In the year 406 H. (1015 A.D.), he contemplated the conquest of Kashmír, and besieged the fortress of Lohar Kot,* which was a very high fort, but was forced to abandon the siege on account of the severity of the cold and rain, and the constant reinforcements available to the Kashmírís, and returned to Ghaznín. In that year he entered into a contract for the marriage of his sister with Abul Abbás ibn Mámún Khwárazm Sháh,* and sent her to Khwárazm.
In the year 407 H. (1016 A.D.), a band of ruffians murdered 14.
Khwárazm Sháh, and Maḥmúd leaving Ghaznín, proceeded first
to Balkh and thence to Khwárazm, where a furious battle took
place between his forces and those of Khamártásh, the commander-
In the year 409 H., he marched with the object of subduing Qanauj,* and having crossed the seven* dangerous rivers of Hindustán, upon his arrival in the neighbourhood of Qanauj, Kúrah,* the ruler of Qanauj, offered his submission, and sued for quarter, offering presents. Leaving that place he arrived at the fortress of Barnah* whose governor Barwat, having entrusted the defence of the fortress to his kinsfolk, retired into seclusion.
The garrison of the fort not being able to withstand Maḥmúd's assault sent a present of a lakh and fifty thousand* rupees, with thirty elephants, and thus obtained quarter. From thence Maḥmúd proceeded to the fortress of Maháwun* on the banks of the river Jon,* where the governor of the fort named Kal Chandar* attempted to escape by crossing the river riding on an elephant, but in the meantime the troops of the Sultán arrived, and he destroyed himself by stabbing himself with a dagger—
By that same watery path he went to Hell.
When to live is to fulfil the desires of one's enemies
Death is infinitely preferable to life.
At the taking of the fortress of Qanauj eighty-five elephants and a boundless amount of spoil fell into the hands of the troops. From thence he went to Mathra* which is a place of worship of the infidels, and the birth place of Kishan, the son of Basudev, 15. whom the Hindus worship as a divinity—where there are idol temples without number, and took it without any contest, and rased it to the ground. Great wealth and booty fell into the hands of the Muslims, among the rest they broke up by the orders of the Sulán, a golden idol, the weight of which was ninety-eight thousand three hundred migáls* of refined gold and a piece of sapphire* whose weight was four hundred and fifty miqáls: besides a celebrated elephant of huge size, like a mountain, belonging to Rájá Gobind Chand, one of the Rájás of Hindustán, which the Sulán had long earnestly sought to buy, but which was not to be had. By chance one night, when they were returning, this elephant broke loose and came into the Sultán's camp without a keeper. The Sulán was greatly pleased with its capture, and gave it the name of Khudádád.* When the spoil reached Ghaznín it was found to amount to over twenty million and fifty-three thousand dirams, and three hundred and fifty odd elephants.*
In the year 410 H. (1019 A.D.), Maḥmúd again turned his footsteps towards Hindustán and encountered and fought on the banks of the river Jon with Nandá the Rája of Kálinjar,* who had with him 36,000 cavalry and 45,000* infantry and 640 elephants, and who had put to death the Rájá of Qanauj on the occasion of his submission to the Sulán, and who had also come to the help of Jaipál, who had several times fled from before the Sulán. The servants of the Sulán who had gone forward to 16. the attack, found the city deserted, and sacked it. A terrible dread overwhelmed the heart of Jaipál, so that leaving all his property and material of war just as they stood, he took to flight with some selected companies. Five hundred and eighty elephants during the pursuit, emerging from a forest, fell into the hands of the Sulán's troops. He then returned to Ghaznín.— Many regions passed from the possession of the infidels to the Muslims, moreover the people of that country, either willingly or perforce, made profession of Islám.
In the year 412 H. (1021 A.D.), Máhmud proceeded to Kash-
In the year 413 H. (1022 A.D.), he again made an attempt on the country of Nandá, and when he arrived at the fortress of Gwáliár, having reduced it peaceably and accepted presents from its governor, confirmed him in his governorship. As part of that present there were thirty-five elephants. Leaving that place he went to the fort of Kálinjar, the commander of which first made an offering of three hundred elephants and sought his protection.*
He also composed a poem in Hindí in praise of the Sulán, and sent it to him, whereupon the Sulán read the poem in the presence of the eloquent men of Hindustán and the poets of his own country. They were all loud in their praises of the poem, and the Sulán was so proud of it, that he wrote a patent conferring upon him the governorship of fifteen forts as a reward for the poem. Nandá also sent large quantities of property and jewels, and countless articles of value as an offering to Maḥmúd. The Sulán victorious and triumphant returned to Ghaznín.
