The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924024066833 The date shows when this volume was taken. To renew this book cojjy the call No. and give to the librarian. 4. ^fStiilkm^K^rngfl^.. HOME USE RULES AU books subject to recall AU borrowers must regis- ter in the library to borrow books for home use, " * All books must be re- turned 'at end of college ' ' year for inspection and ^ repairs. Limited book^ must be -* returned within the four week limit and not renewed. " Students must return all books before leaving town. Of&cers should arrange for the return of books wanted ^ _ during their absence from , town. Volumes .of periodicals -'• and of pamphlets are held in the library as much as * ' possible. For special pur- poses they are given out for a limited time. Borrowers should not use their library privileges for " the benefit of ©ther persons. Books of special value and gift books, when the , giver wishes it, are not allowed to circulate. "• ' Readers are asked to re- port all cases of books * marked or mutilated. Do net deface books by marks and writinc* Cornell University Library DS 458.M95 1858 The KJtab-i-yamini :historical memoirs 3 1924 024 066 833 THE KITAB-I-YAMINI. »*••'.# .. • Perque Asise populos, fatis urgentibus actus, Humana cum strage ruit, gladiumque per omnes Exegit gentes, ignotos miscuit amnes, Persarum Euphratem, Indorum sanguine Q-angem. LiroAJr, Phaesalia, L. x. 30. :*'•» • ;. #• ••#!# # : THE KITAB-I-YAMINI, HISTORICAL MRMOIRS THE AMIR SABAKTAGIN, AND THE SULTAN MAHMUD OF GHAZNA, EARLY OONQUEBOBS OF HINBTTSTAIT, AND POtTMDEES 0! THE GHAZNATIDE DTNASTT. TRANSLATED FROM THE PERSIAN VERSION OF THE CONTEMFORAIiY ARABIC CHRONICLE OF AL UTBI, BY THE Rev. JAMES REYNOLDS, B.A., OF ST. CATHAETNE'S HALL, CAMBBIDGE, INCUMBENT OP ST MAE,Y'S HOSPITAL, ILFOKD, ESSEX, SECBETAtlT TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE OKIENTAL TRANSLATION FUND, <fec LONDON PRINTED FOR THE ORIENTAL TRANSLATION FUND OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND : SOLD BY W. H. ALLEN AND CO., LEADENHALL STREET J AND B. DUPRAT, PARIS. MDCCC.LVIII. (y—f-x. .. .. .. CONTENTS. PAQE TkANSI/A-TOB's iNTEODrCTION . ... xiii Persian Translator's Preface . 1 Chaptee I. Annals of tbe Life of the Amir Nasir-ad-din Sabaktagin, and its events . 21 Chaptee II. Account of the Capture of the Province of Best . 26 Chaptee III. Account of the Decease of Mansur-'bn-Nuh . 43 Chaptee IV. History of Khalaf-'bn-Ahmad, King of Sistan . 51 Chaptee V. History of Hisam-Addoulat-Tash, the Chamberlain, and the transference of the Government . 60 Chaptee VI. Account of the Departure of Tash from Jurjan to Buk- hara .. .. .. 84 . .. ... .. 11 CONTENTS. PAGE Chaptee VII. Account of the Arrival of Tash at Jurj^n, and the ap- pointment of Abul-Hasan-Simjur to be General over the Army of Khurasan . 95 Chaptee VIII. History of the Conduct of Abul-Hasan-Simjur, as General of the Army of Khurasfei, uato the end of his Life, and the Transference of tjiat office unto his Son . 110 Chaptee IX. Account of Faik and his History, after the Events which have been recorded . 119 Chaptee X. Account of the Arrival of Baghrakhan at Bukhara, and the Might of Eidha from that place, and his return a second time to Bukhara after his Eemoval, and the Migration of Bagrakhan, . 123 Chaptee XI. Account of the Eeturn of the Prince Eidha to Bukhara, after the Departure of Baghrakhdn from thence . 128 Chaptee XII. Account of Abfil-Kasim-Simjur, Brother of Abu-Alf^ and his Circumstances, after his secession from his Brother 189 Chaptee XIII. Account of that which passed between the Amir Saif- Addoulat and his Brother, IsmaSl, after the Death of their Pather . 207 . .. COiNTBlNTS. ijli PAGE Chaptie XIV. History of Abul-Easim-Simjiir, and of what fell out between him and Begtuzum . 218 Chaptee XV. Account of the Conveyance of the Amir Ismail Irom the Citadel of Grhazna . , . 234 Chaptee XVI. Account of the Robe of Honoui? -wihich the Commander of the Faithful, Al-Kadir-Billah, sent to the Sultan Tamin-Addoulah . 243 Chaptee XVII. Account of the Eeturn of Abdul-Malik-Ibn-Nuh unto Bukhard 24.5 Chaptee XVIII. Account of the Expedition of Abu-Ibrahim-IamaU-'bn- Nlih, and of the Transactions which took place with him and Ilek-Khdn, in Mawaralnahrr, and with the General of the Army, Abul-Muzaffar-Nasr-'bn-Nasir- addin-Sabaktagin, in Khurasan . 247 Chaptee XIX. Account of the Family of the Samanides and the Duration of their Government, until the Kingdom reverted to the Sultdn Yamin-Addoulat 269 Chaptee XX. Account of that which happened between Nasir-addin- Sabaktagln and Khalaf-Ahmad, both as regards their differences and their friendships, up to the time when the Sultan Tamin-Addoulat wrested the Kingdom from his hands, and an account of the warlike inroads upon India which ensued . 