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296
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1884.
overtook a body of Mongols near Nakchivran following day they entered the town, and as and drove them into a ditch, where they were usual ordered the people to march out. When drowned. This exploit got him some renown, collected on the plain outside showers of and having been joined by a body of the missiles were poured among them after they Sultan's troops who were disbanded and living had had their hands tied behind them. "These in the woods, he went to Nissa, whose governor unfortunate people," says Nissavi, "did as they had gone on a pilgrimage to Mekka. There he were told ; if they had fled to the neighbouring secured the money which had been collected in mountains the greater part of them would taxes in 1221, with which he furnished his have escaped. When they were pinioned the army. As the Mongols were now approaching Mongols slew them, men, women, and children Nissa in force he retired to the mountains." together, with showers of arrows. The number When he retired westwards, Mohammad Khua- of the dead, including both people of Nissa and rezm sent a messenger to Nissa to tell its others from the country round was 70,000." governor that the Mongols did not make war Shihab-u'd-dîn and his son were led in chains like other people, and that it would be the before the Noyans, who ordered their treasure best thing on their approach to retire into chests to be opened before their eyes, and then the mountains with his people, as they would had them decapitated. Shihab-u'd-dîn's tomb, probably withdraw when they had ravaged says De la Croix, may still be seen in a place the country.
called Hafna. Its citadel had been razed by order of Three days after the capture of Nissa the Sultan Takish, and its site had been plough. invaders proceeded to attack the fortress of ed. The citizens now proceeded to rebuild Kharendar," situated on & scarped rock beit." It was situated on the confines of the tween Nissa and Nishapur, and considered desert, and had long served as a frontier to be the strongest fortress of Khorasan, fortress to the Persions and Turks. It gave Nissavi says it had, according to tradition, his name to the famous prince historian, belonged to his ancestors since the introduction Muhammad of Nissa. Shihab-u'd-din the Sul- of Islam in these districts. As it was in the tan's Vizier, had retired thither with his treacentre of the province it formed an asylum sures, his son and some other Khuậrezmians. for escaped prisoners and other fugitives." The Mongols now approached it. According to Nejm-u'd-din, one of the greatest grandees of De la Croix, who apparently follows Nissavi, the Khuârezmian empire, had only a few days they were commanded by Jafar the Chapar of before visited the place with his riches. On the Chinese and Irka Noyan, who were accom- entering it he was so impressed with its strength panied by an experienced general, named that he said to Nissavi, “We will await the Balkush, but it would seem that the titular Tartars here. But when he saw that they atchief of the army was Tului's brother-in-law, tacked it on its weakest side, he grew afraid and Tugachar. They offered the citizens reasonable asked the governor to let him down into the plain terms, but while the negotiations were pro- by ropes at a place where he would not be seen. ceeding some one shot an arrow from the This Nissavi did, and he escaped. The place ramparts and killed Balkush. The siege was was attacked with vigour, but presently the now pressed, and twenty catapults were built, Mongol commander, having satisfied himself which were served and the battering rams that he would require a larger force to take it, dragged into place by captives and others and having determined to raise the siege, sent pressed into the service. These engines, called & messenger to ask for 10,000 cotton ropes harakas, were covered with wet hides to and other articles, "although," says Nissavi, prevent them being fired. After an assault of " they were gorged with booty from Nissa. I fifteen days, a breach was made in the walls, consented, but when it became necessary to take which the Mongols duly occupied. The these objects to them, no one would volunteer,
» Nissavi, quoted by De la Croix, pp. 267 and 268. # D'Ohsson, vol. I, pp. 275 and 6. » De la Croix, p. 269.
* Id., p. 268, » De la Croix, pp. 269 and 270; D'Ohsson, vol. I, pp.
276 and 277.
* Called Caendar by De La Croix. 9 D'Ohssor, vol. I, p. 277. “De La Croix, pp. 270 and 271.
