On the twenty-ninth* of Zūl Hijjah in the year six hundred and ninety-five (695 H.) (A.D. 1295) raised the banner of the Sulanate of Dihlī, with the consent of his brother Ilmās Beg, to whom he gave the title of Ulugh Khān* and to Sinjar, his wife's brother, who was the Mīr-i-Majlis he gave the title of Alp Khān, while to Malik Nuṣrat Jalīsarī he gave that of Nuṣrat Khān, and to Malik Badru-d-Dīn that of afar Khān,* and alighted at the plain of Sīrī, where he pitched his camp, and giving public audience delighted the hearts of the Amīrs and all classes of his subjects by his boundless munificence, then he had the Khubah and the ^183. Sikka promulgated in his own name and conferred* appointments and titles upon the Amīrs, and distributing jāgīrs gave his mind first of all to his principal object which was to overthrow the two sons of Sulān Jalālu-d-Dīn who were in Multān.*

Verse.

As long as the head of the heir to the throne is on his
shoulders,
Disorder is the mantle of the body of the state.

In the Muḥarram 696 A. H. (he sent) Ulugh Khān and Alp Khān against Arkalī Khān and Sulān Ruknu-d-Dīn;* both these brothers were besieged* in the fortress of Multān. The inhabi­tants of the city and the Kotwāl asked for quarter, and made over­tures for peace, and the two princes, by the intervention of Shaikh Ruknu-d-Dīn Quraishī may God sanctify his resting place,* came forth and had an interview with Ulugh Khān,* who treated them with the utmost respect, sending a despatch announcing his victory to Dihlī; and taking the family and tribe of Jalālu-d-Dīn he set out for Dihlī. When they came near Bohar* a place in the vicinity of Hānsī, Nuṣrat Khān arrived with an order, in obedience to which they put out the eyes of both the sons* of Sulān Jalālu­d-Dīn, of Alghū Khān the Mughul son-in-law to the Sulān, and of Malik Aḥmad Chap,* and handed over the Sulān's sons* to the Kotwāl of Hānsī and martyred them together with two sons of Arkalī Khān.* They kept the Sulān's wives and the rest of his children imprisoned in Dihlī, sending Aḥmad Chap and Alghū the Mughul to the fortress of Gwāliār, and putting out the eyes of some others also, scattered them in all directions and punished them with tortures, and very many of the old families they utterly destroyed and the hidden meaning of Sīdī Maula* soon became evident, and (vengeance for) his blood did not long sleep.* In a short time* it became the cause of the shedding of the blood of Sulān Jalālu-d-Dīn and his family, and of so many ^184. thousands of others among the people who had been murdered.

The wealth of Qārūn which still sinks down to the bottom
of the earth,
You may have read, that it was a source of envy to the
poor.*

And in the year* 697 A.H. (1297 A.D.), Nuṣrat Khān having been appointed to the office of Vazīr, used strenuous efforts to recover the money which Sulān ‘Alāu-d-Dīn had lavished in the commencement of his reign in order to gain over the affec­tions of the people, and demanding the repayment of very large sums deposited them in the treasury; and having summoned from Kaṛṛa ‘Alāu-l-Mulk the uncle of Zīāu-d-Dīn Barnī, the author of the Tārīkh-i-Fīroz Shāhī (whom Sulān ‘Alāu-d-Dīn had re­moved from the kotwālship of Dihlī and had sent as governor to Kaṛṛa, appointing Naṣrat Khān to the office of Kotwāl) he conferred upon him his old rank, Alp Khān being appointed to Multān. And in the year 698 A. H. (1298 A.D.) one Ṣaldī* a Mughul commander, crossing the Indus came towards Hindustān, and Ulugh Khān and Tughlaq Khān the governor of Depālpūr (who is Ghāzī-i-Mulk), were appointed to put down that rising, and offered strong opposition to them* on the confines of Jārin Manjhūr.* The Mughul army was defeated, some of them were killed and others taken prisoners, and the army of Sulān ‘Alāu-d-Dīn returned victorious with many spoils. A second time Qutluq Khwāja, the son of Duā,* came from Māwarāu-n-nahr with a countless host to attempt the conquest of Hindustān, and penetrated* as far as Dihlī, inflicting no injury on the districts through which he passed. In Dihlī itself grain became very dear, and the citizens were in great straits,* and Sulān ‘Alāu-d-Dīn ^185. placing Ulugh Khān and afar Khān in command of the forces, sent them with a countless host to oppose the Mughul army, and a severe battle was fought on the frontiers of Gilī.* afar Khān was killed, and the Sulān had gained what he wanted in this.* Qutluq Khwāja after his defeat made his way to Khurāsān where he died.