271 . ... IV CONTENTS. PAGE CHArTEE XXI, Account of Shams-al-MuaH-Kablis-Iljn-Washaingir and his return to the Throne, after a long absence and severe endurance . • 296 Cttapteb XXn. Account of the Alliance of the Sultan with Ilek-Khan and their subsequent estrangement .. .. ..315 Chaftbb XXIII. Account of Ab6-Nasr-'bn-Ahmad-Ibn-Ali-Ibn-Begayeli, one of the principal subjects of the Sultan . 318 Chaptee XXIV. Account of Said-Abuzakat-Abfi-Jaafar-'bn-Mousa, Abul- Kasim - Hamza - 'bn - Muhammad - 'bn - Ali - 'bn - Al- Husain-'bn-Aii-'bn-Abu-Tdlib. (May Heaven be satisfied with them) . 326 Chaptee XXV. Account of the Conquest of Bahatih . 322 Chaptee XXVI. Account of the Capture of Multan. , . 320 Chaptee XXVII. Account of the Passage of the Jihun by Ilek-Khan . 380 Chaptee XXVIII. Account of the Capture of the Port of Bahim, by Storm 339 Chaptee XXIX. Account of the Family of Perigun 343 . .. CONTENTS. PAftE Chapteb XXX. Account of the Commander of the Paithful, Al-Kadir- Billah, and his Khilafat after Tai, and his Inaugu- ration, and the Transactions that occurred with him and the Sultan Tamin-Addoulah, and Bilia-Addoulah 346 Chapteb XXXI. Account of the Storming of Nardin . 360 Chaptee XXXII. History of the Capture of Giir . 362 Chaptee XXXIII. Account of the Pamine at Nisapur . 365 Chapteb XXXIV. Account of the two Khans, after their Eetum from Mawarannahr, and the Ambassadors whom they sent to the Sultan . 371 Chapteb XXXV. Account of the Capture of Kasdar. .. .. .. 375 Chapteb XXXVI. Account of the Shar Abu-Nasr-Muhammad-'bn-Asad and his Son, the Shar Abu-Muhammad 377 Chapteb XXXVII. Account of the Event at Nazin 388 Chapteb XXXVni. Account of the AiFairs of Tanishar 393 . Vl CONTENTS. PAGE Chaptee XXXIX. Account of the Vizir Abiil-Abbas-'bn-razl-'bn-Ahmad . 396 Chaptee XL. Account of the Shaikh Khalil-Abul-Kasim-Ahmad-'bn- Husain 402 Chaptee XLI. Account of Shams-Al-Muali-Kabus-'bn-Washamgir and the remaining portion of his Affairs, and of the acces- sion to the Throne of his Son, Palk-Al-Muali . 407 Crapteb XLII. Account of Dara, Son of Shams-Al-Muali-Kabua . 419 Chaptee XLIII. Account of Majduddoulah-Abu-Talib-'bn-Pakraddoulah . 422 Chaptee XLIV. Account of Biha-Addoulah-'bn-Azduddoulah and his Concerns . 427 Chaptee XLV. Account of Hek-Khan and Conclusion of his Affairs . 431 CBA.PTEE XL VI. Account of the Amir Abfi-Ahmad-'bn-Tamin-Addoulah . 436 Chaptee XLVII. Account of the Tahirite Envoy . 43g . CONTENTS. Vll PAGE Chaptee XLVIII. Account of the Amir Abul-Abbas-Mam<ia-Khwarism-8hah and the Conclusion of his History, and how his Kingdom devolved upon his Son . , 444 Chaptee XLIX. Account of the Conquest of Mahrah and Kanuj . 449 Chaptee L. Account of the Construction of the Jama Masjid of Grhazna . 462 Chaptee LI. Account of the Affair of the Afghans . 467 Chaptee LII. Account of the Kadhi Ablil-Ula-Said-'bn-Muhammad and the Master Abti-Bakr-'bn-Muhammad-Mamshad. (Heaven be merciful to him) . 471 Chaptee LIII. Account of Nasr-'bn-Ifasir- Addin-Sabaktagln . 484 Persian Translator's Peroration . 489 TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION. The following Memoirs are translated from the Persian version of the Arabic work composed by Ahlil- Nasr-Muhammad' -hn- Muhammad - Al- Jahhar-Al- Uthi. He was descended from the family of Utba, which had occupied important dignities and offices under the Princes of the house of Sdmdn (Kings of Khurasdn, and nominally feudatories of the Kh^lifs of Bagdad). Of this family two are mentioned in the present Memoir, one, Abill-Hasanr Utbi, was Grand Vizier of the Samanide Amir Mansiir-'bn-Niih, and the other, Abu-Jaafar-al- Utbi, was the nobleman to whom the Chamberlain Abiil-Abhds-Tdsh was originally a slave; our author himself, as he was evidently attached to the person of Sabaktagin and his son, doubtless filled some eminent post at Court, he possessed, therefore, the best facilities and opportunities for the compilation of these historical Memoirs, which XIV TRANSLATORS INTRODUCTION. comprise the whole of the reign of Sabaktagin, and are carried on to the 14th year, at least* of the reign of the Sultan Mahmdd. It is probable, therefore, that Utbi did not long survive the date at which his Memoirs terminate. It is to be regretted that this history, being thus cotemporary and personal, does not extend to the whole of that remarkable reign ; it, however, comprises that portion of it which was most stirring and eventful. It must be observed, however, that if the dates given by Dow, in his History of India, and pro- bably taken from Ferishta, be correct, Utbl must have survived to a very late period of Mahmiid's reign, as some of the transactions recorded by him appear to coincide with those mentioned by the above author.