208 B Bandyopadhyaya — Samir Jtasa, [No. 3, 



I will disperse them as flakes of cotton in the air, and this I resolve to do 

 very soon. If it please God to determine otherwise, I am sure to cause 

 wholesale massacre in the second battle." 



Samir s letter to Ala-uddin. — " Emperor, arm yourself with two bows 

 and ten arrows. War is to be waged between you and me. Why close the 

 roads to travellers ? Do not molest them. When you have come to 

 Ranthambor, you will very shortly see how strong are our forces in an 

 open battle-field." 



Ala-uddin 's reply. — " Do not think me, Hindu, a common person : I 

 am one inspired from heaven, and gifted with the sovereignty of Dehli. The 

 ways of the Hindus and those of the Musalmans are different, and it is 

 my avowed object to make them follow one — the only way of truth. Four 

 devils and eighty-four saints are at my service, waiting only for my sover- 

 eign command. You have given refuge to Muhammad Shah, and do you 

 venture to hope for life ? Yet consider. What profit do you hope to get by 

 keeping a culprit with you ? Know that the issue of your stubbornness 

 will be the destruction of lacs and millions of men. Then why not leave one, 

 if your leaving him would make the aspect of things look bright ?" 



Samir' 's letter. — " Emperor, you have never heard of the virtues of the 

 Kshatriyas. As you are a saint of Mecca, so am I a hero of heaven. Be- 

 tween you and me there is no resemblance, and this I have told you often. 

 I will never break my promise, which I have resolved to keep after a care- 

 ful consideration of all circumstances. I will never violate it. Our fort 

 was founded by Siva for the defence of the oppressed and the glorification 

 of truth and Rajput power. Why care for your body which is frail and 

 transient at best ? Where lies the use of living an inglorious life ? The 

 anchorets never give up spiritual meditation and abstraction of their minds 

 for things worldly and, therefore, corrupt. The Rajputs never give up 

 their hereditary virtues. I will never return you the exile Muhammad 

 Shah, until my head be severed from my body. The Chohans and the 

 Muhammadans have been and are often at war with one another. , Prithvi- 

 raj slew the saints Miran and Kwaja with their 180,000 men. The great 

 Ajaipal had paramount power. Bisaldev brought many a monarch to his 

 feet. Biramdev Sangrana made a great havoc among the Muhammadan 

 ranks at Jhalwargarh ; he never consented to give his handsome daughter in 

 marriage with an emperor and thus preserved, in spite of great difficulties and 

 temptations, the honour of his house inviolate. Prithviraj drove away 

 Muhammad Ghori seven times to the mountains of Ghor, after having 

 subjected him to the ignominy of wearing women's bracelets (churis) 

 on his arms. When the latter again attacked Dehli, the brave Chohan 

 died exulting on the field. You, weak in intellect, do you think that 