In the year 414 H. (1024 A.D.), Mahmúd went to Balkh, and 17. passed the river Jaihún.* The chiefs of the regions beyond the river,* hastened to meet him, and Yúsuf Qadr Khán king of the whole of Turkístán, came out to receive him, and visited the Sulán. They held great banquets and gave presents to each other, and Alí Tagín, of whose oppression the people of the regions beyond the river had complained, learning what was happening took to flight. The Sulán pursued him and having captured him sent him a prisoner to one of the fortresses of Hindustán, then he returned and spent the winter in Ghaznín.
Once more* he led his army against Somnát, which is a large city on the coasts of the ocean,* a place of worship of the Brahmans who worship a large idol. There are many golden idols there. Although certain historians have called this idol Manát, and say that it is the identical idol which the Arab idolators brought to the coasts of Hindustán in the time of the Lord of the Missive (may the blessing and peace of God be upon him), this story has no foundation, because the Brahmans of India firmly believe that this idol has been in that place since the time of Kishan, that is to say four thousand years and a fraction. Its name too, in the Hindí language, is really Sobha Náth, that is to say Lord of Beauty, and not Manát.* The reason for this mistake must surely be the resemblance in name, and nothing else. In this expedition, having taken the city of Patan* which is known as Naharwála, a city of Gujerát, and having obtained a great supply of provisions from thence, he arrived at Somnát where the garrison closed the gates of the fort against him, and reaped their reward in rapine and plunder. The fort was taken and Maḥmúd broke the idol in fragments and sent it to Ghaznín, where 18. it was placed at the door of the Jámi‘ Masjid and trodden under foot.*
At the time of his return, not considering it expedient to fight with Bairám Dev,* one of the mighty Rájás of Hindustán who stood in his way, Maḥmúd turned towards Multán by way of Sindh.* His army suffered great hardships from scarcity of water and forage, until with great difficulty he reached Ghaznín in the year 417 H.
In that year Al Qádir billáhi* the Khalífah, despatched a flag with a letter appointing the Sultán* to the Governorship of Khurásán and Hindustán, Nímroz and Khwárazm, and conferred titles of honour upon his brothers and sons, and in the same way assigned the titles of Kahfu-d-Daulat wal Islám to the Sultán, and to his elder son Amír Mas‘úd that of Shahábu-d-Daulat wa Jamálu-l-Millat, and to Amír Muḥammad his younger brother that of Jalálu-d-Daulat, and to Amír Yúsuf that of ‘Aẓdu-d-Daulat— and so forth.
In this year by way of punishing the Jats* of the vicinity of Multán, who had committed many acts of disrespect, Maḥmúd brought an army to Multán—and four thousand (some say eight thousand) boats belonging to the Jats laden with their families and property, were sunk in the Multán river on the occasion of a victory obtained by the boats of the Sultán, on which they had arranged some especial contrivance,* and the Jats were drowned and sank in the whirlpool of destruction, and the rest became food for the sword, their families were taken captive, and the Sulán, victorious and triumphant, returned to Ghaznín.—
In the year 418 H. (1027 A.D.) marching towards Báward,* he utterly destroyed the Turkomans of that country, and thence he hastened to Rai* and laid hands on the treasures and hidden valuables of that country which had been there for many years, and eradicated 19. the false religionists and Karamanians of that place, and bestowed Rai and Isfahán on Amír Mas‘úd his elder son. He then returned to Ghaznín and shortly afterwards became attacked by consumption, * his weakness day by day increased. Nevertheless he used to take great pains to pretend that he was well and strong, and in that condition went to Balkh and in the spring came to Ghaznín, and died of that disease on Thursday, the 23rd of Rabi‘ul Awwal, 421 A.H.,* and was buried at Ghaznín. His age was sixty years, and he had reigned thirty-one years. They say that when he was dying he ordered them to bring all his wealth and treasures and property before him, he lay looking at them from time to time regretfully sighing at having to part with them. He would not give the smallest trifle to any one.
He had made the journey to Hindustán and engaged in holy war, twelve times. Verily his reckoning is with his Lord; and the story in connection with him and Firdausi* the poet is well known, and the holy Jámí* says:
It is well to recognize merits for when the arched sky
At last discharged the arrows of misfortune,
The glory of Maḥmúd passed away, nothing remained in the world
Save only this saying “He recognized not the worth of Firdausî.
And in the Taẕkira of Muḥammad Ufí,* the following Qia‘h has been attributed to the Sulán Maḥmúd.
From the dread of the world-winning sword and the fear of the fort-crushing sceptre,
The world became subject to me as I am subjected to reason,
At one time there would I sit serene in my splendour and riches
At another time following Avarice roamed I from country 20. to country;
Oft would I boastfully say Lo! I am a man of importance,
But now I clearly perceive that the King and the beggar are equals.
I, with one wave of my hand, have conquered a myriad of castles
With one firm plant of my foot I have broken lines without number
When Death made the final assault, naught then did my splendour avail me
Nothing continues but God, God's kingdom alone is a kingdom.