Ulugh Khān proceeded by continuous marches to his master at Dihlī, and from this we gather that the massacre of the foreigners (above alluded to) took place after the arrival of Ulugh Khān from Gujrāt. Historians have paid little attention to the due order of events, but God knows the truth.
And in the year 699 H. (1299 A.D.) Ulugh Khān was nominated to proceed against the fortress of Rantanbhor and Jhāīn, which is better known as Naushahr,* and Rāi Hamīr Dev, the grandson 191 of Raī Pithora,* who had ten thousand cavalry, and countless infantry, and celebrated elephants, gave him battle but was defeated, and with great generalship withdrew the whole of his forces into the fortress of Rantanbhor.
Ulugh Khān having reported* the state of affairs to the Court, urged the Sulān to capture the fort; the Sulān collected his forces* and marched against Rantanbhor, and in a short time, by skilful effort, and aided by the energy of his Maliks, completely subdued and took the fortress, and despatched Hamīr Dev to hell. Great booty, and spoil, and treasures fell into his hands. Then he appointed* a Kotwāl to hold that fortress, and having bestowed the country of Jhāīn upon Ulugh Khān, left to attack Chitor,* and having conquered that place also within a few days, and* having given it the name of Khiẓrābād, and having bestowed a red canopy upon Khiẓr Khān aforesaid, made Chitor over to him as governor. Among the events which happened in this expedition this was one, that Nuṣrat Khān had come from Karra* to Rantanbhor, to reinforce Ulugh Khān before the Sulān arrived there;* and during the siege one day a stone struck him on the head, and he went without delay to the other world. One arm of the Sulān, that is to say afar Khān, had been broken in the fight with Qutluq Khwāja, and now the second arm was broken also.
When the army was encamped in the neighbourhood of Malhab* the Sulān one day was engaged in the hunting field;* when night came on he remained in the plain, and at dawn of day he posted his troops all round, while he himself with a select following ascended an eminence and was watching the sport.* In the meantime the brother's son of the Sulān, Akat Khān,* together with a band of new-Muslim Mughuls who were engaged in performing 192. the duties of guards, attacked the Sulān relentlessly and smote him with arrows, seized him and wounded his arm. As it was the winter season, and the Sulān was wearing a cap* stuffed with cotton his wounds were not fatal. Akat Khān wished to alight from his horse and strike off the Sulān's head from his body, but some of the attendants pretending to side with him and take his part, cried out, the Sulān is killed! Akat Khān was satisfied at hearing this, and made off with all speed to the camp on horseback, and entering the royal hall of audience seated himself upon the throne, and drawing the canopy over his head, the Amīrs, in accordance with ancient custom, gave in their allegiance to him as the rightful king,* and raised no overt objection. Akat Khān was so overwhelmed by his inordinate lust that on the instant he made an attempt upon the ḥaram,* but Malik Dīnar Ḥaramī who was on guard at the entrance to the ḥaram with his men armed and equipped, said, Till you shew me the head of the Sulān I will not permit you to set foot within this private chamber. Sulān ‘Alāu-d-Dīn, when he had somewhat regained consciousness* after that perilous attack, bound up his wounds. He was convinced in his own mind that Akat Khān, in unison with the Amīrs who had revolted, had had the audacity to make this disgraceful attempt upon his life, for that were it not so, he was not the man to attempt it alone.
Accordingly his intention was to make his way to Jhāīn (where Ulugh Khān was) with the fifty or sixty attendants who had remained with him, and see what course Ulugh Khān would recommend. One or two of his confidential retainers pointed out the unwisdom of this course and urged him to go at once to the royal pavilion and kingly court.
Before they arrived at the Court fifty horsemen joined them, and Akat Khān took the road to Afghānpūr, but a body of men 193. who had been despatched in pursuit of him by forced marches made him prisoner,* sent him into the Sulān's presence, and then utterly destroyed all his family and relations wherever they found them, among whom Qutluq Khān his brother also perished.*
Verse.One who injures the country is better beheaded
And at that same time ‘Umar Khān and Mangū Khān the two nephews of the Sulān, revolted in Badāon: certain of the Amīrs sent from the Court seized them and brought them to the Sulān, by whose orders their eyes were put out.*
If thou revoltest against thy benefactor
Even if thou art the sun, thou wilt fall headlong.
This further occurrence took place, namely, when the Sulān was engaged in besieging Rantanbhor, a person named Ḥājī Maulā, one of the slaves of Maliku-l-Umarā Kotwāl,* gathered together certain ruffians, displayed a counterfeit order in Dihlī,* entered the city by the Badāon gate, and sent for one Turmuẓī Kotwāl and in an instant cut his head off,* closed the city gates, and sent a messenger to ‘Alāu-l-Mulk* a friend of his, who was Kotwāl of the New Castle, saying “An order has come from the Sulān, come and read it” ‘Alāu-l-Mulk being fully alive to what was going on* did not obey the summons, whereupon the rebel Ḥājī Maulā went to the Ruby Palace, and liberating all the prisoners, gave a horse and arms and a large bag (of gold) out of the treasury to each one, gathered together an immense following; then he seized by force Saiyyid Zāda-i-‘Alawī Shāh Nabsa,* who on his mother's side was descended from Sulān Shamsu-d-Dīn Altamsh (Iyaltimish), summoning his chief men 194. and nobles for the purpose, and seated him upon the throne at the entrance to the Red Palace, and compelled the chief men whether they would or no, to swear allegiance to him.
The Sulān, when he heard this tidings, did not publish it, nor did he betray any signs of emotion, until he had succeeded by superhuman effort in entirely* reducing the fortress. A week had hardly passed after this exploit of Hājī Maulā when Malik Ḥamīdu Dīn, who was Amīr of Koh, with his sons who were renowned for their valour, and a body of the cavalry of afar Khān who had come from Amrohā to oppose the Mughuls,* engaged Hājī Maulā in fight, and having destroyed him, put to death the hapless Saiyyid Zāda also, and sent their heads to Rantanbhor. The Sulān nominated Ulugh Khān to proceed to Dihlī to track out those who had taken part in that* rebellion, and bring them to destruction. He also completely eradicated the family and relations of Maliku-l-Umarā on this suspicion that Hājī Maulā would not have embarked on this enterprise without their instigation.*