Upon the arrival of Ulugh Khán, the two confederates, Arslán Khán and Kalij Khán, parted, and were obliged to send their families and dependants among the Mawás. They also deputed some trusty persons to wait on Ulugh Khán, and prevail upon him to inform the Sultán that they had been obliged to disperse their followers, and that they were ready to promise that they would both repair to the capital, and do homage as soon as the royal army was withdrawn. Upon this representation the forces were re-called, and reached the capital on Monday, 2nd Ramazán, 656. Arslán Khán and Kalij Khán repaired to Court, and Ulugh Khán exerted himself so generously and strenuously in their behalf,* that their rebellion was forgiven, and in the course of two months Kalij Khán was appointed to the government of Lakhnautí, and Arslán Khán to Karra.
On the 13th Muharram, at the beginning of the new year,
657 (January, 1259), the royal forces again marched from Dehli.
Ulugh Khán now very properly used his influence in favour of
his nephew, Sher Khán, and on Sunday, 21st Safar, all the territories
of Bayána, Kol, Jalesar, and Gwalior were consigned to
him. There was nothing to require the action of the army
during the rest of the year. On Wednesday, 4th Jumáda-l
ákhir, treasure, wealth, and many valuables, with two elephants,
were brought to Court from Lakhnautí. These presents were
sent by 'Izzu-d dín Balban Uzbek, who was grantee of Lakh-
At the beginning of 658 H. (December, 1259), Ulugh Khán resolved upon a campaign in the hills near the capital. These hills were inhabited by a turbulent people, who committed depredations on the roads, plundered the goods of Musulmáns, drove away the cultivators, and ravaged the villages in the districts of Harriána, the Siwálik hills, and Bayána. Three years before they had carried off from Hánsí a drove of camels and a number of the people of Ulugh Khán. Their chief was a Hindu named Malká, a fierce and desperate fellow. It was he who carried off the camels, and he fomented disturbances among the Hindus from the hills to Rantambhor. But when he did these things the army was otherwise engaged, and the soldiers and followers of Ulugh Khán had not the means of transporting their baggage and implements. Ulugh Khán and all the princes and nobles were sorely vexed, but it was then impossible to do anything, as the army was fully employed in repelling the Mughal forces, which had attacked the frontiers of Islám in Sindh, at Lahore, and in the vicinity of the river Biyáh. At length ambassadors to the Sultán came to Khurásán from 'Irák, on the part of Hulákú Mughal, son of Tolí, son of Changíz Khán, and orders were given that the embassy was to halt at Márúta.*
Ulugh Khán and other nobles, with the royal troops and their own followers, suddenly resolved upon a campaign in the hills, and made the first march in advance on Monday, 4th Safar, 658. In their first forced march (kashish) they accomplished nearly fifty kos, and fell unexpectedly upon the rebels. These retreated to the summits of the mountains, to the defiles, to deep gorges and narrow valleys, but they were all taken and put to the sword. For twenty days the troops traversed the hills in all directions. The villages and habitations of the mountaineers were on the summits of the loftiest hills and rocks, and were of great strength, but they were all taken and ravaged by order of Ulugh Khán, and the inhabitants who were thieves, robbers, and highwaymen were all slain. A silver tanka was offered for every head, and two tankas for every man brought in alive. Eager for these rewards the soldiers climbed the highest hills, and penetrated the ravines and deepest gorges, and brought in heads and captives; especially the Afgháns, a body of whom, amounting to three thousand horse and foot, was in the service of Ulugh Khán. These men were very bold and daring, and in fact the whole army, nobles and chiefs, Turks and Tázíks, exhibited great bravery, and their feats will remain recorded in history. Fortune now so favoured Ulugh Khán that he was able to penetrate to a fastness which no Musulmán army had ever reached, and that Hindu rebel who had carried off the camels was taken prisoner with his children and dependants. Two hundred and fifty of the chiefs of the rebels were captured. One hundred and forty-two horses were led away to the royal stables, and six bags of tankas, amounting to thirty thousand tankas, were taken from the Ránas of the hills and the Ráís of Sind, and sent to the royal treasury.
In the course of twenty days this great work was accomplished, and the army returned to the capital on the 24th Rabí'u-l awwal, 658. His Majesty, with a great retinue of chiefs and nobles, came forth to the plain of Hauz-rání to meet him, and a grand Court was held in which many honours and rewards were bestowed.* After a stay of two days in the capital the Court went forth again to Hauz-rání on a mission of revenge. The elephants were prepared, and the Turks made ready their trenchant swords. By royal command many of the rebels were cast under the feet of elephants, and the fierce Turks cut the bodies of the Hindus in two. About a hundred met their death at the hands of the flayers, being skinned from head to foot; their skins were all stuffed with straw, and some of them were hung over every gate of the city. The plain of Hauz-rání and the gates of Dehli remembered no punishment like this, nor had any one ever heard such a tale of horror.
Ulugh Khán now represented to the Sultán that the Mughal ambassador in Khurásán should be brought to Court and be granted an interview. On Wednesday, 7th Rabí'u-l awwal, the Court proceeded to the Kushk-i sabz (green palace), and Ulugh Khán gave orders for armed men to be collected from all quarters round Dehli to the number of two hundred thousand foot and fifty thousand horse, with banners and accoutrements. Great numbers of armed men of all ranks went out of the city, and assembled in the new city of Kílu-gharí, at the royal residence, where they were drawn up shoulder to shoulder in twenty lines. * * * When the ambassadors arrived, and their eyes fell on this vast multitude, they were stricken with fear, * * * * * and it is certain that on seeing the elephants some of them fell from their horses. On the ambassadors entering the city they were received with the greatest honour, and were conducted before the throne with the highest possible ceremony. The palace was decked out in the most splendid array, and all the princes and nobles and officers attended in gorgeous dresses. A poem written by the author of this work was recited before the throne. I here insert it. * * * * After the reception the ambassadors were conducted in great state to the place appointed for their abode.*
Let us return to the thread of our history. The last event which I have to record is this. When Ulugh Khán carried war into the hills, and punished the rebels in the way we have related, a number of them escaped by flight. They now again took to plundering on the highways, and murdering Musulmáns, so that the roads became dangerous. This being reported to the Khán, he sent emissaries and spies to find out the places where the rebels had taken refuge, and to make a full report of their state and condition. On Monday, 24th Rajab, 658 (July, 1260), he marched from Dehli with his own forces, the main army, and the forces of several chiefs. He hastened towards the hills, and, accomplishing more than fifty kos in one day's journey (!),* he fell upon the insurgents unawares, and captured them all, to the number of twelve thousand—men, women, and children—whom he put to the sword. All their valleys and strongholds were overrun and cleared, and great booty captured. Thanks be to God for this victory of Islám!