It is related, that during the absence of Sultan Mahummud Khorazm Shah a number of the dependents of Kadir Khan had rebelled in the district of Jundoom, and for this reason Sultan Mahummud did not remain long at Khorezm, but marched towards that quarter. Sultan Osman, who waited to be married to the daughter of Khorazm Shah, remained in Khorezm. When Sultan Mahummud had destroyed the rebels, news was brought to him that an army from Kara Khatai* had arrived at Samurkund, and had besieged that city. The sultan, therefore, returned from Jundoom, and despatched messengers to all quarters to collect his troops, and marched towards Samurkund. The troops of Khatai during this period encamped on the river of Samurkund, and assaulted the city, it is said, seventy times, and failed in every attempt but one, when the Samurkund people sustained some loss. The troops of Khatai being irritated at their ill-success, closed in upon the city, and exerted themselves much to take it; but the news of the advance of the sultan, and of the newly acquired power of Koshluk Khan, arriving, they retired.
When Sultan Mahummud arrived at Samurkund, and had collected his army, he marched to the city of the Sughnanians, who were mostly Mussulmans. On his arrival, they seized their chief, and brought him in irons to the sultan; and as they exaggerated the great strength and power acquired by Koshluk Khan, he became the more eager to attack him, and marched forward for that purpose.
Goor Khan having heard of the sultan’s movements, prepared to oppose him; and when the armies approached each other, Sipehbood of the blue garments, and Burtuneh, the chief or mayor of Samurkund, entered into a secret confederacy, and they sent a messenger to Goor Khan, to say that when the armies met in battle they would join him, provided that if Goor Khan should conquer, he would resign Khorezm to Burtuneh, and give Khorasan to Sipehbood. Goor Khan agreed to these propositions, and even offered more; and when the troops engaged, the left wing of the army of Kara Khatai totally defeated the right wing of the sultan’s army. The main bodies then engaged, and both fell into utter confusion. It was the custom of the sultan on the day of battle to wear clothes of the same colour as those of his enemies, and some of his courtiers also followed his example, and when he fell into the hands of the troops of Kara Khatai he was not therefore recognized, and after some time he escaped from them and joined the remnant of his army at the river Sihoon, and restored confidence among his dependents, who supposed previously that he was either slain or taken prisoner.
Sultan Mahummud now proceeded to Khorezm, and the troops of Kara Khatai retired after plundering the country, and not sparing even their own. When the Khataians arrived at Balasaghoon, the inhabitants of that place, who detested them, trusting that when the sultan recovered his strength he would take that part of the country under his protection, shut their gates and manned their walls; the defence of the city was therefore maintained for sixteen days, in the hope that the sultan would arrive; but at last the elephants taken from sultan Mahummud being brought up to the gates, they were forced, and the city taken, and for three days the people of the city were indiscriminately massacred. It is related that forty-seven thousand chiefs and respectable citizens were killed on this occasion, and as the whole of the treasure and valuable property of the city was plundered, Mahummud Bai a very rich man, proposed that the loss sustained by Goor Khan’s treasury in the war should be made up by the army, from the spoils of the city generally. The ameers, however, having heard of this proposition, and being offended at it, separated and rebelled.
When Koshluk heard of these events, he marched to attack Goor Khan: who being employed in the collection of his revenue, and unaware of his design, was surprised and taken prisoner, and the whole of his property and country seized by Koshluk, who gave him his life, but occupied the throne of the Goor Khans in his stead. Goor Khan lived only two years after this event, and died aged ninety-five years.