1876.] H. G. Eaverty— Reply to ' Histy. and Geogr. of Bengal, No. Ill: 327 



razm in consequence of the outbreak of Sultan Shah, the Khwarazmi, in 

 587 H. ; that, subsequently [but in the same year], Sultan Mu'izz-ud-Din, 

 Muhammad-i-Sam, advanced into India, took Tabarhindah ; left a garrison 

 there with orders to hold out for six months, and was preparing to retire 

 [in consequence of the hot season, it being the third or fourth month, at 

 latest, of 587 h. — April or May, 1191, a. b.] ; was defeated by Rae Pitho- 

 ra ; and had to retire, leaving the garrison still there. In the cold season 

 of that year — five or six months after — instead of being able to return as 

 he intended, he was under the necessity of preparing to attend his brother, 

 Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din, Muhammad-i-Sam, along with other dependent 

 Princes and their troops, against Sultan Shah, the Khwarazmi Prince, who 

 threatened Ghiyas-ud-Din, Muhammad's dominions in Khurasan. Besides, 

 Mu'izz-ud-Din had been badly wounded in the first battle, and it must have 

 taken him some time to recover. This campaign, Minhaj-ud-Din states, at 

 pages 248 and 378, took place in 588 h., and occupied six months. Kutb- 

 ud-Din accompanied his master, and was taken captive by the Khwarazmis, 

 but, after a battle, and defeat of the enemy, he was re-captured. " This 

 victory," says Minhaj-ud-Din, " was achieved in the year 588 h." 



I also take it for granted that Mr. Blochmann will allow that this cap- 

 ture of Kutb-ud-Din must have taken place before he captured Dihli. But 

 what will totally overturn the theories on this matter, unless people will 

 not be convicted, is the fact that Minhaj-ud-Din' s relative, Kazi, Muham- 

 mad, the Tiilaki [Mr. Dowson's " Kazi Tulak"], was left with a body of 

 troops to hold Tabarhindah for the space of six months [that is to the next 

 cold season — the ninth or tenth month of 587 h. — September or October, 

 1191 a. d.]. Why did he do this it may be asked ? and the answer is 

 plain enough : he could not remain in India any longer with safety. The 

 hot season was close at hand, and he would have been unable to return if 

 he stayed much longer, for, besides the heat, the six mighty rivers in his 

 rear would have all been unfordable, and would have to be crossed by boats, 

 even if boats were procurable, a dangerous matter with regard to most of 

 those rivers at that season, witness the strong Bailway Bridges washed 

 away in these days. The Sultan, having been defeated immediately after 

 he placed the Kazi in Tabarhindah, and having subsequently to accompa- 

 ny his brother towards Marw, where they were occupied six months, could 

 not return as he intended, and the Kazi having held out over thirteen 

 months [see Translation, page 464], the Sultan still not having come, had 

 to give it up to the Hindus. 



Now if we calculate, say, fourteen or fifteen months from the first 



defeat, for the Sultan's return \i. e. from the setting in of the hot season— 



the ninth month of 587 h.] we shall come to the last month of 588 h. ; 



and, in the same way, if we calculate six months of 588 h. for the opera- 



t t 



