Called by the title of “Yamín-i-Amír-al-Múminín”
(Right hand of the Commander of the Faithful.)

In the year 607 H. ascended the imperial throne of Dehlí; and the reason of the name Iyaltimish is that his birth occurred on the night of an eclipse of the moon, and the Turks call a child born under these circumstances Iyaltimish.* His father was the chief of many of the tribes of Turkestán. His kinsmen under pretence of taking him for a walk took Iyaltimish into a garden and sold him like Joseph to a merchant, from there he happened to be taken to Bokhárá, and thence in the time of Sulán Muḥammad Sám to Ghaznín; and in these days Sulán Qubu­d-Dín after the conquest of Nahrwálah and the taking of Gujrát had gone to Ghaznín, and since without permission of Sulán Muḥammad Sám no one could purchase Iyaltimish he asked permission from the Sulán to sell him. Sulán Muḥammad Sám said that since he had given orders that no one there should buy that slave they were to take him to Dehli and sell him there. Sulán Qubu-d-Dín after his return from Ghaznín bought a slave named Ibak, a namesake of his own, and Iyaltimish, at Dehli for 100,000 tangahs: at first he called him Amír Ṭamghách,* and appointed him to the Amírship of Tabarhindah,* and at the time when Sulán Qubu-d-Dín fought with Táju-d-Dín Yaldúz, Ibak his slave tasted the cup of death. At that time he made Iyaltimish an especial favourite, and after the capture of Gwáliár he made him Governor of that place, and subsequently bestowed upon him the rule of Baran* and its environs, and since he ^63. began to shew signs of extraordinary hardiness he entrusted the country of Badáún to him, and in the war of Muizzu-d-Dín with the Khúkhars (as has been already related), Iyaltimish having got together a huge army from Badáon and the foot of the hills, joined hands with Sulán Muizzu-d Dín in the service of Sulan Qubu-d-Dín, and armed as he was having forced his horse into the river* engaged the enemy bravely several times: Sulán Muizzu-d-Dín bestowed on him fitting honours and distinguished him royally and gave him high recommendations to Malik Qubu-d-Dín, and went to the greatest possible lengths in his care for him; and that same day Malik Qubu-d-Dín wrote his letter of emancipation, and by degrees raised him to the dignity of Amír-ul-Umará (Chief of the Amírs) till his affairs reached the height they did. And in the beginning of his reign certain of the Muizzíyeh and Qubíyeh Amirs rebelled against him and suffered punishment and became food for the pitiless sword. And Malik Táju-d-Dín Yaldúz after he had suffered defeat by the Army of Khwárazm obtained possession of Lahore; Sulán Shamsu-d-Dín coming from Delhi to meet him in the year 612 H. drew up in battle order on the confines of Taráyan which is known as Serái Taláwarí.* After a severe battle Sulán Táju-d-Dín Yaldúz being defeated fell a prisoner into the hands of Shamsu-d-Dín who sent him to Badáon. The bird of his soul there escaped from the prison house of the body and took its flight to the nest of the next world. His tomb is in that city.

And in the year 614 H. Sulán Shamsu-d-Dín came into conflict with Sulán Náṣiru-d-Dín Qabácha who had married the two daughters of Sulán Qubu-d-Dín one after the other, and was in possession of Uchh and Multán, and victory rested with Sulán ^64. Shamsu-d-Dín, and for the third time* Sulán Shamsu-d-Dín went up in person against him. He, having fortified the castle of Uchh, himself went to the fortress of Bhankar, and Nizámul-Mulk Wazír Jandí pursued him while the Sulán reduced Uchh. After hearing the news of the capture of Uchh, Náṣiru-d-Dín sent his own son Bahrám Sháh into the presence of the Sulán and sued for peace. Bhankar also was captured. And in the year 615 H. Náṣiru-d-Dín was overwhelmed in the sea of destruc­tion in the Punjáb, and surrendered the property of life to the flood of death, and the Sulán turning back came to Delhí. In the year 618 H. Sulán Shamsu-d-Dín raised an army against Sulán Jalálu-d-Dín Mangburní* son of Khwárazm Sháh who having suffered defeat at the hands of Changíz Khán after Táju-d-Dín, came to Ghaznín and thence from fear of the incursions of Changíz Khán had gone to Lahore with his family and relations; and Sulán Jalálu-d-Dín not being able to withstand him went towards Sindh and Síwistan and from there by way of Kuch and Makrán arrived at Kirmán and Iráq.*

And in the year 622 H.* Sulán Shamsu-d-Dín, took an army towards Behár and Lakhnautí and brought Sulán Ghiyáu-d-Dín Khiljí, who has been before mentioned, into obedience, and having accepted the present above mentioned,* established the khuba and sikka in his own name* and having given his elder son the title of Sulán Náṣiru-d-Dín Maḥmúd* made him his heir, and having made over that country to him returned to the metropolis of Delhi. Eventually Malik Náṣiru-d-Dín Maḥmúd having fought with Ghiyáu-d-Dín on the confines of Lakhnautí got the upper hand, and having taken him prisoner put him to death, and great booty fell into his hands which he divided into portions and sent it as rewards* to each of the nobles of Dehlí. ^65. * [It is well known that a poet name Náṣirí arrived in that country from Dehlí in the service of Haẓrat Khwája Qubu-d-Dín Ushí* may God sanctify him and said I have composed a Qaṣída in praise of Sulán Shamsu-d-Dín. Read the Fátiḥa that I may get the accustomed reward.” They read the Fátiḥa and he having been admitted to the Sulán's presence read this Mala‘.

Oh thou from dread of whom sedition has sought refuge,
Whose sword has sought from the infidels property and elephants.

The Sulán by the mere reading of that mala‘ learnt it by heart and repeated it, and when the poem was finished he asked How many couplets does this Qaṣída contain? The answer was fifty and three. He thereupon ordered them to give him fifty-three thousand white tangahs.*] Sulán Shamsu-d-Dín in [the year] 623 H. made an attack upon Ranthanbhúr* and having brought an army thither reduced that fortress, and in the year 624 H. having detailed a large army to attack and capture the fort of Mandúr,* brought that fort together with the Siwálik hills into the circle of his conquest and returned to Dehlí, and in this same year Amír Rúḥání* who was one of the most learned men of that time came to Dehlí from Bukhárá in the affair of Changíz Khán, and wrote several brilliant odes of congratulation upon these victories, of which the following verses are an extract.