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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[August, 1884.
to the Khorezm Shah. When the Mongols Balkh in order to follow the advice of Amadadvanced further into Transoxiana he left ul-Mulk, Muhammad sent a detachment to Samarkand, doubtless moved by the suspicions Penjab, between Termed and Samarkand, to about the fidelity of his officers, and retreated watch the movements of the enemy. News now towards Naksheb, telling the people on the arrived of the fall of Bukhara. His troope, which way that they must make the best terms consisted not of his own men, who had been they could with the invaders. He also sent left to protect Transoxiana, but of some of his messengers to his mother, Turkhan Khatun, mother's Kankalis, plotted against him. That who was at Khuárezm, to retire with his very night he slept in another tent, and in the harem to Mazanderan. His counsellors now morning his old tent was found to be riddled began to give very divided counsel, some with arrows. When they found that their plans urged that it was useless to try and save were discovered, his treacherous troops deserted Transoxiana, and that he should confine his him and joined Chinghiz. Meanwhile Badr-u'defforts to the defence of Khorasan and Irak. din, one of his ministers, also fled and joined the Others advised him to retire to Ghazni whence, invaders, and went the length of forging letters if unlucky, he might retire into Hindostan. as if they had been written by some of his officers The Sultan preferred the latter course, and was to Chinghiz Khân, urging him to attack their retiring towards Ghazni, when he was met at master, and also forged replies, promising them Balkh by Amad-ul-Mulk Savi, the principalaid. These letters were entrusted toe spy, who was minister of his son, Rokn-u'd-dîn, who then ordered to let them fall into the Sultan's hands. ruled over Irák Ajem. The young prince bad Muhammad now retired towards Nisbapur. sent him on the pretext of advising his father When he reached Kalát, near Tus, he was urged in his difficult position, but really in order to to make a stand, for the position was a strong rid himself of his surveillance, which he found one, it being a valley, seven miles long, surroundvery irksome. Irák was his native place, ed by mountains, and was the place where at a where he had his family, and he urged on the later day Nadir Shah deposited his treasures. Khuárezm Shah that he should retire thither, Some provisions were accordingly collected collect an army and trust to God. Jelal- there and preparations made for a stand, but u'd-din, the Sultan's eldest son, did not at all he abandoned the notion, and on the 18th of approve of these counsels about retreating. He April he reached Nishapur, *" where he gave urged that they should defend the line of the himself over to despair and to indifferentism. Oxus. If his father was determined to retire This mood was encouraged by his dreams, towards Irak he demanded that he might be which were of a lugubrious nature , one night, entrasted with an army, with which to march according to Juveni, be saw a number of spirits against the enemy. “If fortune favour me, he with haggard faces, dishevelled hair, and black said, I will carry off the ball of desire with clothes, braising their heads, while they raised a the Chaugân of divine aid ; but if fortune dreadful wailing. "On asking them what they favour me not, neither will the finger of were they replied that they were the betrayers of reproach be pointed at us, nor the tongue of Islam." On another occasion as he was on his malediction curse ; and the world will not be way to the mosque he saw two cats, one black able to say they have collected taxes and and the other white, fighting one another in the tribute from us for so long, and at a time porch of the temple. He accepted this as * like this they renounce our affairs and abandon presage of the issue of the struggle between us to be captive to infidels." The Sultin treated him and the Mongols. When the cat which the advice of his son as the mere babbling of he bad chosen as his champion was defeated he a child. He took refuge in the fatalism which heaved a deep sigh, and he then gave himself says that good and ill have their appointed turn, up to dissipation and surrounded himself with and said they must await a favourable turn frivolities, the usual resource of despair. As in the position of the stars." Before leaving he retired towards Nishapar he had told the
11 Tabakat-i-Nasiri, Raverty's Notes, pp. 974 and 275; Erdmanu, pp. 368 and 389; D'Obson, vol. I, PP. 240-243
** Tabakat-i-Nasiri, p. 976 note. * Tabakat--Nasiri, p. 276 note; Erdmann, p. 390. 11 Erdmann, p. 301.
