Shahábu-d daula Abú Sa'd Maudúd, son of Násiru-d dín Allah Mas'úd, upon receiving the news of his father's assassination, ascended the throne. When his father, Mas'úd, started for Hindustán, he was appointed to act as vicegerent over Ghazní and its dependencies, and it was in the year 432 H. (1040 A.D.), that he mounted the throne. To avenge his father he collected an army, and set out towards Hindustán, against his uncle Muhammad. The opposite party had taken Muhammad out of prison, and had seated him on the throne. The nobles of Hindustán submitted to him, and the Mahmúdí and the Mas'udí Turks who had revolted against Mas'úd rallied round him and supported him. For four months they upheld him as ruler, but Maudúd defeated him at Takarhárúd,* and took him prisoner, with all his children and dependants. Maudúd avenged his father's blood upon him, and the Turks and Tájiks and every one else who had taken part in his father's assassination he put to death. He thus obtained honour and renown. Afterwards he returned to Ghazní, and brought his father's territories under his power. He reigned nine years, and died in the year 441 H. (1049 A.D.), at the age of thirty-nine years.
These two princes, uncle and nephew, were raised jointly to the throne by the Turks and nobles. Every man took matters into his own hands, and when it was seen that they had no wisdom or power, and that ruin was coming upon the army and the people, they were dethroned after two months' reign, and sent back to a fort. 'Abdu-r Rashíd was raised to the throne in their stead.
Sultán Baháu-d daula 'Abdu-r Rashíd, son of Mahmúd, ascended the throne in the year 441 H. (1049 A.D.) He was a learned and clever man, and used to listen to chronicles and write history; but he had no firmness or courage, and so changes and reverses came upon the state. The Saljúks, on the side of Khurásán, coveted the throne of Ghazní. Dáúd obtained the throne of Khurásán. Alp Arslán, son of Dáúd, was a good general, and they resolved to attack Ghazní. Alp Arslán advanced from Tukháristán with a large force, and his father, Dáúd, marched by way of Sístán to Bust. 'Abdu-r Rashíd collected an army, and placed at the head of it Tughril, who had been one of the slaves of Mahmúd, and was a very energetic man. He marched against Alp Arslán, and routed him in front of the valley of Khamár. From thence he returned speedily to Bust, and Dáúd retreated before him to Sístán. He defeated Beghú, the uncle of Dáúd, and when he had achieved two or three such victories he returned to Ghazní, where he killed 'Abdu-r Rashíd and placed himself on the throne. 'Abdu-r Rashíd reigned two years and-a half.* His age was thirty.
Tughril had been a slave of Mahmúd, and was a man of great energy and courage. In the reign of Sultán Maudúd he went from Ghazní to Khurásán, and entered the service of the Saljúks. For some time he remained there, and learnt their method of war. In the time of 'Abdu-r Rashíd he returned to Ghazní, where he took 'Abdu-r Rashíd and slew him, together with eleven other princes. He then ascended the throne of Ghazní, and reigned for forty days with great tyranny and injustice. Some one asked him how the desire of sovereignty had entered into his mind, and he replied, “When 'Abdu-r Rashíd sent me against Alp Arslán he made some promises to me, and confirmed them by giving me his hand. He was then so overpowered by fear that the sound of the tremor which had seized upon his bones came to my ears, and I knew that such a coward could never rule and govern. It was then that the desire of sovereignty fell upon me.” Forty days after his usurpation, a Turk, by name Noshtigín, who was a soldier, turned against Tughril, and conspiring with some of his friends, they killed him on the throne. His head was then brought out, placed upon a pole, and carried round the city, so that the people might have assurance of security.
When the Almighty God had recompensed Tughril for his
atrocious deeds, and the people were delivered from him and his
unbounded tyranny, there were left surviving in the fort of
Barghand,*
two princes who were sons of Mas'úd. One of these
was named Ibráhím, and the other Farrukh-zád. Tughril, the
accursed, had sent a party of men to the fort of Barghand to put
them to death. The commandant of the fort pondered over the
matter for a day, and kept these emissaries at the gate of the
fort upon the understanding that they were to come in on the
following day, and execute their orders. Suddenly some fleet
messengers arrived with the intelligence that the accursed Tugh-
Farrukh-zád was very mild and just. When he ascended the throne the country of Záwulistán was in a state of desolation from disease and murrain,* so he remitted the revenue that it might again become prosperous. He secured the territories of the kingdom, and reigned seven years. He died of colic in the year 451 (1059 A.D.), at the age of thirty-four years.
Sultán Zahíru-d daula wa Nasíru-l Millat Razíu-d dín Ibráhím,
son of Mas'úd, was a great king,—wise, just, good, God-fearing,
and kind, a patron of letters, a supporter of religion, and a
pious man. When Farrukh-zád became king, Ibráhím was
taken out of the fort of Barghand, and brought to that of Nai,
and on the death of Farrukh-zád all men concurred in recognizing
his succession. An officer named Hasan went to wait
upon him, and with the approbation of the people of the kingdom
he was brought out from the fort, and on Monday he
auspiciously ascended the throne. The next day he spent in
mourning for his late brother, and paid a visit to his tomb, and
to the tombs of his ancestors. All the nobles and great men
walked on foot in attendance upon him. He bestowed no favours
upon any one, and hence apprehensions about his rule took possession
of the hearts of the people. When the intelligence of his
accession reached Dáúd, the Saljúkí, he sent some nobles into
Khurásán, and made peace with him. After the death of Dáúd,
his son, Alp Arslán, confirmed this treaty of peace. Ibráhím
strengthened himself in the possession of his ancestors; the disorders
which had arisen in the country from the late extraordinary
events he rectified, and the Mahmúdí kingdom began
once again to flourish. Ruined places were built afresh, and
several fortified places and towns were founded, as Khaírá-