1 86 HISTORY OF TIE PANJAB.
2 : feet in height. The Sultan, approaching the image, struck off its nose with
3 Theimage broken @ blow of his mace. He then ordered two pieces of the idol to be taken to
4 torplaces: Ghazni, one to be thrown on the threshold of the grand Mosque and the
5 other at the court door of his own palace. Two more pieces were at the
6 same time taken away to be sent to Mecca and Medina. The Brahmins
7 offered to give the Sultan a large quantity of gold if the image were spared,
8 and even the courtiers of Mahmud represented to him that the destruction
9 of one idol would not abolish idolatry; but Mahmud scorned the idea,
10 remarking that, if he were to spare the idol for the sake of gain, his name
11 would be handed down to posterity as an “idol seller,” whereas his object
12 was to be known rather as the “idol destroyer.” The image was forthwith
13 broken in pieces, and its interior was found to contain a quantity of
14 Vast booty obtained, Precious stones far exceeding in value the amount which had been offered
15 by the priests, After a short stay at Somndth, the Sultan conquered
16 Gandawa, in Katch, aud Anhalwara, a magnificent city, and, having bestowed -
17 the kingdom of Gujrat on a prince of the country, returned to Ghazni by
18 way of Sindh. The expedition to Somnéth and the campaign in Gujrat
19 occupied two years and a half. :
20 Mahmud’s last expedition to India was undertaken in 1027, The
21 campaign was directed against the J&t tribes living on the banks of the
22 oCimprim against Indus who had molested the Mahomedan army on its return from Gujrat.
23 ’ The tribes were reduced, and no further invasion of India on a large
24 scale was contemplated.
25 Death of Nahméd, Mahmud soon after became seriously affected with stone, and died on the
26 100 a.v. 29th April, 1080, in the sixty-third year of his age and the thirty-third of
27 His burial. his reign. He was buried by torchlight, amid the tears of his people, in
28 Fils parson, Kasr Firozi at Ghazni. In person he was of middle height’ and well made,
29 vigorous and hardy beyond his fellows, so that few in his army could wield
30 his mace or throw his spear. His face was deeply pitted from the effects
31 of smallpox. Having one day looked in his looking-glass, he said to his
32 wazir: “I have resilvered my glass, and, looking in it, I see so many faults
33 in my face that I easily overlook those of others. The face of a king
34 should brighten the eyes of all beholders; whilst mine appears the picture
35 of misfortune.” ‘The wazir replied, with Eastern obsequiousness: “It is not -
36 es Mes thousand that sees your countenance, but your virtues are diffiised
37 Wis character. Of the private life of Mahmad but little is know Hi i i
38 was Haram Nar, or the Light of the Harem, called nies hae ee pds
39 beauty Mihr Shighil, the Sun of Beauties. She was the beautiful daughter
40 of Blek, the Uzbek king of Késhghar, the inveterate foe of Mahmid; but
41 t a Sultan solaced his leisure with other charms than those of Haram Nir
42 and freely partook of the forbidden juice of the grape, notwithstanding his
43 orthodox proclivities. He was a sincere friend to learni a liters’
44 and, according to the famous Abul Fazl 7 serine Gane eek
45 : : 8 » no kin
46 men at his court, maintained a finer army, or Sieplayed ae ae ae
47 egiiggiemistrtion His justice was inflexible, and it has been metaphorically st ted that i
48 cape his reign the wolf and the lamb drank sa Seren ager an
49 : ¥ rank together at the same fountain. Two
50 days before his death he ordered his whole wealth in gold, preci ti
51 jewels, &c., to be exhibited to him. He looked on all the - Laaaee hand
52 had wrought and on the lab h ne. Works. dis Nan
53 keaete as ee g ‘ _tabour he had gone through, and saw that all was
54 wistssitct Vanity and vexation of spirit. He shed tears at parting fi h
55 arc? ay ordered them to be taken back to the eeasury ethane Sonat
56 omee * = i sf ’ 4 suyerin i
57 fan he distribute any portion of that which was shortly to pass alto ee
58 ishands. The following d 2 OS? sf
59 . g day he commanded a review of his army
60 Thirteenth Inva-
61 sion, 1027 a.p.
62 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh J i eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com