Changíz Khán detached a portion of his army, fully equipped, from Tálikán, against Sultán Jalálu-d dín, and when he heard of his still further successes, he himself marched with such expedition that there was no difference between night and day, and no time for cooking food. On his reaching Ghazna, he ascertained that the Sultán had left it fifteen days previous, for the purpose of crossing the river Sindh, so he appointed Yelwáj with his contingent to the charge of Ghazna,* and himself hastened like a cloud-impelling wind in pursuit of him.
He came up with the Sultán on the bank of the Sind, and hemmed him completely in with his army, several curves extending one behind another like a bow, of which the river was the string. Changíz Khán ordered his troops to advance, and enjoined that every attempt should be made to take the Sultán alive. Chagtáí and Ogtáí* also arrived to his support from Khwárizm.
When the Sultán saw that it was a time for exertion and action, he prepared for fight with the few men he had under him; galloping from the right to the left wing, from the left to the centre, and making furious onslaughts. But the army of the Mughals made good their advance by degrees, narrowing the field of battle and the opportunity of escape, while the Sultán was fighting like an angry lion.
In every direction that he urged his steed
He raised dust commingled with blood.
Orders were again issued that they should take him prisoner, and the army refrained from wounding with spear and arrow, in their anxiety to carry the commands of Changíz Khán into effect. Jalálu-d dín himself maintained his ground, and, mounting a fresh horse that was brought to him, made one more charge, and then retreated like the wind and like a flash of lightning upon water.*
When Changíz Khán saw that the Sultán had dashed into the river, and that the Mughals were anxious to follow him, he prevented them, and placing his hand in his mouth through excess of astonishment, exclaimed to his sons:—
This is one whom you may indeed call a man!
A true fighting elephant to tooth and marrow!*
This he said, and looked in that direction
Where the Sultán went like a Rustam on his way.
All his followers who were not drowned in the river were put to the sword,* and the ladies of his household and his children were brought to Changíz Khán. He ordered with respect to all the males, even down to those who were sucklings, that the nipple of death should be placed in the mouth of their life, and that their bodies should be left to be devoured by crows.*
As all the property and wealth of the Sultán had been thrown that day into the river by his orders, Changíz Khán directed divers to search for it, and bring out what they could. This transaction, which was one of the wonders of the time, took place in Rajab, of the year 618 H., in accordance with the proverb, “Wonders occur in Rajab.” Changíz Khán, after the battle marched to the banks of the Jíhún (Indus), and sent Ogtáí to Ghazna. On his arrival they proffered their submission. He ordered all the inhabitants to be brought out into the plain and counted, and, after selecting artizans from among them, he ordered all the rest to be slain. He also destroyed the city, and Ogtáí returned towards Hirát, after burying the slain.
Chaghtáí was left on the borders of Kirmán. He went in pursuit of the Sultán, and as he could not find him, he fixed his winter quarters in the plains of Hindustán.* The governor of the country in which he cantoned himself was Sálár Ahmad, who bound the girdle of obedience round his waist, and provided all the supplies he could for the use of the army. On account of the pestilential air most of the army fell sick and lost their strength, and as they had many slaves with them, having added to their number while encamped there (insomuch that to every tent there were as many as ten or twenty, who were engaged in preparing rice and other things for the use of their masters), and as the climate of the country agreed well with their constitutions, Changíz Khán* gave orders that in every tent every captive should prepare and clean five hundred mans of rice. All expedition was made, and within one week they ceased from that labour. He then issued orders that every prisoner in camp should be slain, and the next morning not a trace of captives or Hindús remained. He sent ambassadors to all the princes of that country, and they submitted. One was despatched to the Ráná, and he was at first well received, but was afterwards crucified; upon which an army was sent against the Ráná, and he was taken. An army was also sent to besiege Aghrák, in the fort in which he had taken refuge.
When the army had recovered its health, thoughts of return were entertained, in order that by way of Hindustán they might reach the country of Tangút.* They advanced some marches, and when they found there was no road, they came back again, and went to Fersháwar (Pesháwar), and employed themselves in returning by the same road which they came. * * * The reason of their expediting their return was that intelligence was received that Khítá and Tangút had exhibited signs of disaffection, in consequence of Changíz Khán's prolonged absence.
When Chaghtáí returned without finding the Sultán, Changíz
Khán despatched Túrtáí*
with two túmáns of Mughals, to
pursue the Sultán beyond the Sind, which he passed over, and
then reached the banks of the Bhut,*
which is a country of
Hindustán, then held by Kamru-d dín Kirmání, one of the
Sultán's nobles. Túrtáí conquered that country, and took the
strong fort of Bhera, and after ravaging that neighbourhood, he
went towards Multán, but as there were no stones there, he
ordered that the population of Bhera should be turned out to
make floats of wood, and load them with stones for the man-
Abú-l Fazl Baihakí has related in his Táríkh-i Násirí, that one of the soldiers of Sultán Mahmúd on the return from Somnát, killed a large dragon, and when they flayed it, the skin was found to be thirty yards long and four cubits broad. My object in mentioning this is, that Abú-l Fazl says, let any who doubts this fact go to Ghaznín, and see the skin, which is spread out like a curtain, and is suspended at one of the gates. Now the writer of this history says he is entitled to the same credit, when he asserts a thing which may seem impossible.