IBN BATOTAH IN SOUTHERN INDIA. 
53 
not accede to such conditions without the sanction of their 
sultan. A truce was granted of fourLeen days and a letter 
despatched to Grhiyas- ad-din, explaining to what extremities 
the garrison was reduced. This letter the sultan read to the 
people on the following Friday. The faithful on hearing it 
wept, exclaiming that they were ready to surrender their 
lives to God ; for if the idolater took Kahban, he would 
next advance to besiege them and death by the sword was 
preferable to such a fate. They, therefore, vowed to give 
their lives in the good cause and marched to meet the enemy 
with bare heads and their turbans laid round their horses' 
necks, signifying that they courted death. The troops were 
disposed to the best advantage under skilled commanders, 
the sultan riding in the centre, and towards the hour of the 
siesta the advance was made on the Hindu camp. They 
found their enemies qiiite unprepared ; believing themselves 
attacked by robbers, they rushed out in disorder to fight. 
Thereupon, Grhiyas-ad- din advanced with reinforcements and 
the Hindus were totally dispersed and put to flight. Their 
old sovereign, although eighty years of age, endeavoured to 
mount a horse and escape, when the sultan's nephew, Nasir- 
ad-din who succeeded him, attacked and would 
have killed the old man, not recognising him, had not one of 
his slaves said : " It is the king," whereuj)on he was made 
prisoner and treated with apparent consideration, whilst 
under promise of eventual release, all his riches were extorted 
from him. He was then murdered and his skin stuffed with 
straw and hung from the wall of Mutrah where Ibn Batutah 
says he saw it susj)ended. He records this great victory of 
his co-religionists over overwhelming numbers of idolaters 
with pardonable pride and complacency. 
Eventually he found his way to Fattan [<d^), where 
shortly afterwards Ghiyas-ad-din arrived stricken by an ill- 
ness that subsequently caused his death. He was met by Ibn 
Batutah, who offered him a present, the value of which the 
