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CHINGHIZ KHAN AND HIS ANCESTORS.
MARCH, 1885].
many of the invaders were stricken down, and the rest were reduced to great weakness. This prevented them from attacking Fars and part of Khuzistân, which were under the authority of Ghiâsu'd-din, Jalalu'd-din's younger brother. We read that he sent envoys to the countries of Kesh, Kachh, Makrân, and the port of Surat, and received their submission; troops being sent to those who were not submissive, and that having put governors in the districts and towns he had conquered, Jagatai marched northwards to rejoin his father."
While Jagatai was overrunning the province, now called Baluchistan, Ogotai marched upon Ghazni, at this time, we are told, called Dâru'lMulk, or the Royal City, the famous capital of the great Indian conqueror Mahmûd and of his descendants. The statement that it was now attacked and destroyed is not easy to reconcile with that already made that it submitted to Chinghiz Khân, who put Mahmûd Yelvaj there as its ruler, unless it had in the meantime revolted like Herat, &c. However this is to be explained, we read that the place now resisted bravely. Twice the citizens broke down the mounds on which the besiegers had planted their engines, while they disabled 100 of their battering rams, but it was of no avail. The wall of the town presently fell and filled up the ditch with its ruins, over which the Mongols hurried. The commander and his followers died fighting. The place was then sacked during four or five hours, the artisans were transplanted to Mongolia, while the citizens who remained alive were allowed to ransom their houses." Ogotai now advanced upon Ghûr, the reduction of whose various fortresses is described by Minhaj-i-Saraj alone, and in a way which is so embarrassing that it is impossible to reduce his narrative to order. We read that Ogotai having reached Pul-i-Ahingarân, i.e., the Blacksmith's Boundary, near Firûzkôh, halted and pitched his camp. Thence he sent the Juzbis Saadi and Mankadhu or Mankadah, and some other Noyans, with a large force to subdue Seistân." The Noyan Abaka was sent with a
66
es Erdmann, p. 433; Tabakat-i-Nasirf, pp. 1074 and 1075 notes: Shajrat-ul-Atra'k, pp. 187 and 188; De la Croix, pp. 336 and 388.
De la Croix, pp. 835 and 336.
1 Tabakat-i-Nasirt, p. 1047.
Raverty says Ashiyar is the plural of Shar, which
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large force against the fortress of the Ashiyar of Gharjistân. Another force under the Noyan Ilji was sent into the hill country of Ghûr and Herat. In short, says, our author, Shahnahs and bodies of troops were appointed to invade every part of Ghûr, Khurâsân, and Seistân, and during the whole of that winter slaughter was carried by these Mongol divisions into all the townships and villages.""
We will examine these expeditions in greater detail.
To begin with Seistân. Rashidu'd-din says Ogotai sent to ask his father's permission to invade Seistan, but received orders to rejoin him on account of the great heats, so leaving his prisoners in charge of Kiku Noyan, he advanced northwards to rejoin his father by the Garmsir road." The Huang-yuan says Ogotai approached Bu-si-ze-dan, i.e., Bost in Seistan, and wished to besiege it." To return to the account of Minhaj-i-Saraj, he says that the force which had advanced to the gate of Seistân took that place by assault, and it had to fight in every quarter of it before it was subdued, for the people there, women and men, great and small, all resisted obstinately with knife and sword, and all were killed."
Let us now turn to the campaign against the fortress of Ashiyar. In order to understand this we must digress somewhat. When Chinghiz Khân marched across the Hindu Kush into Afghanistan, he left behind at his camp at the hill of Numan between Țâlikân and Balkh, his heavy baggage and treasures, since it was impossible to traverse the mountains of Gharjistân with such impedimenta. He left a small force in charge of this camp. Meanwhile a number of neighbouring fortresses had not surrendered. The fortresses of Ghar
jistân, says Minhaj-i-Saraj, were Rang or Zang, Bindar or Pindar, Balarwan or Parwan, Laghri, Siya-Khanah (variants of the name are Shina Khanah and Sata Khanah), Sabekji or Sabankji, and Ashiyar. The majority of these fortresses were galleries on the faces of the mountains, &c." Within the fortress of Ashiyar, we are told, was a Gharjah Amir, of
was the title borne by the rulers of Gharjistán. Tabakati-Nasirt, p. 1049 note. " Id. 1048. 10 D'Ohsson, vol. I, p. 817; Erdmann, p. 432 and 483. "Bretschneider, Notices, etc., p. 67. 1 Tabakat-i-Nasirt, p. 1048.
13 Tabakat-i-Nagirt, pp. 1071 and 1073.
