, a place to which Hindus resort in pilgrimage. Násiru-d dín encamped upon the Karra side of the river, and his son, Sultán Mu'izzu-d dín, upon the other, so that the river ran between them. They were resolved upon fighting each other; but God wished to spare the blood of Musulmáns, and imbued the heart of Násiru-d dín with feelings of pity for his son. So he said to himself, “If my son reigns, it will be an honour to me; it is only right, then, that I should desire that.” At the same time God filled the heart of Mu'izzu-d dín with sentiments of submission to his father. Each of these two princes entered a boat, and, without any escort of troops, they met in the middle of the river. The Sultán kissed the foot of his father and made his excuses; and the latter replied, “I give thee my kingdom, and confide the govern­ment of it to thee.” Thereupon he took the oath of fidelity, and was about to return to the provinces he possessed, when his son said, “You must certainly come into my kingdom.” The father and son proceeded together towards Dehli, and entered the palace. The father placed Mu'izzu-d dín upon the throne, and stood before him. The interview which they had upon the river was called “The Conjunction of the Two Auspicious Stars,” because of its happy results, in sparing the blood of the people, and in causing the father and son to offer to each other the kingdom, and to abstain from fighting. Many poets have celebrated this incident.