In that place, in the city, there was a place of worship of the Indian people; and when he came to that place he saw a city, of wonderful fabric and conception, so that one might say, this is a building of Paradise, but its accidents or qualities could only come by the aid of the infernals, and an intelligent man would hardly receive favourably the account of it. They had brought immense stones, and had laid a level foundation upon high stairs (or steps). Around it and at its sides they had placed one thousand castles, built of stone, which they had made idol temples, and had (cemented) fastened them well. And in the midst of the city they had built a temple higher than all, to delineate the beauty and decoration of which the pens of all writers and the pencils of all painters would be powerless, and would not be able to attain to the power of fixing their minds upon it and considering it. In the memoir which the Sultán wrote of this journey he thus declares, that if any one should undertake to build a fabric like that he would expend thereon one hundred thousand packets of a thousand dinárs, and would not complete it in two hundred years, with the assistance of the most ingenious masters (architects). And amongst the mass of idols there were five idols made of pure gold, of the height of five cubits in the air; and of this collection of idols there were (specially) two, on one of which a jacinth was arranged, such a one that if the Sultán had seen it exposed in the Bázár, he would have considered as underpriced at fifty thousand dinárs, and would have bought it with great eagerness. And upon the other idol there was a sapphire (hyacinth) of one solid piece, of azure water, of the value of four hundredweights of fine miskals (five weights of a dram and a-half) each, and from the two feet of an idol they obtained the weight of 400,400 miskals of gold. And the idols of silver were a hundred times more, so that it occupied those who estimated their standard weight a long time in weighing them. They devastated (all that city) and passed there­from towards Kanúj, and the Sultán took an augury thereon from the Korán, and left behind much of his army, in order that, perchance, Haipal (or Jaipal) Rajah of Hind, when he saw the small number of his chieftains, might return, and consider it disgraceful to pall in resolution, before first engaging in battle or conflict, for he was the chief of the princes of India, and all submitted their necks in obedience to him (bowed their heads) and acknowledged his high rank, and great power and dignity. And, throughout all the extent of this expedition, at whatever region he arrived and whatever fortress the Sultán saw, he took posses­sion of it, and devastated it, plundering and taking captives. Thus, on the eighth of Shaabán, they arrived at Kanúj, where a mountain rose before them, and the army passed the Ganges. This water possesses glory and great dignity with the chiefs of India. They know it to be a spring of the springs of eternity, and when they wash their dead they purify them in this water, and are per­suaded that it is the means of clearing all their accounts, and of cleansing from all sins and evil inclinations. And from far distant roads Brah­mins come, and wash in this water, thinking it a cause of salvation and of obtaining a higher heavenly rank. The Sultán then opposed the for­tresses of Kanúj; and he beheld seven castles, placed upon the margin of the water of the Ganges. Nearly ten thousand temples were built in these forts, and these dotard and lying idolaters declared that the date of the commencement of those fabrics was two or three hundred thousand years, and from this confident belief derived pride and pretension. Their trust in them was continu­ally recurring, under all circumstances, for they were desirous to deposit money therein, and in time of need made processions around them, humbly imploring aid. The greater number of the people had deserted their homes, from terror at the Sultán, but some remained. The Sultán in one day took all those fortresses and plundered them, and thence turned to the fortress of Manaj, called the Brahmins’ Castle. The people of this fortress stood up to resist him, but when they knew what is the power of confidence and the strength of salvation from non-existence, they cast themselves down from the summit of the castle, and some of them struck themselves with darts and the edge of swords, and sent their impure souls to the mansion of destruction. From hence the Sultán came to the fortress of Aster, held by Jandbál the Violent, one of the most furious of the Indians, confiding in the extent of his territory and his numerous army. The Rajah of Kanúj was annoyed by him, and several times marched towards his province, but returned without being able to effect anything. This castle was situated in the midst of forests, upon an eminence, and deep moats were drawn around it. And when Jandbál saw the wounding blows of the Sultán’s legions and the strokes of his riders, and was aware that Fate was reaching out her claws to seize him by the neck, and that the angel of death was sharpening his teeth to flay him, he broke up the earth of his castle and took to flight. The stars of religion, the stoners of devils, and the champions of the Sultán went after them, killing and plun­dering, so that Jandbál and his comrades were deceived, for the Sultán’s men made them know their awful power and dreadful might. And when they witnessed the serried ranks of his warriors and the fury of his men, they knew how long an interval there is between the heat of play and the ardour of the brave, and became aware that their business was to engage with those who were determined to shed blood, not with the play of cotton-threshing tables. And the Sultán, having reached Jandbál,* and surrounded him, directed his course towards Chandrarajah, who was owner of a very strong fortress, and who said (Verse)

