1 Arrival of an ambas-
2 sador from Halaku
3 Khan, 1258 a. D.
4 Death of the emper-
5 or, 1266 A- D,
6 iis character.
7 The virtues of his
8 private life.
9 His public career,
10 100 ‘HISTORY OF THE PANJAS.
11 In March 1258, the Panjdib was visited by an envoy from the court of
12 Halaku Khan, grandson of Changez Khan, the celebrated Tartar. He paid
13 « visit to Delhi, where he met with a most magnificent reception. In the
14 year 1264, the emperor foll ill, and, after lingering for a long time, expired
15 on the 18th of February, 1266, after a reign of more than twenty years.
16 Nasir-ud-din Mahmud was one of the ablest and most amiable and
17 generous kings of Hindostdn. His personal habits were most simple, and
18 he avoided all ostentatious display. When the envoy of the Tartar king,
19 Halaku Khan, visited Delhi, the court was attended by twenty-five princes from
20 Asia, who, with their numerous retinue, had sought protection at Delhi from
21 the armies of Changez Khan. Many tributary Indian réjds and chiefs also
22 stood with folded arms before the throne. Amidst all this display of gran-
23 deur and magnificence, the king sat on the throne in a quiet unassuming
24 manner and in plain dress. While in prison, he earned his livelihood by
25 making copies of the Kurén, and refused to receive the State allowances.
26 He often used to say that the man who did not know how to earn his bread
27 did not deserve it. He kept up the occupation of earning his livelihood by
28 copying the Kurdn after his assumption of sovereign power. Unlike his
29 predecessors, he never kept any concubines, and had but one wife, whom he
30 obliged to do all domestic work single-handed. When she complained, upon
31 one occasion, that she had burnt her fingers in baking bread for him, and
32 asked that she might be allowed a female servant to assist her, the king
33 exhorted her to persevere, observing that by so doing she would obtain her
34 reward on the day of judgment, and adding, at the same time, that the public
35 money was a trust given to him by God for God’s people, and that he was
36 bound not to squander it in needless expenses. One day a nobleman
37 of the court was inspecting a copy of the Kurdén in the handwriting of
38 the king in his presence, when he pointed out a letter, which he said had heen
39 written twice over, The king, having looked at it, smiled and drew a circle
40 round it. When, however, the critic had left the court, his majesty began
41 sages i oa A bystander begged to know the king’s reason for doing
42 ee ye = 7 ae a, Stas “that he knew the word was criginally
43 heart of a poor atte Seen 1 avin z non eevee they tosoren sue
44 many of the virtues of his’ ns nim to shame.” This is only one proof among
45 alee : private life, though, as a sovereign, he ruled the
46 eine y with vigour, and was not wanting in that zeal and personal bravery
47 which are the real characteristics of a king, in evidence of which we may
48 eg ak many victories on the north-west frontier of his dominions, as
49 ie ae over the Hindu states of India, a detailed
50 aul within the province of this work. The Zuhaiati
51 y L S1Y-u h , D
52 GHIAS-UD-DiN BALBAN.
53 co ah like many other great men of his time, was originally a
54 Albery Be a niles he native of Kara Khata, and belonged to the tribe of
55 and conre red b “4 Reap er Bagdad by Khwajah Jamal-ud-din, of Bassora,
56 ‘ yed by him to Delhi, where he was sold to Shams-ud-din Altamash.
57 He was first appointed superintendent of the royal falconry, in the duties
58 oO W offi e wa vel] a d d,
59 3 ¢ 1avit b
60 successfully administered th master, was soon created a noble. He had
61 was advanceel to fhe t . Panjab during the reign of Rukn-ud-din Feroz,
62 ¥ me « ry yr ee Baan se 2 .
63 time of Ala-ud-din Rissa acd - ae nei ee oie
64 sas "als i? i 7 fae, ts
65 2€ aised to the oflice of grand wazir in the
66 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com