184 Translations from the Tarilch i Firuz Shahi. [No. 4, 



enemy, but these misguided individuals do not perceive that in 

 reality the kingdom of Jalaluddin came to an end the day he set 

 out from the palace of Kilokhari,* and of his own free will went 

 in hot haste to Karak, and there of his own accord and with his 

 eyes open, put his neck and those of his intimate associates in jeo- 

 pardy. What can we do therefore hut join Sultan 'Alauddin ?" 



At this juncture when the Maliks had all gone over to Sultan 

 'Alauddin, and the Jalali army was completely broken up, Malikah 

 Jahan, who was one of the most weak-minded of weak minded women, 

 sent to call Arkali Khan from Multan, writing to this effect : " I was 

 wrong in placing your younger brother on the throne, while you are 

 still in existence ; for none of the Maliks and Amirs stand in any awe 

 of him, and most of them have gone over to Sultan 'Alauddin, so that 

 the sovereignty is passing out of our hands. Make post haste therefore, 

 if you can, and come to me, and mount the throne of your father, and 

 redress my wrong. As for the son who now occupies the throne, you 

 are his elder brother, and more worthy and better fitted for the 

 sovereignty ; he shall therefore serve you as an obedient vassal. 

 As for me, I am a woman, and females are (proverbially) deficient in 

 intellect ; (I confess) I have been in error, but pardon the fault of your 

 mother, and take possession of your father's kingdom. Should you 

 give way to your resentment and fail to come, Sultan 'Alauddin is 

 advancing in such strength and grandeur that he will assuredly seize 

 upon Delhi, and will spare neither me nor you." 



Arkali Khan would not come at his mother's bidding, however, but 

 sent her an excuse (saying) : As the nobles and their retainers have 

 all gone over to the enemy, what would be the good of my coming ? 

 Sultan 'Alauddin no sooner heard that Arkali Khan would not 

 comply with his mother's invitation than he ordered the drum of 

 rejoicing to be sounded. 



Some delay occurred to Sultan 'Alauddin in the vicinity of the 

 fords of the Jamnah, owing to the vast volume of water in that river, 

 and his having no boat in his possession ; but. while he tarried at 



* Kilok'hari lies about eight miles south of Dihli, on the Jamnah. " Six 

 months after his accession, Saltan Mu'izzuddin Kai Quoad left Dihli, and founded 

 Port Kilok'hari, the ruins of which m;iy even now [A. H. 1004] be seen on the 

 [right] bank of the Jamnah near Khwajah Khizr's ford." Baddoni I., p. 137, 

 where the spelling i^J-^*^ is to be corrected to fcj.^AiS, 



