There intelligence was received of the march of Muhammad Ghorí from Ghazna; Kutbu-d dín advanced to meet him, “and had the honor of kissing hands, which is the highest of glories, and the essence of miracles, and presented an elephant laden with white silver and red gold,” “and an hundred horses,” “and sundry kinds of perfumes.”

Fight with the Ráí of Benares and Capture of Ásní.

When the army was mustered, it was found to amount to “fifty thousand mounted men clad in armour and coats of mail,” with which they advanced to fight against the Ráí of Benares. The king ordered Kutbu-d dín to proceed with the vanguard, con­sisting of one thousand cavalry, which fell upon “the army of the enemies of religion,” and completely defeated it. On its return to the king, the officers were presented with robes of honour.

“The Ráí of Benares, Jai Chand, the chief of idolatry and perdition, advanced to oppose the royal troops with an army, countless as the particles of sand,” “and the noise of the war-drum proclaimed to the ears of the worshippers of one God, aid comes from the Almighty, and the sound of the silver kettle-drum and the blast of the brazen trumpets resounded to heaven.” Rhapsodical description of swords, spears, war-nooses, and archers. “The Ráí of Benares, who prided himself on the number of his forces and war elephants,” seated on a lofty howdah, received a deadly wound from an arrow, and “fell from his exalted seat to the earth.” His head was carried on the point of a spear to the commander, and “his body was thrown to the dust of contempt.” “The impurities of idolatry were purged by the water of the sword from that land, and the country of Hind was freed from vice and superstition.”

“Immense booty was obtained, such as the eye of the beholder would be weary to look at,” including one (some copies say three) hundred elephants. The royal army then took possession “of the fort of Ásní where the treasure of the Ráí was deposited,” and there much more precious spoil of all kinds rewarded the victors.

The Capture of Benares.

From that place the royal army proceeded towards Benares, “which is the centre of the country of Hind,” and here they destroyed nearly one thousand temples, and raised mosques on their foundations; and the knowledge of the law became pro­mulgated, and the foundations of religion were established;” “and the face of the dínár and the diram was adorned with the name and blessed titles” of the king. The Ráís and chiefs of Hind came forward to proffer their allegiance. “The govern­ment of that country was then bestowed on one of the most celebrated and exalted servants of the State,” in order that he might distribute justice and repress idolatry.

When the king had settled all the affairs of the city and its vicinity, and “the record of his celebrated holy wars had been written in histories and circulated throughout the breadth of the fourth inhabited quarter of the world,” he returned to Ghazna. “The standards of the Khusrú, victorious in battle,* were planted for some days on the fort of Ásní, and the chiefs and elders all around hastened to his service with various kinds of rarities and presents, and his noble Court became the scene where the princes and generals of the world came to bow their heads in reverence.”

There was a certain tribe in the neighbourhood of Kol, which “after the manner of fox playing with lions” had occasioned much trouble by their deceits and stratagems, therefore “by the edge of the sword they were despatched to the fire of hell.” “Three bastions were raised as high as heaven with their heads, and their carcases became the food of beasts of prey.” “That tract was freed from idols and idol worship, and the foundations of infidelity were destroyed,” and all those who were oppressed found protection under the shadow of royal clemency.” “The keys of command and prohibition in the kasba of Kol were given to Maliku-l Umará Hisámu-d dín 'Ulbak, one of the chief pillars of the State.” Here follows a didactic passage on what he was expected to do as a good governor.

He returns to Dehli.

“When he was at complete leisure from the important con­cerns of Kol, and the affairs of that neighbourhood had been adjusted by the aid of the kindness of his heart, he turned his face towards the abodes of Dehli, the altar of the prosperity of the worlds,” and when he arrived there he administered justice with so much impartiality, that among other results “the wolf and sheep drank water out of the same pond,” “and the very mention of thieves and theft, which had before been current on the tongues of every one, fell to the dust.”

The Second Visit to Ajmír.

“In the year 589 H. (1193 A.D.) they represented to the Court that Hiráj, the Ráí of Ajmír, having raised the standards of per­dition, and fanned the flame of idolatry in his heart, had opened the road of rebellion which he had hitherto closed by his deceit, and that from being exceedingly forsaken by God, he had delivered the reins of vanity into the hands of Satan, and having conceived the ladders of grandeur in his brain, had become proud.” “Jíhtar,* supported by an army, hastened to the borders of Dehli, and the people were suddenly caught in the darkness of his oppression aud turbulence, and the blood and property of the Musulmáns fell into danger and destruction. When the mention of these circumstances was made to the blessed ear of the Khusrú, in a moment of courage and royal determination, he employed himself in the punishment and ex­tinction of the rebel.” “He ordered that a portion of his victorious army should be set apart and equipped for his personal service, and that the rest of his army should be detached to the frontiers for the subjection of the accursed, and the destruction of the enemies of the state and religion.” Kutbu-d dín marched towards Ajmír in the middle of the hot season, “when the armour on the bodies of the valiant was inflamed by the heat of the sun, and the sword in the scabbard melted like wax,” so that he was compelled to make night marches.

“When Jíhtar heard of the approach of the victorious stan­dards, the blackness of sorrow was fixed in his breast,” and “knowing that he had not power to oppose them on the field of battle, he tightened the girths of the horse of flight, and sped like the wind out of the net of danger, and arrived at the shore of safety from the whirlpool of destruction, and from fear of the Khusrú's sword drew his head within the four walls of that strong fortress of Ajmír, like a tortoise,” where, in despair, he sacrificed himself in the flames of a pyre, after which the fort, “which was one of the most celebrated in Hind,” was easily taken. “The country of Ajmír was restored to the honours of the ancient time and the dignities of its past days, for the circum­stances of that province had altogether departed from their former course to which they now reverted,” “religion was re­established,” “the road of rebellion was closed,” “infidelity was cut off, and the foundations of idol-worship were utterly de­stroyed.” The roads were freed from the fear and danger of robbers, and the oppressed subjects were delivered from their distresses.” “The blessed lamp was visited by Ráís and Ránas, and the earth was rubbed by the foreheads of the chiefs and celebrated men of Hind.” After settling the affairs of Ajmír, Kutbu-d dín returned to Dehli.

Arrival of Sultán Muhammad Ghorí in Hindustán.

When Kutbu-d dín heard of the Sultán's march from Ghazna, he was much rejoiced, and advanced as far as Hánsí to meet him, and “had the honour of kissing hands, and being distinguished above all the princes of the earth by the endless favours which were lavished on him.” In the year 592, H. (1196 A.D.), they marched towards Thangar,* and the centre of idolatry and perdition became the abode of glory and splendour, and when the ropes of the royal tent were raised to heaven, the neighbour­hood was tinged with an hundred hues by the varied coloured tents which were erected round that fortress, which resembled a hill of iron.” “By the aid of God, and by the means of courage and the daily increasing prosperity of the king, that strong castle was taken, which had hitherto remained closed to all the sovereigns and princes of the world.”