1 GHLIAS-UD-DIN BALBAN. 101
2 late reign of Nasfr-ud-din Mahmiid. Having settled the affairs of Bengal,
3 the king paid his first visit to Lahore in 1266. The city had suffered
4 greatly from the incursions of the Moghals, and his majesty having ordered
5 it to be placed in a proper state of defence, the city walls were repaired.
6 After constructing some public buildings, the king returned to Delhi.
7 In the following year, 1267, Sher Khan, the energetic viceroy of Lahore,
8 who had most ably repelled the incursions of the Moghals, died, and was
9 buried at Bhatuer, in an extensive mausoleum which he had himself con-
10 structed for the purpose. The emperor appointed his eldest son and heir,
11 Prince Muhammad, surnamed Tdéjul Mulk, Sher Khan’s successor. The
12 prince was‘@.youth of great talents, with a fine taste for literature, being
13 himself a polished and profound Persian and Arabic scholar. On establish-
14 ing his court at Lahore, he brought with him all his learned men who
15 adorned the capital of Hindostdn, and, amongst others, the prince’s favourite
16 tutor, Amir Khusrow, the poet-laureate, and Khwdjah Hassan. He was
17 visited at Léhore by Sheikh Osman Turmuzi, the most learned man of his
18 time, but he soon after left for his native land, Turév. According to
19 Ferishta, one day, when the Sheikh was reading his poems in Arabic in an
20 assembly of literary men, presided over by the prince, the beauty and excel-
21 lence of the odes was such that all the poets present were moved, and the
22 learned prince could not himself repress his tears. During the prince’s
23 residence at Multén he invited the celebrated Sheikh Sadi of Shirdz twice
24 to his court, but the Sheikh begged to be excused on the ground of his
25 advanced years, and it was not without persistent solicitations that he was
26 at length persuaded to accept some presents which had been sent him.
27 In return, Sadi sent the prince copies of his works, and spoke in eulogistic
28 terms of the attainments of Khusrow.
29 At the command of the emperor, his youngest son, Kara Khan, sur-
30 named Nastr-ud-din, recruited and organised an army to watch the movements
31 of the Moghals; and a place of rendezvous was formed on the river Bids,
32 in the event of an invasion from the north-west, where the two princes could
33 join the imperial army in expelling the enemy. The emperor was absent
34 from his capital for three years, on account of a great rebellion in Bengal in
35 1279, when the viceroy, Toghral Khan, had assumed the title of king. After
36 suppressing this rebellion, the emperor returned to Delhi, where Prince
37 Muhammad paid him a visit. He had not been with his father three months
38 when news reached him of the invasion of Multan by the Moghals. He
39 hastened back to Multdn, and, marching at once against the enemy, defeated
40 and drove them back with great slaughter. All the territories which had
41 been lost to the kingdom were recovered.
42 _ But another disaster was yet awaiting the Panjdéb. Persia was at this
43 time ruled by Arghan Khan, son of Ebak Khan, and grandson of Halaku
44 Khan, who had conquered the empire about the year 1258 ap. ‘fhe
45 eastern provinces of Persia, from Khorasan to the Indus, were ruled by
46 Tymtr Khan,* of the family of Changez Khan, who, about this time, invaded
47 the Panjab at the head of 20,000 horse, to avenge the slaughter of the
48 Moghals which had taken place during the former year. The whole country
49 about Depalpore and Ldhore was ravaged, and the villages depopulated.
50 The court of the Léhore viceroy was then at Multan. Having heard of
51 these depredations, Muhammad hastened to Léhore and prepared for a vigorous
52 resistance. ‘T'ymur Khan, having advanced to the Ravi, observed the vast
53 hosts of the Indian army on the opposite bank; the gallant Muhammad,
54 . ss ae king must not be confounded with Amir Tymi of Gorkan, commonly known as
55 amertane.
56 The emperor visits
57 Lahore, 1266 a. p.
58 Death of Sher
59 Khan, 1267 a. p.
60 Prince Muhammad
61 the heir-apparent,
62 appointed viceroy of
63 the Panjab.
64 His court becomes
65 the resort of famous
66 authois and learned
67 men.
68 The Moghals are
69 driven back from
70 Multan.
71 Tymur Khan, genera
72 of Arghan Khan, m-
73 vades the Panjab,
74 1258 a.D.
75 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh J i eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com