Who was one of the specially favourite servants of Sulán Muizzu-d-Dín, on the occasion of an eclipse of the moon had a broken little finger,* and was known by this soubriquet (Aibak), they also call him Qubu-d-Dín* Lak bakhsh.* With the consent of ^55. the nobles of Hindústán he established himself as Protector of the kingdom of Dehlí, and after the martyrdom of Sulán Muizzu-d-Dín his brother's son, Sulán Ghiyáu-d-Dín Maḥmúd, the rightful heir of Sulán Ghiyáu-d-Dín Muḥammad in whose praise they wrote the following verse:—

Sulán from East to West, Monarch from West to East
Maḥmúd ibn Muḥammad ibn Sám ibn Ḥusain.

having sent to Malik Qubu-d-Dín from Fíroza Koh the canopy and insignia of royalty, addressed him by the title of Sulán,* and in the year 602 H. (1295 A.D.) having come from Dehlí to Láhore on Tuesday, the sixteenth of the month of ẔuQa‘dah in the aforesaid year, ascended the throne of empire and became proverbial for his kindness and clemency. He used to bestow upon deserving recipients rewards far in excess of their anticipations, and inaugurated his custom of lak bakhshi (bestowing laks). One of the learned men of the time named Baháu-d-Dín Úshí* said in praise of him.

Quatrain.

Oh thou that hast brought into the world the bestowal of laks;
Thy hand has brought the mine into great straits;
From envy of thy liberality the heart of the mine has seized blood drops,
And placed them forward pretending that they are rubies.

And after some time enmity arose between him and Táju-d-Dín Yaldúz, who was one of the slaves of Muizzu-d-Dín and had read the Khuba in his own name in Ghaznín, on account of Láhore, and the fire of war and conflict blazed forth on the con­fines of the Punjáb; Táju-d-Dín was defeated, and went to ^56. Kirmán which was his usual abode. Sulán Qubu-d-Dín went and took possession of the fort of Ghaznín and staying there for a period of forty days, spent his time in rioting and wantonness and dissipation. Accordingly the people of Ghaznín were an­noyed at his behaviour and secretly summoned Táju-d-Dín Yaldúz, who arrived without warning, and Sulán Qubu-d-Dín not being able to oppose him came to Láhore by way of Sang Surákh*

Verse.

When the head of a Sulán becomes unsteady from wine
Without warning the crown of Empire falls from his head.

And after wielding power for some time he fell from his horse when playing chaugán at Láhore in the year 607 H., and died* and was buried in that city and his tomb is at present the resort of pilgrims. The period of his reign after the conquest of Hindustán, was twenty years, out of which period he was for four years a Sulán.

This ancient revolving heaven has overthrown many heroes;
So far as you are able, place no reliance on the sun and moon and Jupiter.*

Seven other individuals of the generals and slaves of Sulán Muizzu-d-Dín reached princely power in Hindústán and Ghaznín and Bengála and other places, whose affairs are written in their proper places; among others Táju-d-Dín Yaldúz on the confines of Taráyan, otherwise known as Taráwarí, having fought with Sulán Shamsu-d-Dín Iyaltamish was taken prisoner. Another is Sulán Náṣiru-d-Dín Qabácha* who is also one of the slaves of Muizzu-d-Dín, and had married one of the daughters of Táju-d-Dín Yaldúz, the other daughter was married to Sulán Qubu-d-Dín and Sulán Muizzu-d-Dín during his lifetime had bestowed upon him the governorship of Uchh and Multán. After the death of Sulán Qubu-d-Dín, he brought the whole country from Uchh* to Sarsutí and Kuhrám under his own rule, and also took posses­sion of Lahore, and having fought with the army of Malik Táju­d-Dín who was on his way from Ghaznín, Khwája Mu‘aiyyidu-l-Mulk Sinjarí* being in command of that army, was defeated and went to Sindh in which country he obtained great ascendancy.

^57. In the year 611 H. (1214 A. D.) a Moghul army arrived and laid siege to Multán for forty days and the Sulán Náṣiru-d-Dín, having opened the doors of the treasury, evinced great bravery and warded off their attacks, and at last after a reign of twenty-two years fell a prisoner into the hands of Sulán Shamsu-d-Dín and trod the way to the next world.* Another is Malik Baháu-d-Dín Tughral, when Muizzu-d-Dín Muḥammad Sám reduced the fortress of Bahankar* he entrusted the command of it to Malik Baháu-d-Dín Tughral, and he having built a fortress in the country of Bhasiyána* elected to reside there* and used continually to harass the envirous of Gwáliár, and Sulán Muizzu-d-Dín at the time of his return from Gwáliár had promised to give that for­tress to Malik Baháu-d-Dín who accordingly strongly fortified a position at a distance of two krohs from Gwáliár and harassed the garrison of the fort, so that after a year the garrison sending messengers and presents invited Sulán Qubu-d-Dín and sur­rendered the fort to him. On this account enmity arose between Malik Qubu-d-Dín and Baháu-d-Dín. Malik Baháu-d-Dín died a short time afterwards.*

Another is Malik Muḥammad Bakhtyár Ghúrí.* He was one of the great men of Ghúr and Garmsír, a man adorned with all good qualities who came to Ghaznín in the reign of Sulán Muizzu-d-Dín and from thence went to Hindústán. He did not approve of having to live in Láhore with Sulán Qubu-d-Dín, and joined hands with Malik Ḥusainu-d-Dín Ughal Beg* ruler of the country between the two rivers (The Doáb) and the country beyond the river Ganges, and Kanpilah and Patiálí* were allotted as his reward. He proceeded to Oudh and conquered that coun­try, reduced Behár and Munér,* and having taking large booty Sulán Qubu-d-Dín sent him royal honours and a banner of Sulánship. He then brought many presents to the court of the ^58. Sulán, and received great favours and distinctions; the grandees of the court seeing they were powerless against him, became envious of him, and instigated the Sulán to such an extent that one day he made him fight with a rogue elephant,* but he struck the elephant so hard upon the trunk with a heavy club that the elephant turned and fled. The Sulán was overwhelmed with astonishment to see this, and nominated and appointed him ruler of the whole country of Lakhnautí* in Bengála and sent him away. In the second year after this arrangement Muḥammad Bakhtyár brought an army from Behár towards Lakhnautí and arrived at the town of Núdiyá* with a small force, Núdiyá is now in ruins. Ráí Lakhmia (Lakminía)* the governor of that town who had heard from astrologers* the fame of Muḥammad Bakhtyár and his great power, fled thence to Kámrán, and property and booty beyond computation fell into the hands of the Muslims, and Muḥammad Bakhtyár having destroyed the place of worship and idol-temples of the infidels founded Mosques and Monasteries and schools and caused a metropolis to be built called by his own name, which now has the name of Gaur.*