2.—Amír Banjí, son of Nahárán.

Amír Banjí Nahárán was a great chief, and his history is well known in Ghor. He is considered one of the greatest kings of that territory, and all its kings are descended from him. His pedigree is thus given.

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Amír Banjí was a handsome and excellent man, possessing good qualities, and of very estimable character. When the power of the family of 'Abbás was established, and the territories of the Muhammadans came under the rule of the Khalifs of that house, the first person of the Ghorí family who went to the seat of the Khiláfat, and obtained the title of sovereignty and a royal banner was Amír Banjí Nahárán. The cause of his going to the presence of Hárúnu-r Rashíd, the commander of the faithful, was as follows:—There was a tribe in Ghor called Shíshání, who asserted that their ancestors were first converted to Muham­madanism, and then the Shansabánís. Muhammad is called in the Ghorí language Hamd, and when they espoused the faith they were designated Hamdís, or Muhammadans. In the time of Amír Banjí there was a man of the Shíshání tribe whose name was Sís, or in the Ghorí language Shísh. A dispute arose between this Amír Shísh and Amír Banjí, for the chiefship of Ghor, and contention broke out among the people. It was agreed by both parties that Amír Banjí and Shísh should both repair to the Khalif, and whoever brought back a patent of sovereignty and royal ensign should be the chief.

[Account of the interview which the two chiefs had with the Khalif, when Amír Banjí, through the instruction in court etiquette which he had received from a Jew, was named chief, and Shísh was made general.]

From that time the title of the Shansabání kings, according to the gracious words of Hárúnu-r Rashíd, commander of the faith­ful, became Kasím-i Amíru-l Múminín. The two chiefs returned to Ghor, and assumed their respective offices of rules of Ghor and commander of the army. These two offices are held to this day by the different parties, according to this arrangement. The kings of Ghor were all Shansabáníans, and the commanders of the army are called Shisháníyins, such as Múadu-d dín, Abú-l 'Abbás Shísh, and Sulaimán Shísh.

3.—Amír Súrí.

The writer of this work has not been able to obtain the annals of the kings of Ghor from the reign of Amír Banjí down to the present reign, so as to enable him to write their history in detail. The author resides in Dehli, and through the disorders which the inroads of the infidel Mughals have caused in the territories of Islám, there has been no possibility of his copying from the histories which he had seen in Ghor. He has written what he found in the Táríkh-i Násirí and the Táríkh-i Haizam Nábí, as well as what he was able to gleam from old men of Ghor, but his readers must pardon imperfections.

It is said that Amír Súrí was a great king, and most of the territories of Ghor were in his possession. But as many of the inhabitants of Ghor, of high and low degree, had not yet embraced Muhammadanism, there was constant strife among them. The Saffáríans came from Nímroz to Bust and Dáwar, and Yákúb Lais overpowered Lak-lak, who was chief of Takín-ábád, in the country of Rukhaj.* The Ghorians sought safety in Sarhá-sang,* and dwelt there in security, but even among them hostilities constantly prevailed between the Muhammadans and the infidels. One castle was at war with another castle, and their feuds were unceasing; but owing to the inaccessibility of the mountains of Rásiát, which are in Ghor, no foreigner was able to overcome them, and Shansabání Amír Súrí was the head of all the Mandeshís. In Ghor there are five great and lofty mountains, which the people of Ghor agree in considering as higher than the Rásiát mountains. One of these is Zár Murgh, in Mandesh, and the capital and palace of the Shansabání kings are at the foot of this mountain. It is said that Zál Zar, father of Rustam, was here nourished by a Símurgh, and some of the inhabitants of the foot of the mountain say that between the fifth and sixth centuries a loud voice of cry and lamentation was heard to proceed from it, announcing the death of Zál. The second mountain is called Sar Khizr; it is also in the territory of Mandesh, in the vicinity of Takhbar. The third is Ashak, in the country of Timrán, which is the greatest and highest of the whole territory of Ghor. The country of Timrán lies in the valleys and environs of this mountain. The fourth is Wazní, and the territories of Dáwar and Wálasht, and the fort of Kahwarán, are within its ramifications and valleys. And the fifth mountain is Faj Hanísár,* in the country of Ghor. It is very inaccessible and secure. It is said that the length, breadth, and height of of this mountain are beyond the limits of guess, and the power of understanding. In the year 590 (1194 A.D.), a piece of the trunk of an ebony tree was found on this mountain, which ex­ceeded two hundred mans in weight, and no one could tell how large and high the tree must have been.

4.—Malik Muhammad Súrí.

Abú-l Hasan al Haizam, son of Muhammad-n Nábí author of the Táríkhu-l Haizam, says that when the government of Khurásan and Záwulistán departed from the Sámáníans and Saffárians, and fell to Amír Subuktigín, he led his army several times towards the hills of Ghor, and carried on many wars. When Amír Mahmúd Subuktigín succeeded to the throne, the kingdom of Ghor had devolved upon Amír Muhammad Súrí, and he had brought all the territories of Ghor under his sway. Sometimes he made submission to Sultán Mahmúd, and at others he revolted, and withheld the payment of the fixed tribute, and the contingent of arms which he had agreed to supply. Relying on the strength of his forts, and the numbers and power of his army, he was continually engaging in hostilities. Sultán Mahmúd was consequently always on the watch, and his mind was much disturbed by Súrí's power, his large army, and the security afforded to him by the height and inaccessibility of the hills of Ghor. At last he marched to Ghor with a consider­able army. Muhammad Súrí was besieged in the fort of Áhan­garán, and held out for a long time. He fought desperately, but was at last compelled to evacuate the fort, upon conditions, and made his submission to Sultán Mahmúd.

The Sultán took him and his younger son, whose name was Shísh, to Ghazní, because the lad was very dear to his father. When they reached the neighbourhood of Gílán, Amír Mu­hammad Súrí died. Some say that he was taken prisoner, and and as he had a very high spirit he could not brook the disgrace. He had a ring, under the stone of which was concealed some poison, which he took and then died. The Sultán immediately sent his son Shísh back to Ghor, and gave the chieftainship of Ghor to the eldest son, Amír Abú 'Alí bin Súrí, an account of whom follows.

5.	Amír Abú 'Alí bin Muhammad bin Súrí.
6.	Amír Abbás bin Shísh bin Muhammad bin Súrí.
7.	Amír Muhammad bin 'Abbás.
8.	Malik Kutbu-d dín al Hasan bin Muhammad bin 'Abbás.
9.	Malik 'Izzu-d dín al Husain bin Hasan Abu-s Salátín.
10.	Malik Kutbu-d dín Muhammad bin Husain, King of the Jabbál.
11.	Sultán Baháu-d dín Sám bin Husain.
12.	Malik Shahábu-d dín Muhammad bin Husain, King of Mádín, by Ghor.
13.	Malik Shujá'u-d dín 'Alí bin Husain.