A third time Targhī Mughul who was one of the margans,* that is to say accurate archers of that country, accompanied by 100,000 infantry and 20,000 valiant and renowned cavalry, seized the fort of the hills, and gaining possession of that country, penetrated as far as the township of Baran, where Malik Fakhru-d-Dīn Amīr Dād the Governor was entrenched; Malik Tughlaq Ghāzī-i-Mulk was sent from the metropolis to put down that disturbance.* Malik Fakhru-d-Dīn sallying from the fortress of Baran,* joined with Malik Tughlaq, and they jointly made a night attack upon the Mughuls.* The Mughul forces being routed, Targhī was taken prisoner and Malik Tughlaq brought him into the royal presence.

A fourth time, Muḥammad Turtāq* and ‘Alī Beg Mughul, who were the sons of the royal house of Khurāsān, brought together a very large army, which they divided into two, one bore down upon Nāgor,* while the other seized the fort of the Sirmūr hills and occupied the country as far as the river Biāh which they call Kāli Pāuī.* Sulān ‘Alāu-d-Dīn appointed Malik Mānik his slave (who is Kāfūr Nāib or Hazār Dīnārī)* with Malik Tughlaq Governor of Depālpūr to proceed to Amroha; and while the Mughul army, having succeeded in capturing much spoil and many cattle, was marching to the banks of the river Rahab, Malik Mānik ^186. came up in pursuit* and a severe battle ensued. Both the Mughul princes evinced great bravery, but were ultimately taken prisoners, and were put to death, while the greater part of those accursed ones became food for the sword of vengeance, and the remnant of the sword fled panicstricken to their own country. The heads of these two princes were taken to Badāon and impaled upon the battlements of the fort. One of the learned poets of that time wrote the following quatrain which was afterwards inscribed upon the southern gateway of that city.

Quatrain.

Noble fortress! whose helper may the assistance of the
Almighty ever be!
May the victory and conquest of the Emperor ever be thy
standard-bearer!
The Malik of this age became thy builder, and built thee
anew,
May Targhī, like ‘Alī Beg* become thy captive.

And Mīr Khusrū* has written an account of the fight between Malik Mānik (who had obtained the title of Malik Nāib)* in the Tārīkh-i-Khazāīnu-l-Futūḥ* a marvel of literature, which mortal powers confess themselves impotent to approach or imitate, though to tell the truth all the writings of that king of poets, rightly named Khusrū, are of this excellence, and to praise and crown them is an impertinence and error for any other.

Whenever any thought shines forth from his mind
It is so subtle as to escape comprehension and defy imita­tion.

On the fifth occasion Iqbālmand and Kapak, Mughuls, brought together an army to take vengeance for Turtāq* and ‘Alī Beg, and invaded the frontiers of Multān. The Sulān on this occa­sion also appointed Malik Nāib, and Malik Tughlaq. They pro­ceeded by forced marches while the Mughals were falling back, and pursuing them gave battle. Kapak was taken prisoner, but was ransomed by the infidel Tātārs, with the prisoners and abun­dant booty which had fallen into their hands.* From that day the Mughuls lost their enthusiasm for the conquest of Hindustān, and the teeth of their ambition became blunted.