The author of this history, Zíá-Barní, was a child in the reign of Sultán Mu'izzu-d din Kai-Kubád, grandson of Sultán Balban, and the details which he has written he learned from his father, Muyidu-l Mulk, and from his preceptors, who were men of note at the time. Kai-Kubád* ascended the throne in the year 685 H. (1286 A.D.)* He was then seventeen or eighteen years old, and was a young man of many excellent qualities. He was of an equable temper, kind in disposition, and very handsome; but he was fond of pleasure and sensual gratifications. From his childhood till the day he came to the throne, he had been brought up under the eye of the Sultán, his grandfather. Such strict tutors had been placed over him that he never had the idea of indulging in any pleasure, or the opportunity of gratifying any lust. His tutors, in fear of the Sultán, watched him so carefully that he never cast his eyes on any fair damsel, and never tasted a cup of wine. Night and day his austere guardians watched over him. Teachers instructed him in the polite arts and in manly exercises, and he was never allowed to do any unseemly act, or to utter any improper speech. When, all at once, and without previous expectation, he was elevated to such a mighty throne, * * * all that he had read, and heard, and learned, he immediately forgot; his lessons of wisdom and self-restraint were thrown aside, and he plunged at once into pleasure and dissipation of every kind. * * * His ministers, likewise, the young nobles of his court, and his companions and friends, all gave themselves up to pleasure. The example spread, and all ranks, high and low, learned and unlearned, acquired a taste for wine drinking and amusements.
Kai-Kubád gave up residing in the city, and, quitting the Red Palace, he built a splendid palace, and laid out a beautiful garden at Kílu-garhí, on the banks of the Jumna. Thither he retired, with the nobles and attendants of his court, and when it was seen that he had resolved upon residing there, the nobles and officers also built palaces and dwellings, and, taking up their abode there, Kílu-garhí became a populous place [and the resort of all the votaries and ministrants of pleasure.] Night and day the Sultán gave himself up entirely to dissipation and enjoyment.
Malik Nizámu-d dín, nephew and son-in-law of Maliku-l umará Kotwal of Dehlí, now rose to the highest offices. He became Dád-bak, or chief administrator of justice, and Náib-i mulk, or deputy ruler of the State, and the government of the country was in his hands. Malik Kiwámu-d dín, who held the office of secretary, an accomplished and eloquent man, thoroughly versed in correspondence and the duties of secretary, was made 'Umdatu-l mulk and Náib-wakíldar. Nizámu-d dín was an active, ready, and crafty man, and his rise to power gave great offence to the nobles and servants of the late king, who were strong and numerous, and still held important positions. His head was filled with ambitious designs, while the Sultán was engrossed with pleasure and conviviality. The old and experienced courtiers, who had felt the heat and cold of varying fortune, perceived that the minister bore them no good will, and formed themselves into various parties. The nobles, heads of great families, found their position at court shaken, and some of them conceived a craving for an extension of their power. Nízámu-d dín sharpened his teeth in the pursuit of his ambition, and argued with himself thus: “Sultán Balban was a wary old wolf, who held possession of Dehlí for sixty years, and kept down the people of the kingdom with a firm grasp. He is gone, and his son, who was fitted to be a king, died before him; Bughrá Khán remains contented at Lakhnautí, and the roots of empire which the old man planted are day by day growing weaker. The Sultán, in his devotion to pleasure, has not a thought for his government. If I get rid of Kai-Khusrú, the son of “the Martyr Prince,” and can remove some of the old nobles from the person of the sovereign, the realm of Dehlí will fall with ease into my hands.” With such thoughts and crooked designs, he began to play his game against Kai-Khusrú; so he said to the Sultán, “Kai-Khusrú is your partner in the kingdom, and is endued with many kingly virtues. The nobles are very friendly towards him, and look upon him as the heir-apparent of Sultán Balban. If several of Balban's nobles support him, one day they will set you aside and raise him to the throne. It would therefore be politic for you to summon him from Multán, and to make away with him on the road. This truculent suggestion was adopted, and messengers were sent for Kai-Khusrú. Nizámu-d dín took advantage of the Sultán's drunkenness to obtain his sanction for the murder of the prince. He then despatched his emissaries, who murdered the prince at Rohtak.
This murder excited great dread of the minister among all those nobles who remained in office. The glory and honour of the maliks was shattered, and fear seized upon them all. Nizámu-d dín became more overbearing. He brought a charge against Khwája Khatír, wázír of the Sultán, and had him placed upon an ass, and paraded through the whole city. This punishment increased the terror which all the nobles and officers felt. He next resolved upon removing the chief nobles and heads of illustrious families; so he said to the Sultán, “These newly-made Musulmáns, who hold offices and appointments near your majesty, are in league together. You have made them your companions and associates, but they intend to deal treacherously with you; and, introducing themselves by degrees into the palace, they will turn you out and seize upon the kingdom. These Mughal nobles hold meetings in their houses and consult together. They are all of one race, their followers are numerous, and they have grown so strong that they will raise a rebellion. Shortly after he reported to the Sultán some words which had come to his ears, as having been uttered by these Mughals while in a state of intoxication, and he obtained from him permission to seize and kill them. One day he had them all seized in the palace, the principal of them were slain and cast into the Jumna, and their houses and property were plundered. Several descendants of slaves,* also, who were men of high rank in the time of Balban, having formed acquaintances and friendship with these new Musulmáns, were made prisoners and confined in distant forts. Their families, which had long taken root in the land, were scattered.
Next after these Malik Sháhik, amír of Multán, and Malik Túzakí, who was the holder of the fief of Baran, and held the office of Muster-master-general—men of high rank and importance in the reign of Balban—were both of them got rid of by stratagem. These proceedings made the designs of Nizámu-d dín sufficiently clear to all men of the court and city; and his house became the resort of the principal men of the place. He had obtained such an ascendancy over Kai-Kubád, that whenever any one belonging to the city or otherwise made allusion to the ambitious designs of Nizámu-d dín, or, in a fair and open way, brought any evil practice to his notice, the Sultán used to say to his minister, “So and so has spoken this about you;” or he would have the person seized, and giving him over to Nizámu-d dín, would say, “This man wanted to make mischief between us.”
The ascendancy of Nizámu-d dín reached such a pitch that his wife, who was the daughter of Maliku-l umará, became known as “honorary mother” of the Sultán, and the directress of his female apartments. The sight of his power caused all the great men and chiefs of the city and country to anxiously watch his proceedings and guard against his hostility with all caution. With every device in their power, they endeavoured to obtain his favour, and to be reckoned among his adherents. Kotwál Maliku-l Umará Fakhru-d dín, father-in-law and uncle of Nizámu-d dín, often spoke to him in private, and remonstrated with him on his ambitious designs and his destruction of the nobles, saying, “I and my father have been kotwáls of Dehlí for eighty years, and as we have never meddled with affairs of State, we have remained in safety, * * * banish this vision of royalty from your mind, for royalty has no relation with us. * * * Supposing you kill this drunken insensate king by some villainous contrivance, the infamy of such an action will remain upon you and your children till the day of judgment.” * * * This admonition of the kotwál's became generally known, * * * and raised him very high in public estimation.