It was a matter of agreement that Maliku-l Islám Jamálu-d dín and the merchants should embark every year from the island of Kais and land at Ma'bar 1,400 horses of his own breed, and of such generous origin that, in comparison with them the most celebrated horses of antiquity, such as the Rukhs of Rustam, etc., should be as worthless as the horse of the chess-board. It was also agreed that he should embark as many as he could procure from all the isles of Persia, such as Katíf, Lahsá, Bahrein, Hurmúz and Kulhátú. The price of each horse was fixed from of old at 220 dínárs of red gold, on this condition, that if any horses should sustain any injury during the voyage, or should happen to die, the value of them should be paid from the royal treasury. It is related by authentic writers, that in the reign of Atábak Abú Bakr, 10,000 horses were annually exported from these places to Ma'bar, Kambáyat, and other ports in their neighbourhood, and the sum total of their value amounted to 2,200,000 dínárs, which was paid out of the overflowing revenues of the estates and endowments belonging to the Hindú temples, and from the tax upon courtezans attached to them, and no charge was incurred by the public treasury. It is a strange thing that when those horses arrive there, instead of giving them raw barley they give them roasted barley and grain dressed with butter, and boiled cow's milk to drink.
Who gives sugar to an owl or crow?
Or who feeds a parrot with a carcase?
A crow should be fed with a dead body,
And a parrot with candy and sugar.
Who loads jewels on the back of an ass?
Or who would approve of giving dressed almonds to a cow?
They bind them for forty days in a stable with ropes and pegs, in order that they may get fat; and afterwards, without taking measures for training, and without stirrups and other appurtenances of riding, the Indian soldiers ride upon them like demons. They are equal to Burák in celerity, and are employed either in war or exercise. In a short time the most strong, swift, fresh, and active horses become weak, slow, useless, and stupid. In short, they all become wretched and good for nothing. In this climate these powerful horses which fly swiftly without a whip (for whips are required for horses, especially if they are to go any distance), should they happen to cover, become exceedingly weak and altogether worn out and unfit for riding. There is, therefore, a constant necessity of getting new horses annually, and, consequently, the merchants of Muhammadan countries bring them to Ma'bar.* Their loss is not without its attendant advantage, for it is a providential ordinance of God that the western should continue in want of eastern products, and the eastern world of western products, and that the north should with labour procure the goods of the south, and the south be furnished in like manner with commodities brought in ships from the north. Consequently, the means of easy communication are always kept up between these different quarters, as the social nature of human beings necessarily requires and profits by.
Thou wert called a man because thou wert endowed with love.
In the months of the year 692 H. the above-mentioned Dewar, the ruler of Ma'bar, died, and left behind him much wealth and treasure. It is related by Maliku-l Islám Jamálu-d dín, that out of that treasure 7,000 oxen, laden with precious stones, and pure gold and silver, fell to the share of the brother who succeeded him. Malik-i a'zam Takíu-d dín continued prime minister as before, and, in fact, ruler of that kingdom, and his glory and magnificence were raised a thousand times higher.*
Notwithstanding the immense wealth acquired by trade, he gave orders that whatever commodities and goods were imported from the remotest parts of China and Hind into Ma'bar, his agents and factors should be allowed the first selection, until which no one else was allowed to purchase. When he had selected his goods he despatched them on his own ships, or delivered them to merchants and ship owners to carry to the island of Kais. There also it was not permitted to any merchant to contract a bargain until the factors of Maliku-l Islám had selected what they required, and after that the merchants were allowed to buy whatever was suited to the wants of Ma'bar. The remnants were exported on ships and beasts of burden to the isles of the sea, and the countries of the east and west, and with the prices obtained by their sale such goods were purchased as were suitable for the home market; and the trade was so managed that the produce of the remotest China was consumed in the farthest west. No one has seen the like of it in the world.
Nobility arises from danger, for the interest is ten in forty;
If merchants dread risk they can derive no profit.
As the eminent dignity and great power of Malik-i a'zam Takíu-d dín, and Maliku-l Islám, and Jamálu-d dín were celebrated in most parts of Hind to even a greater extent than in Ma'bar, the rulers of distant countries have cultivated and been strengthened by their friendship, and continually kept up a correspondence with them, expressing their solicitations and desires. The correspondence, in Arabic, between Jamálu-d dín and Sultán 'Alí bin Huzabbaru-d dín Muwaiyid, will show the consideration in which he was held by contemporary princes.
Dehli is one of the southern countries, and in honour and in position is like the heart within the body, its provinces being placed around like the limbs and extremities. Its inhabitants are all Musulmáns, and ready for the prosecution of holy war. Its soil is odoriferous, its air temperate, its water pure, its gardens charming, and its plains spacious. Its disciplined armies exceed the number of 300,000 men.
The following are the most celebrated cities and tracts which
lie between Khurásán and Hindustán, according to the testimony
of eye-witnesses. After crossing the Panjáb, or five rivers,
namely, Sind, Jelam, the river of Loháwar, Satlút*
and Bíyah,
there are Banian of the Júd Hills, Sodra, Jálandhar, the Kokar
country, Multán, Uchh, Jásí, Sarsutí, Kaithal, Sanám, Tabar-
On travelling from Dehli to the province of Hind you proceed in this wise—'Iwaz (Oudh), Badáún, Karra Manikpúr, Behár, Silhet, Lakhnautí. Each of these places comprises several subordinate villages, and there are strong forts and towns and other inhabited spots, which cannot be noticed in this narrative on account of their great number.*
In the year 512 H. (1118 A.D.) Bahrám Sháh, a descendant of Mahmúd Subuktígín, became Sultán of Ghaznín, and after some time 'Aláu-d dín Husain bin Hasan, the first king of the Ghorians, attacked him and took his country, and seated his nephew on the throne of Ghaznín, after which he again returned to Dehli. When Bahrám Sháh saw his hereditary country freed from the lions of Ghor, he again rose in arms and took the nephew of 'Aláu-d dín prisoner, and disgraced him by seating him on a cow and parading him round the walls of Ghaznín.
When 'Aláu-d dín heard this intelligence, he again marched to repel him, but before his arrival Bahrám Sháh had died, having received the order of God, and his son Khusrú had placed the royal crown upon his head, but not being able to oppose 'Aláu-d dín, he fled towards the country of Hind. 'Aláu-d dín plundered and massacred in Ghaznín, and after depopulating the country he took up his abode at Dehli. Khusrú Sháh died in the year 555 H. (1160 A.D.) and the dynasty of the Ghaznivides became extinct.
'Aláu-d dín Husain appointed (to the government of Ghaznín) his nephews, the sons of Sám, son of Hasan, namely Ghiyásu-d dín Abú-l fath Muhammad and Shahábu-d dín Abú-l Muzaffar. When Sultán Ghiyásu-d dín died, the government devolved alone upon Sultán Shahábu-d dín Ghorí, who was slain by some Hindú devotees in the year 602 H. (1205 A.D.)