He had never owned submission or allowed superiority as to any one, and knew nothing but boasting and pride. Between him and Jandbál balls of contention had passed, and great wars had occurred, in which many had perished on both sides, but by their distresses (they were compelled to arrange) so that the spirting of blood and the defence thereof came to a compromise and to peace. And Jaibál offered his daughter to him in marriage, and to cut off the subject-matter of dispute and perpetuate the opened friendship, sent his son to him, to conclude that alliance, that the means of their mutual participation in the equipments of the household and in fortune might be smoothly settled, and the distinguished families be united. And when his son-in-law thus fell into his hand he seized and confined him, and demanded of him an equivalent for the money and property which had been laid waste by his father’s power. And Jaibál was helpless in this matter, and knew not by what means he could obtain the deliverance of his son. And, in the midst of this affair, the Sultán arrived at these regions, and the chiefs of the Courts of India were up and down (overthrown) by his power, and, in their terror at the Sultán, sought refuge with Haibal, from the most distant parts of India. He became dispirited; and Chandraráy, confiding in the repelling power of his castles and forts, and in his numerous army, determined to oppose the Sultán, and sought aid therein. Then Haibal (or Bahamal*) sent to him, saying, Mahmúd is not like the race of Indian chiefs, that one can play with him in war as upon a (chess) board, or think to meet his standards. He hath taken many forts stronger than thine, and hath subdued many forces more unyielding than thine. One may regard the opportunity of flying from him as a gain, and one should pray for escape from him and his comrades. This advice was favourably received, and he col­lected his property, horses, treasure, and posses­sions, and sought an asylum in a mountain, which could fight at butting with the constellation of the Bull, and in a forest which concealed the surface of the earth from the eyes of the stars, and drew the veil of concealment over the traces of his march, and it was not known to any one what course he had taken and where he had halted. And the view of Haibál, in giving this advice to Chandraráy, respecting absenting himself and flying, was this, that he was in great alarm at the stars of the Sultán, and the stern imposition of the words of Islám, and thought that when the people and his kindred had been tied by the rope of Muhammadanism, and the Sultán had arrived, he would seize that fortress, and alone possess its wealth and plunder, and that his army would, in the productions of that country, find the pasture-field of their will and the quarters of exaltation. But the Sultán found no deliciousness in that vic­tory, except in overcoming the design and flight of those rebellious infidels. He therefore proceeded to reap all the results (of that victory) and went nearly fifty parasangs, pursuing their footsteps. Upon the fifth of Shaabán he reached them, and he stirred up the chiefs of his army to hunt up and take vengeance upon them. The despicable ones cast away their baggage and furniture, that they might be, perchance, the preservation of their lives and their safety. But the people of Islám turned not at all thereunto, and were content with nothing but those worshippers of fire, those wicked infidels, and with industry in tracking them to vengeance. They went after them for three successive days, and killed them, and seized their arms and accou­trements. And they took some of their elephants by force, and some came (willingly) under the Sultán’s yoke, to whom they gave the name of “God guided.” And the Sultán praised the mer­ciful acts of God and His accustomed generosity, because an elephant, which cannot be brought under except by the agency of horses, by the aid of chiefs (trainers) and by the sternness of men, was thus, by supereffluent kindness, cut off from the service of idols and placed in the service of devotion (Verse)

They obtained from the treasures of Chandra­rajah three thousand packets of gold and silver, precious gems, and valuable sapphires, and so great an abundance of slaves that the price of each never exceeded from two to ten dirhems, at the utmost. This victory fixed the embroidered border of the Sultán’s prosperity and good fortune, and its renown extended from the East to the West— Salutation.