And when Abú-Ali-Hamula arrived from that defeat at Koms he wrote a letter to Nasr-’bn-Al-Hasan-’bn-Fírúzán, and summoned him to come by the road of celerity, in order that he might occupy himself in expediting the matter and fulfilling the affair, and in beginning the prepara­tion for battle. And he invited him also zealously to stop up all the recent fractures (and excisions); but he could not do so, on account of his dread of the army of Kábús, at Koms, so he decamped and came to Rai, and Nasr-’bn-Hasan came as far as Basmanán. And when he arrived at Abi there he halted, and wrote to Majdaddoulah and requested support. He (Majdaddoulah) however, postponed the effectuation of this proposition and remained some time waiting, until, after a long period, they sent the son of Yaktagin, the Cham­berlain, with six hundred Turkish cavalry, unto him, who succoured his position. And Kábús sent Bání-’bn-Saíd to join in the war against them, and wrote to Shahníar that he should set himself in array, in company with him. And Bání marched against Nasr, but was persevering and cautious, and was never slothfully forgetful of the most trifling minutiæ of circumspection and self-com­mand. And Nasr, perceiving that manœuvreing would not effect his object, fell back and observed the roads prepared and zealous for battle, when sud­denly Bání arrived, and the army which was with him had no intelligence of the halt of Nasr, and was careless and divided, and in the rear confused and broken, so his army, by the hand of Nasr and his chiefs, came to ruin. This victory made a deep impression upon Majdaddoulah. But the position and rank of Nasr was established, and Majdad­doulah sent his uncle, Rustam-’bn-Marzbán, with six thousand men in aid.

And Asafabad obtained the possession of the country of Sharejar, and Nasr came to meet him, as far as Damáward, opposing and resisting him, so that the country was taken from him. But Asafabad proceeded to Shahryar, and took refuge with Manuchabar-’bn-Shams-al-Muáli. And, in the midst of the people of Karim, a great scarcity appeared, on account of the passage and re-passage of the armies, and the searching and plundering of harvests and provisions, without money and without a request. And for this cause Nasr held off from Rustam, and separated himself from asso­ciation with him; and Asphabad, when he found that Rustam was deprived of the support and assistance of Nasr, began to turn round against him, and expelled him from his country. He came, afflicted and hurried, to Rai, and Asphabad possessed himself of and seated himself in the land. And, in these days, Abú-Nasr-’bn-Mahmúd-’bn Hájib, for one reason out of several, had betaken himself to the country of Shams-al-Muáli; and Shams-al-Muáli, in dealing with him, displayed eminent artifice and bribery, assisting him with much wealth and many bounties, and, in circum­stances both of need and prosperity, displayed the thoughts of an exalted temperament, and sent him to oppose Nasr; and he betook himself to this emergency, with strong heart and faithful eager­ness, and several times ran against the chief troops of Nasr, until he dispersed and scattered his soldiers. And he took prisoners Hasán-’bn-Ráí and Pisar Hindú (or the Hindú son) with several of his nobles, and Nasr, in his flight, halted at Samnán. Now Nasr-’bn-al-Hasan, on account of the splendour of his ancestry, and the antiquity of his rank, and the number of the bands of his comrades, exercised tyranny, and was known and noted for rebellion and inimical conduct; and his country lay in the road of the Grand Kaaba, and the honoured Haram (Temples of Hatím and Zamzam); and he every year oppressed the com­panies and caravans of the pilgrimage by various kinds of delaying requisitions, and successive im­posts, until his ill-name became dispersed abroad throughout all the lands of the earth, and foul shame was written upon the page of his illustrious lineage and splendid rank. And in the confusion and tumult of his affairs, the prayer of pilgrims, and the aversion of the wronged, became a marked cause of his humiliation, and of the shame of his* empire’s flag. But after this failure he wrote let­ters continually to Rê, and implored protection through aid and support. And they wrote in reply letters of great length, and admonitions of exten­sions (Verse)

