Anundpal, agreeing to this proposal, prepared an entertainment for the reception of the King, at the same time issuing orders for all his subjects to supply the camp with every necessary of life.

The Raja's brother, with two thousand horse was also sent to meet the army, and to deliver the following message:—“My brother is the subject “and tributary of the King, but he begs per-“mission to acquaint his Majesty, that Tahnesur “is the principal place of worship of the inhabit-“ants of the country: that if it is required “by the religion of Mahmood to subvert the “religion of others, he has already acquitted him-“self of that duty, in the destruction of the temple “of Nagrakote. But if he should be pleased to “alter his resolution regarding Tahnesur, Anundpal “promises that the amount of the revenues of that “country shall be annually paid to Mahmood; “that a sum shall also be paid to reimburse him “for the expence of his expedition, besides which, “on his own part, he will present him with fifty “elephants, and jewels to a considerable amount.”

Mahmood replied, “The religion of the faith-“ful inculcates the following tenet: ‘That in pro-“portion as the tenets of the Prophet are “diffused, and his followers exert themselves in “the subversion of idolatry, so shall be their “reward in heaven;’ that, therefore, it behoved “him, with the assistance of God, to root out the “worship of idols from the face of all India. “How then should he spare Tahnesur?”

This answer was communicated to the Raja of Dehly, who, resolving to oppose the invaders, sent messengers throughout Hindoostan to acquaint the other rajas that Mahmood, without provo­cation, was marching with a vast army to destroy Tahnesur, now under his immediate protection. He observed, that if a barrier was not expeditiously raised against this roaring torrent, the country of Hindoostan would be soon overwhelmed, and that it behoved them to unite their forces at Tahnesur, to avert the impending calamity.

Mahmood having eached Tahnesur before the Hindoos had time to take measures for its defence, the city was plundered, the idols broken, and the idol Jugsoma was sent to Ghizny to be trodden under foot. According to Hajy Mahommed Kan-dahary, a ruby was found in one of the temples weighing 450 miskals, and it was allowed by every one who saw it to be a wonder that had never be­fore been heard of.

Mahmood, after the capture of Tahnesur, was de­sirous of proceeding to Dehly. But his nobles told him, that it would be impossible to keep pos­session of it, till he had rendered Mooltan a pro­vince of his own government, and secured himself from all apprehension of Anundpal, Raja of Lahore. The King resolved, therefore, for the present, to proceed no further, till he had accomplished these objects. Anundpal, however, conducted himself with so much policy and hospitality towards Mah-mood, that he returned peaceably to Ghizny. On this occasion, the Mahomedan army brought to Ghizny 200,000 captives, and much wealth, so that the capital appeared like an Indian city, no soldier of the camp being without wealth, or without many slaves.

A. H. 403.
A. D. 1012. In the year 403 Mahmood deputed his generals, Altoon-Tash and Arslan Jazib, to reduce the province of Joor-jistan ; * when the prince of that country, entitled Sar-Aboo-Nusr†, * was taken prisoner. The appel­lation of Sar among the Tartars having the same signification as Ray in India, and Kysur (Cæsar) in Rome. Mahmood at this time wrote to the Caliph of Bagdad (Al-Kadir Billa Abassy), that as the greatest part of the province of Khorassan was under his jurisdiction, he hoped he would order his governors to give up the remainder. The Caliph, dreading the great power of Mahmood, consented without hesitation to this demand. Finding the Caliph so complying, he required him also to send an order for the surrender of the city of Samarkand; but the Caliph refusing to accede to this proposal, Mahmood wrote him a threat­ening letter, and repeated his demand, stating, that unless an order was forthwith sent for the cession, he would march to Bagdad, and putting him to death, would bring his ashes to Ghizny. The Caliph, roused with indignation, made a laconic but spirited reply, which had the effect of preventing Mahmood from again urging the request.

A. H. 404.
A. D. 1013. In the year 404 Mahmood marched his army against the fort of Nindoona, situated on the mountains of Bulnat, * then in the possession of the Raja of Lahore. Anundpal had lately died, and his son, Jeipal† * the Second, had succeeded to the government. When the grandson of Jeipal saw that he could not oppose the King in the field, he drew off his army towards Kashmeer, leaving troops for the defence of his ca­pital. Mahmood immediately invested it, and by mining and other modes of attack, put the garrison under the necessity of capitulating. The King having granted to the besieged their lives took every thing of value out of the place, and appointing a new governor moved without delay towards Kashmeer, on which the Raja of Lahore, abandoning that province, fled to the hills. Mahmood plundered Kashmeer, and, having forced the inhabitants to acknowledge the Prophet, returned with rich spoils to his capital.

