“The idol-breaking Malik comprehended the gilding of the Hindús, and paid no regard to their glozing speech, and would not look towards that golden image;” but he (“a part of the second Alexander”) ordered his officers to take the gold that was brought and suspend operations against the fort. He demanded, in reply, everything that the Ráí's country produced, from “vegetables, mines, and animals. On this condition the fort-taking Malik stretched forth his right hand, and placed his sword in his scabbard, and struck his open hand, by way of admonition, so forcibly on the backs of the basíths that he made them bend under the blow. They hastened to the fort, trembling like quick­silver. The Ráí was engaged all night in accumulating his treasures and wealth, and next morning his officers returned with elephants, treasures, and horses, before the red canopy, which is the dawn of the eastern sun; and the Malik, having summoned all the chiefs of the army, sat down in a place which was found in front of the exalted throne, and every other officer found a place in the assembly according to his rank. The com­mon people and servants assembled in a crowd. He then sent for the basíths of the Ráí, and directed them to place their faces on the ground before the canopy, the shadow of God; and the elephants were placed in front of that assembly, to be exhibited for presentation.”

The Malik took the entire wealth of the Ráí which was brought, and threatened a general massacre, if it should be found that the Ráí had reserved anything for himself. An engagement was then entered into that the Ráí should send jizya annually to Dehli. The Malik left Arangal on the 16th of Shawwál (March, 1310 A.D.) with all his booty, and “a thousand camels groaned under the weight of the treasure.” He arrived at Dehli on the 11th of Muharram, A.H. 710, and on Tuesday, the 24th, in an assembly of all the chiefs and nobles on the terrace of Násiru-d dín, the plunder was presented, and the Malik duly honoured.

“They raised a black pavilion on the Chautara Násira, like the Ka'ba in the navel of the earth, and kings and princes of Arabia and Persia took up their stations around it, while various other celebrated chiefs, who had fled to the city of Islám, came with pure intentions to offer allegiance, and honoured the dust which adhered to their foreheads when prostrating themselves upon the earth before his majesty.” “You would have said that the people considered that day a second 'Íd, when the returning pilgrims, after traversing many deserts, had arrived at the sacred dwelling of the king. The common people went roaming about, and there was no one to prevent their enjoying that blessed sight. They obtained the rewards resulting from pilgrimage, but a greater reward than that attending other pilgrimages was, that, on whatsoever person the fortunate sight of the king fell, that person was a recipient of his kindness and favour.”

The Conquest of Ma'bar.

“The tongue of the sword of the Khalífa of the time, which is the tongue of the flame of Islám, has imparted light to the entire dark­ness of Hindústán by the illumination of its guidance; and on one side an iron wall of royal swords has been raised before the infidel Magog-like Tátárs, so that all that God-deserted tribe drew their feet within their skirts amongst the hills of Ghazní, and even their advance-arrows had not strength enough to reach into Sind. On the other side so much dust arose from the battered temple of Somnát that even the sea was not able to lay it, and on the right hand and on the left hand the army has conquered from sea to sea, and several capitals of the gods of the Hindús, in which Satanism has prevailed since the time of the Jinns, have been demolished. All these impurities of infidelity have been cleansed by the Sultán's destruction of idol-temples, beginning with his first holy expedition against Deogír, so that the flames of the light of the law illumine all these unholy countries, and places for the criers to prayer are exalted on high, and prayers are read in mosques. God be praised!”

“But the country of Ma'bar, which is so distant from the city of Dehli that a man travelling with all expedition could only reach it after a journey of twelve months, there the arrow of any holy warrior had not yet reached; but this world-conquering king determined to carry his army to that distant country, and spread the light of the Muhammadan religion there.” Malik Náib Bárbak was appointed to command the army for this ex­pedition, and a royal canopy was sent with him. The Malik represented that on the coast of Ma'bar were five hundred elephants, larger than those which had been presented to the Sultán from Arangal, and that when he was engaged in the conquest of that place he had thought of possessing himself of them, and that now, as the wise determination of the king had combined the extirpation of idolaters with this object, he was more than ever rejoiced to enter on this grand enterprise.

The army left Dehli on the 24th of Jumáda-l ákhir, A.H. 710 (Nov. 1310 A.D.) and after marching by the bank of the Jún (Jumna) halted at Tankal for fourteen days. While on the bank of the river at that place, the Díwán of the 'A'riz-i Mamálik took a muster of the army. “Twenty and one days the royal soldiers, like swift grey-hounds, made lengthened marches, while they were making the road short, until they arrived at Kanhún; from that, in seventeen more days, they arrived at Gur-gánw. During these seventeen days the Gháts were passed, and great heights and depths were seen amongst the hills, where even the elephants became nearly invisible.” “And three large rivers had to be crossed, which occasioned the greatest fears in their passage. Two of them were equal to one another, but neither of them equalled the Nerbadda.”

“After crossing those rivers, hills, and many depths, the Ráí of Tilang sent twenty-three powerful elephants for the royal service.” “For the space of twenty days the victorious army remained at that place, for the purpose of sending on the ele­phants, and they took a muster of the men present and absent, until the whole number was counted. And, according to the command of the king, they suspended swords from the standard poles, in order that the inhabitants of Ma'bar might be aware that the day of resurrection had arrived amongst them; and that all the burnt* Hindús would be despatched by the sword to their brothers in hell, so that fire, the improper object of their wor­ship, might mete out proper punishment to them.”

“The sea-resembling army moved swiftly, like a hurricane, to Ghurgánw.* Everywhere the accursed tree, that produced no reli­gion, was found and torn up by the roots, and the people who were destroyed were like trunks carried along in the torrent of the Jíhún, or like straw tossed up and down in a whirlwind, and carried forward. When they reached the Táwí (Táptí), they saw a river like the sea. The army crossed it by a ford quicker than the hurricane they resembled, and afterwards employed itself in cutting down jungles and destroying gardens.”

“On Thursday, the 13th of Ramazán, the royal canopy cast its shadow on Deogír, which under the aid of heaven had been protected by the angels, and there the army determined to make all preparations for extirpating Billál Deo and other Deos (demons). The Ráí Ráyán, Rám Deo, who had heard safety to Satan pro­claimed by the dreadful Muhammadan tymbals, considered him­self safe under the protection secured to him; and, true to his allegiance, forwarded with all his heart the preparations necessary for the equipment of the army sent by the Court, so as to render it available for the extermination of rebels and the destruction of the Bír and Dhúr Samundar.”* The city was adorned in honour of the occasion, and food and clothes plentifully supplied to the Musulmáns.