In short, when Muhammad Bakhtiyár became aware of the nature of the country, and saw that his men were tired and exhausted, and that many had been slain and disabled in the first day's march, he consulted with his nobles, and they resolved that it was advisable to retreat, that in the following year they might return to the country in a state of greater preparation. On their way back there was not left on all the road a single blade of grass or a bit of wood. All had been set on fire and burnt. The inhabitants of the valleys and passes had all removed far away from the road, and for the space of fifteen days not a sír of food nor a blade of grass or fodder was to be found, and they were compelled to kill and eat their horses.
When, after descending the hills of the land of Kámrúp, they reached the bridge, they found that the arches of it had been demolished. The two officers who had been left to guard it had quarrelled, and in their animosity to each other had neglected to take care of the bridge and the road, so the Hindús of Kámrúp had come there and destroyed the bridge. When Muhammad Bakhtiyár with his army reached the place, he found no means of crossing. Neither was there a boat to be found, so he was greatly troubled and perplexed. They resolved to fix on some place where to encamp, and prepare rafts and boats to enable them to cross the river.
In the vicinity of this place was perceived a temple, very lofty and strong, and of beautiful structure. In it there were numerous idols of gold and silver, and one very large golden idol, which exceeded two or three thousand miskáls in weight. Muhammad Bakhtiyár and the remnant of his army sought refuge in that temple, and set about procuring wood and ropes for constructing rafts to cross the stream. The Ráí of Kámrúp was informed of the distress and weakness of the Muhammadans, and he issued orders to all the Hindús of his territory to come up, levy after levy, and all around the temple they were to stick their bamboo spears in the ground and to plait them together so as to form a kind of wall. When the soldiers of Islám saw this they told Muhammad Bakhtiyár that if they remained passive they would all be taken in the trap of the infidels and be made prisoners; some way of escape must be sought out. By common consent they made a simultaneous sally, and directing their efforts to one spot, they cleared for themselves a way through the dangerous obstacle to the open ground. The Hindús pursued them to the banks of the river and halted there. Every one exerted his ingenuity to devise some means of passing over the river. One of the soldiers urged his horse into the water, and it was found fordable to the distance of a bow-shot. A cry arose in the army that a fordable passage was found, and all threw themselves into the stream. The Hindús in their rear took possession of the banks. When the Muhammadans reached the middle of the stream, the water was found to be very deep, and they nearly all perished. Muhammad Bakhtiyár with some horse, to the number of about a hundred, more or less, crossed the river with the greatest difficulty, but all the rest were drowned.
When Muhammad Bakhtiyár escaped from this watery grave, the intelligence of it reached the people of Kúch and Mích. 'Alí Mích, the guide, sent his relatives forward on the road to meet him, and received him with much kindness and hospitality. When Bakhtiyár reached Deokot he was seized by sickness, occasioned by excess of grief. He would never go out, because he felt ashamed to look on the wives and children of those who had perished. If ever he did ride out, all people, women and children, from their housetops and the streets, cried out cursing and abusing him. In this position the remark often fell from his tongue, “Has any misfortune befallen Sultán Ghází Mu'izzu-d dín Muhammad Sám, that my fortune has turned so bad?” It was even so, for Sultán Ghází was killed about that time. Muhammad Bakhtiyár grew worse under his trouble, took to his bed, and died. Some writers say that there was a chief under Muhammad Bakhtiyár, of the same tribe as himself, 'Alí Mardán Khiljí by name. He was a very bold and dauntless man, and the district of Kúní had been assigned to him. When he heard of Bakhtiyár's sickness he came to Deokot, where Bakhtiyár was lying ill. Three days had elapsed since anyone had been admitted to see him, but 'Alí Mardán by some means got in to him, drew aside the sheet with which he was covered, and killed him with a knife. His death took place in A.H. 602 (1205 A.D.)
It is related that Muhammad Shírán and Ahmad Írán were two brothers, sons of a noble Khiljí. They were in the service of Muhammad Bakhtiyár, and when this chief started on his campaign in Kámrúp and Tibet, he sent Shírán and his brother Ahmad with detachments of his troops to Lakhnautí and Jájnagar. On the arrival of the news of the defeat and death of Bakhtiyár, they returned from their stations, and came dutifully to Deokot. From that place he (Muhammad Shírán) went to Nárkotí, which belonged to 'Alí Mardán, and seizing him in punishment of the crime he had committed, put him in prison under the charge of the Kotwál of the place, whose name was Bábá Kotwál Isfahání. He then came back to Deokot and collected all the nobles. This Muhammad Shírán was a very active and high principled man.
When Muhammad Bakhtiyár sacked the city of Núdiya and
defeated Ráí Lakhmaniya, the soldiers, followers, and elephants
of the Ráí were dispersed, and the Muhammadans pursued and
plundered them. Muhammad Shírán was three days absent
from the camp on this pursuit, so that all the officers began to
be apprehensive about him. After the third day, news was
brought that Muhammad Shírán had captured eighteen or more
elephants in a certain jungle, with their drivers, and alone by
himself he was keeping them there. Horsemen were sent out to
his assistance and all the elephants were brought in. In short,
Muhammad Shírán was an energetic man, ready and full of expedients.
When he returned, after taking 'Alí Mardán prisoner,
as he was the chief of all the Khiljí nobles, they all rendered him
homage, but each noble continued to rule over the districts which
belonged to himself. 'Alí Mardán contrived to ingratiate himself
with the Kotwál, and, escaping from prison, he went to
the Court of Delhi. Upon his representations Sultán Kutbu-d
dín sent Káímáz*
Rúmí from Oude towards Lakhnautí, and in
execution of the royal orders the Khiljí chiefs were quieted.
Hisámu-d dín 'Auz Khiljí, who had received the districts of Gan-