And after the establishment of peace between Majdaddouláh and Kábús, the subject of Nasr was brought before them, and for their reconcilia­tion with each other it was deemed a desirable device that they should seize Nasr. And they arrived at a complete understanding with regard to his affairs. But Nasr was observing these trans­actions, and began to be suspicious of their faith­fulness. But in the midst of these events, news arrived that Arslan, the Hindú, son of the Prince of Kohistán, who was one of the lords and chiefs of the Sultán, had assaulted the head-quarters of Abúl-Kasim-Símjúr, and had cast him into the country of Jundbudh. Nasr went after him, and sought aid from an alliance with him, and incited him to march in the direction of Rê, and deluded him with an idea of his power of successfully opposing Majdaddoulat. And Abúl-Kasim was de­ceived by this crafty arrangement, and gave the reins into the hand of Nasr, and so came to ruin. He marched from Rê with a complete army before him, but the possibility of restraining these heroic servants and lion-cub soldiers by his own will was embarrassed and hindered. And when he witnessed the ranks of those lions, and the onset of those braves, he began to bite the finger of repentance, and experienced the shame and remorse of the words “pauperized,” “injured.” And Shams-al-Muáli sent a party of those tracking demons and biting devils to meet him, and they cut them off from those frontiers. And when they arrived at the borders of despair, and the world was narrow to them, they fixed their heart upon the service of the Sultán, and upon preserving themselves by the rope of his strength, and therefore betook them­selves to his presence. But the circumstances of Abúl-Kasim, in the service of the Sultán, came to that point, that he fled from the presence, for a reason which will be given in the sequel of this exposition. Nasr however remained long attached to the service, and the Sultán gave him Bíár and Jundbudh. He went to his fiefs, but found the extent of the country confining to his immense nobleness, and lofty ideas, and could not be content therewith, and through this aimless notion he made a disturbance, until they of Rê beguiled him with various kinds of contrivance and deceit, and drew him into the snare of treachery, and bound him when sentenced by the rope of captivity, and sent him to the fortress of Astonáwand. And Shams-al-Muáli prepared to recover the fortresses of those regions, and obtained possession of the whole, and by means of his faithful ones his wish was accom­plished, by seizing the head and the forelocks of those citadels into his grasp.

And Asphabad-Shahyár in the midst of all these affairs began to pour out the drops of the rivulet of strife, and became deludedly fascinated by his numerous army and abundant wealth, and collected numerous sepoys. To engage him they sent from Rê, Rustam, warden of the Marches, with the Princes of Dilem; and they sent Byaston-’bn-Bajásab, who had before been taken as being well-affected to the pretensions of Kábús, in the body of this army. They defeated Aspha­had, and took him prisoner. And Rustam, the March Warden, proclaimed the formularies of the acknowledgment of Kábús, and on account of the savage hatred which he entertained in his heart towards the people of Rê, he interwove the Khut­bah with the decoration of the name of Shams-al-Muáli. He wrote also to Kábús, narrating his proceedings in securing obedience to him, and true fidelity, and by these affairs Byaston found the pupils of his eyes gladdening his soul, and became happy in heart by his return to his native land, and the restoration of his people and citizens, and his association with the service of the prince of generosity. And he annexed the kingdom of the country of Gílán to those of Jurján and Tabristán. But Shams-al-Muáli gave Gílán to Manuchhar, his son. After this the province of Rumán and Sálús, and the borders of Isfandiyah were entirely recovered, and became adorned by justice, generosity, and peace in the efficient right hand, and excellent government of Shams-al-Muáli. And Shams-al-Muáli occupied himself in founding an edifice of affection, and strengthening the motives of love with the Sultán. And he sent envoys to arrange a state of friendship, and expressed his wish to concur and aid in a care for the empire, and a reverence for the honour of the Sultán. And that the bond of friendship and regard might be firmly decreed, he transmitted gifts and presents. He thus united and arranged the causes of confidence and sincerity. Thus Jurján and Tabristán, and the country of Dilem, as far as the sea-coast,* became subject to his decree, commanding or forbidding, binding or loosing. And Shams-al-Muáli-Kábús in his days was highly renowned amongst all other princes of provinces and chiefs of territories, on account of his noble soul, generous disposition, en­larged intellect, excellent character, perfect virtues, and brilliant energy. He was distinguished for expanded judgment, and abundant religion. And from his inclination to all kind of pure and liberal notions of external and internal (religion) recog­nized the truth that amusement and sovereignty are opposed to each other, and that their union, according to unchangeable and eternal rules cannot be idealized. Abú-Bosti, in confirming this senti­ment, says (Verse)

And Shams-al-Muáli-Kábús was adorned with the impress of justice, kindness, and equity. In zeal in the welfare of his ryots, and in attention to the advantage of his dependents, he was eager, and in various sciences of learning and morals he was pro­found. He was unparalleled for uniting skill with the sword and skill in the pen. His epistles were famed and celebrated throughout the regions and coasts of the world, and his perfect eloquence and excellence in adorning and embellishing his words were well known, &c.*