When Sultán Balban had secured himself in his dominions, and had removed all his rivals and opponents, and when he had appointed his own followers to the possessions of Sher Khán, he gave a royal canopy to his eldest son, proclaimed him his heir apparent, and made him governor of all Sind and the other dependent frontier districts. He then sent him with a large body of nobles and officials to Multán. The prince was a young man possessed of many excellent qualities; he was known in those days by the name of Muhammad Sultán, but the Sultán, on giving him this appointment, bestowed on him the title of Ká'ám-l Mulk. He is commonly known as Khán-i shahíd, “the Martyr Khán.” In the early years of his father's reign he had held the territory of Kol and some districts dependent thereto. Here he exhibited many virtues and excellent qualities. Several of the old Shamsí slaves had given the name of Muhammad to their sons, and these all became famous. Thus there was Mu­hammad Kishlí Khán, who had no rival in archery in Khurásán or Hindustán. * * * Among these Muhammads, the son of Sultán Balban, named Muhammad Sultán, was pre-eminently distinguished. His father loved him dearer than his life. The Court of the young prince was frequented by the most learned, excellent, and accomplished men of the time. His attendants used to read (to him) the Sháh-námah, the Díwán-i Sanáí, the Díwán-i Khákání, and the Khamsah of Shaikh Nizámí. Learned men discussed the merits of these poets in his presence. Amír Khusrú and Amír Hasan were servants at his Court, and at­tended upon him for five years at Multán, receiving from the prince allowances and grants of land. The Prince fully appreci­ated the merits and excellencies of these two poets, and delighted to honour them above all his servants. I, the author of this work, have often heard from Amír Khusrú and Amír Hasan that they had very rarely seen a prince so excellent and virtuous as the “Martyr Prince.” * * At his entertainments they never heard him indulge in foolish dirty talk, whether wine was drunk or not; and if he drank wine he did so with moderation, so as not to become intoxicated and senseless. * * *

The Martyr Prince twice sent messengers to Shíráz for the express purpose of inviting Shaikh S'adí to Multán, and for­warded with them money to defray the expenses of the journey. His intention was to build a khánkáh (monastery) for him in Multán, and to endow it with villages for its maintenance. Khwája S'adí, through the feebleness of old age, was unable to accept the invitations, but on both occasions he sent some verses in his own hand, and made his apologies also in writing. * * *

Every year the Prince used to come to see his father, bringing treasure and presents, and after staying a few days at Court he returned to his government. On the last occasion of their meeting the Sultán addressed him in private, telling him that he had grown old, * * that he had made him his heir-apparent, and now intended making a will for his guidance. * * He called for pen and ink, and giving them into his son's hands, com­manded attention to his dictation. * * * When the Sultán had finished his testament* of counsel, he sent the Prince back to Multán.

In the same year that the Sultán made this testament he sent his younger son, Bughrá Khán, also entitled Násiru-d dín, to Sámána, having placed under his charge Sámána, Sannám, and all their dependencies. This prince was a fine young man, but in qualities he was not to be compared with his elder brother. When the Sultán sent him to his government he commanded him to increase the allowances to the old soldiers, and to enlist twice as many more new men. He also ordered him to promote the in­dustrious and faithful officials, and to give them grants of land. He further directed him to be particularly careful in appointing officers for his army, so that he might be ready to repel any ad­vances of the Mughals.

Bughrá Khán was inferior to his elder brother in intelligence; the Sultán therefore directed him not to be hasty in business, but to consult with his officers and trusty followers on all matters of importance concerning the army and country. All matters beyond his capacity were to be referred direct to the Sultán, and all orders upon such questions which the Sultán might pass were to be scrupulously enforced, without failure or excess. The Sultán forbad the use of wine to Bughrá Khán. He ob­served that Sámána was an important territory, and its army most useful; and he threatened him that if he indulged in wine and in unseemly practices, neglecting the interests of the army and the country under his charge, he would assuredly remove him, and give him no other employment. The Sultán also sent spies (baríd) to watch over his proceedings, and took great pains to obtain information of his doings. The son accordingly con­ducted himself honourably and gave up improper indulgences.

At this time the Mughal horse crossed the Biyáh, and the Sultán sent against them the Martyr Prince from Multán, Bughrá Khán from Sámána, and Malik Bárbak Bektars* from Dehli. They marched to the Biyáh, driving back the Mughals, and obtaining many victorios over them, so that the enemy were unable to advance beyond the Biyáh. In each of these three armies there were about seventeen or eighteen thousand horse.

Fifteen or sixteen years had passed since the accession of Balban, during which the country had been quiet, and no adver­sary or disaffected person had disturbed the peace. * * * News at length reached Dehli that the perfidious Tughril had broken out in rebellion at Lakhnautí. Tughril was a Turk, and a very active, bold, courageous, and generous man. Sultán Balban had made him viceroy of Lakhnautí and Bengal. Shrewd and know­ing people had given to Lakhnautí the name of Bulghákpúr (the city of strife), for since the time when Sultán Mu'izzu-d dín Muhammad Sám conquered Dehli, every governor that had been sent from thence to Lakhnautí took advantage of the distance, and of the difficulties of the road, to rebel. If they did not rebel themselves others rebelled against them, killed them, and seized the country. The people of this country had for many long years evinced a disposition to revolt, and the disaffected and evil disposed among them generally succeeded in alienating the loyalty of the governors.

Tughril Khán, on being appointed to Lakhnautí, was successful in several enterprises. He attacked Jájnagar* and carried off great spoil in valuables and elephants. Traitors and rebels then made advances to him, and represented that the Sultán was old, and his two sons were engaged in guarding against the Mughals. That no year passed without the Mughals forcing their way into Hindustan and seizing upon different towns. The Court of Dehli had quite enough to do in repelling these attacks, and neither the Sultán nor his sons could leave this all important duty to come to Lakhnautí. The nobles of Hindustan had no leader, they were wanting in soldiers and retainers, in elephants and wealth, and they were quite incapable of marching to Lakh-nautí and opposing Tughril. So they urged him to revolt and make himself king. Tughril listened to and was led astray by these evil advisers. He was young, self-willed, and daring; “ambition had long laid its egg in his head,” and he was heed­less of the royal revenge and chastisement. The spoil and ele­phants which he had captured at Jájnagar he kept for himself, and sent none to Dehli. He assumed royal insignia, and took the title of Sultán Mughísu-d dín, which title was used in the khutba and on his coins. He was profuse in his liberality, so the people of the city and the environs were his friends. Money closed the eyes of the clear-sighted, and greed of gold kept the more politic in retirement. The army and the citizens lost all fear of the supreme power, and joined heart and soul with Tughril.