A. H. 406.
A. D. 1015. Mahmood, in the year 406, revisited Kashmeer with his army, in order to punish some revolted chiefs, and to be­siege some forts, which he had not reduced in his former expedition. The first of those forts was Lokote, remarkable on account of its height and strength, and which entirely defeated the King's utmost efforts; for not being able to reduce it during the summer season, he was obliged, on the approach of winter, to abandon his enterprize and return to Ghizny. On his route he was misled by his guides, and falling into extensive morasses, from which he for several days could not extricate his army, many of his troops perished, and he failed in all the enterprises of this campaign.

Abool Abass Mamoon, King of Khwaruzm, in the course of the same year, wrote to Mahmood, asking his sister in marriage, to which the King having agreed, she was sent to Khwaruzm.

A. H. 407.
A. D. 1015. In the year 407, a revolt occurring in the government of Abool Abass, the conspirators attacked and defeated his guards. The prince fell into their hands, and was put to death. Mahmood, hearing of this dis­aster, marched to Bulkh, and thence to Khwaruzm. On arriving at Khoozarbund, he ordered his general, Mahomed Bin-Ibraheem Taee, to proceed in advance. This detachment had scarcely crossed the frontier, when, one day while the Mahomedans were engaged in prayer, Khumar Tash, the general of the Khwaruzmians, rushed upon them from a neighbouring wood, and making a great slaughter, put the whole to flight. Mahmood re­ceived intelligence of this affair, and sent a consider­able force, consisting of his personal guards, to their support, which inspiring Ibraheem Taee's party with courage, it rallied, and having routed the enemy, took their chief prisoner, and brought him before the King.

Mahmood, found the Khwaruzmians prepared to receive him at Hazarasp; but they were soon defeated, their general Sipustugeen, a native of Bokhara, was taken prisoner, and the murderer of Abool-Abass suffered the punishment due to his crime. Mahmood spent some time in regulating the government, which he bestowed upon Altoon Tash Ameer Hajib, on whom he conferred the title of King of Khwaruzm. * He annexed, also, to his government, the province of Orkund.† * Returning to Bulkh, Mahmood gave the govern­ment of Hirat to his son, the Prince Ameer Musaood, appointing Aboo-Soheil Mahomed, the son of Hoossein Zowzuny, his vizier; and the go­vernment of Koorkan he conferred on his younger son, the Prince Ameer Mahomed, under the tute­lage of Aboo-Bukr Koohistany. After the final settlement of the affairs of Khwaruzm, the Ghiznian army was placed in cantonment for the winter at Boost.

A. H. 409.
A. D. 1017. In the spring of the year 409, Mah-mood, with an army consisting of 100,000 chosen horse, and 20,000 foot, raised in the countries of Toorkistan, Mawur-ool-Nehr, Khorassan, and the adjacent provinces, undertook an expedition against Kunowj, which, from the time of Gooshtasp, the father of Darab, till this period, had not been visited by any foreign enemy. Kunowj was distant from Ghizny three months' march, and seven formidable rivers inter­vened. When Mahmood reached the confines of Kashmeer, the prince, whom he had established in that country, sent him presents of all that was curious and valuable in his kingdom, and was directed to accompany the army. The King, with much difficulty, conducted his troops a long and tedious march, till he entered the plains of Hin-doostan, and driving all opposition before him, advanced to Kunowj.

He there saw a city which raised its head * to the skies, and which in strength and beauty might boast of being unrivalled. The Indian prince of this rich city was Koowur-Ray. He affected great state and splendour, but being thus unex­pectedly invaded, had not time to put himself in a posture of defence, or to collect his troops. Terri­fied by the great force, and the formidable appear­ance of the invaders, he resolved to sue for peace; and accordingly going out, with his family, to the camp, he submitted himself to Sooltan Mahmood. The author of the Hubeeboos Seer relates that he even embraced the Mahomedan faith. The King of Ghizny remained in Kunowj only three days, and then marched towards Merut, the raja of which place, Hurdut, retreated with his army, and left only a small garrison, which capitulated in a few days, agreeing to pay 250,000 silver deenars, and to deliver up thirty elephants. The King marched from thence to the fort of Muhavun, on the banks of the river Jumna. Koolchund, the Raja of Muhavun, having come forth to make his submission at the head of his troops, a quarrel ac­cidently arose between some of the soldiers of both armies, and a fight ensued, in which most of the Hindoos were driven into the river. The Raja, in despair, slew his own wife and children on the spot, and then turned the point of his sword on himself. The fort subsequently surrendering, the conqueror obtained much treasure and booty, amongst which were 80 elephants.