When Yamínu-d daula heard of this, he marched towards Khwárizm, with a desire of vengeance and hostility, and in the territories of that country he kindled the flames of war. Many of the Khwárizmians were killed, and 5000 of them were taken prisoners, and the rest of the unfortunates fled. Bináltigín took to a boat, in order that he might cross over the Jíhún, but, on account of the littleness of his understanding, he adopted such an insolent tone towards one of the boatmen who was known to him, as to bring matters to this point, that that individual having seized Bináltigín, conveyed the ungrateful wretch to the camp of Sultán Mahmúd, who gave orders that they should erect gallows before the tomb of Mámún, and upon them Bináltigín, with some other of the seditious nobles, was hung up by the neck. Having given over the government of Khwárizm to Altúntásh, the Sultán returned towards Ghaznín.*
In the year 409 H. (1018-19 A.D.), during the season of flowery spring, when the days and nights are equal, when the lord of vegetation leads his army of verdure and of odoriferous herbs over the deserts and gardens, and when from the temperature of the air of Ardíbihisht, and from the blowing of the morning breeze, he has subdued the citadels of the green rose-buds, Yamínu-d daula again formed the resolution of warring against the infidels of Hindustán. With an excellent army of 20,000 volunteers, who, for the sake of obtaining the reward of making war upon infidels, had joined the mighty camp, he marched towards Kanauj, which was distant a three months' journey. In the middle of his way he came upon an impregnable fort, which was the residence of a certain king possessed of bravery in war. When that king saw the multitudes of the warriors of the religion of the chief of the righteous, having come to the foot of the fort, he confessed the unity of God.
The Sultán then directed his steps towards a fort which was
in the possession of a certain infidel named Kulchand. Kul-
From that place the Sultán proceeded to a certain city, which was accounted holy by the people of the country. In that city the men of Ghaznín saw so many strange and wonderful things, that to tell them or to write a description of them is no easy matter. There were a hundred palaces made of stone and marble, and the Sultán, in writing a description of these buildings to the nobles at Ghaznín, said “that if any one wished to make palaces like these, even if he expended a hundred thousand times thousand dínárs, and employed experienced superintendents for 200 years, even then they would not be finished.” Again, they found five idols of the purest gold, in the eyes of each of which there were placed two rubies, and each of these rubies was worth 50,000 dínárs: in another idol there were sapphires, which weighed 600 drachms. The number of silver idols upon the spot was more than 100.* In short, Sultán Mahmúd, having possessed himself of the booty, burned their idol-temples, and proceeded towards Kanauj.
Jaipál, who was the King of Kanauj, hearing of the Sultán's approach, fled, and on the 18th of Sha'bán, of the year above mentioned, Yamínu-d daula, having arrived in that country, saw on the banks of the Ganges seven forts, like those of Khaibar, but, as they were destitute of brave men, he subdued them in one day. The Ghaznivides found in these forts and their dependencies 10,000 idol-temples, and they ascertained the vicious belief of the Hindus to be, that since the erection of those buildings no less than three or four hundred thousand years had elapsed. Sultán Mahmúd during this expedition achieved many other conquests after he left Kanauj,* and sent to hell many of the infidels with blows of the well-tempered sword. Such a number of slaves were assembled in that great camp, that the price of a single one did not exceed ten dirhams.
When Mahmúd returned victorious from this expedition to the royal residence of Ghaznín, he built a general mosque and a college, and endowed them with pious legacies.* Some years after these events, Sultán Mahmúd, of praiseworthy virtues, formed the design of taking Somnát, and of slaying the detestable idolators. On the 10th of Sha'bán, 416 H. (1025-6 A.D.), he marched towards Multán with 30,000 cavalry, in addition to a multitude of men, who also bent their steps thither for their own pleasure, and for the obtaining the reward of warring against infidels. Having arrived at that city in the middle of Ramazán, he resolved to travel the rest of the distance by the way of the desert. The soldiers were obliged to carry water and forage for many days, and in addition the Sultán loaded 20,000 camels with water and provisions, so that the troops might not by any means become diminished in number. Having passed that bloodthirsty desert,* they saw on the edge of it several forts filled with fighting men, and abounding with instruments of war, but the omnipotent God struck fear into the hearts of the infidels, so that they delivered the forts over without striking a blow. Sultán Mahmúd went from that place towards Nahrwála,* and he killed and plundered the inhabitants of every city on the road at which he arrived, until, in the month of Zí-l ka'da of the above year, he arrived at Somnát. Historians agree that Somnát is the name of a certain idol, which the Hindus believe in as the greatest of idols, but we learn the contrary of this from Shaikh Farídu-d dín 'Attár, in that passage where he says: “The army of Mahmúd obtained in Somnát that idol whose name was Lát.” According to historians, Somnát was placed in an idol-temple upon the shore of the sea. The ignorant Hindus, when smitten with fear, assemble in this temple, and on those nights more than 100,000 men come into it. From the extremities of kingdoms, they bring offerings to that temple, and 10,000 cultivated villages are set apart for the expenses of the keepers thereof. So many exquisite jewels were found there, that a tenth part thereof could not be contained entirely in the treasury of any king. Two thousand Brahmans were always occupied in prayer round about the temple. A gold chain, weighing 200 mans, on which bells were fixed, hung from a corner of that temple, and they rang them at appointed hours, so that by the noise thereof the Brahmans might know the time for prayer. Three hundred musicians and 500 dancing slave girls were the servants of that temple, and all the necessaries of life were provided for them from the offerings and bequests for pious usages.
The river Ganges is a river situated to the east of Kanauj,* and the Hindus are opinion that the water of this river springs from the fountain of Paradise; having burned their dead, they throw the ashes into the stream, and this practice they hold as purifying them from their sins.
In short, when Mahmúd encamped at Somnát, he saw a large fort on the shore of the sea, and the waves reached up to the earth underneath that castle. Many men having come upon the top of the rampart, looked down upon the Musulmáns, and imagined that their false god would kill that multitude that very night.
“The next day, when this world, full of pride,
Obtained light from the stream of the sun;
The Turk of the day displaying his golden shield,
Cut off with his sword the head of the Hindu night.”*
The army of Ghaznín, full of bravery, having gone to the foot of the fort, brought down the Hindus from the tops of the ramparts with the points of eye-destroying arrows, and having placed scaling-ladders, they began to ascend with loud cries of Alláh-u Akbar (i.e., God is greatest). The Hindus offered resistance, and on that day, from the time that the sun entered upon the fort of the turquoise-coloured sky, until the time that the stars of the bed-chambers of Heaven were conspicuous, did the battle rage between both parties. When the darkness of night prevented the light of the eye from seeing the bodies of men, the army of the faithful returned to their quarters.