by admin » Sat Dec 05, 2020 6:36 am
Section XVIII. Of the Dynasty of Ghor.
MORCHAN the historian tells us, that about the time when Feredoon subdued Zohac Tazi, two brothers of that family, Souri and Saam, were taken into favour by the conqueror; but having by some means incurred his displeasure, they fled with a party of their friends to Hawind, where they took up their abode, possessing themselves of a small territory. Souri took the government of this district, appointing his brother to the command of his small army, and gave his daughter in marriage to his son Suja.
Suja, after his father's decease, enjoyed his place. But some private enemies having traduced him to his uncle, inspired him with jealousy and enmity to such a degree, that he wanted to take his daughter away from him. When Suja found this, he was determined to seek his fortune elsewhere. He accordingly, in the night, with ten horsemen and a few camels, laden with his effects, set out, with his wife and children to the mountains of Ghor, where he built a house and called it Romejandish [That is, Go without care.].
Here he was gradually joined by many of his friends, who built a strong fort, which he held out against the troops of Feredoon for some time, but at length he was obliged to submit and pay tribute.
Thus the race of Zohac, one after another, succeeded to this government, which began to gain strength by degrees, till the time of the prophet, when it was ruled by Shinsub, who, some say, was converted to the faith by the great Ali, who confirmed him in his kingdom. The genealogy of the Kings of Ghor, according to the most authentic historians, runs upward thus. Shinsub ben Haric, ben Nick, ben Meshi, ben Wisen, ben Heisien, ben Byram, ben Hajis, ben Ibrahim, ben Zaad, ben Assad, ben Shidaad, ben Zohac Hubistan, ben Mashad, ben Neriman, ben Afredoon, ben Samund, ben Safed Asp, ben Zohac, ben Sheran, ben Sind Asp, ben Shamuc, ben Murintash, ben Zohac ul Maleck. And downward from Shinsub thus. Purvese ben Shinsub, Darmunshaw, ben Purvese, Dirmesh, ben Darmunshaw, Nehadan ben Dirmesh, Punchi ben Nehadan, Souri, ben Muhummud, Muhummud ben Punchi, Mahummud ben Soiri, cotemporary with Sultan Mamood of Ghizni; who conquered his country and gave it to his son Abu Ali, imprisoning Muhummud his father.
But Abu Ali, endeavouring to throw off the yoke of Sultan Mamood, he was deposed, and the country given to Abass his nephew, in whose reign there was seven years drought in Ghor, so that the earth was burnt up, and thousands of men and animals perished with heat and famine. Abass, desirous of rendering himself independent, commenced a war against Sultan Ibrahim, by whom he was defeated and taken prisoner; the kingdom being conferred upon his son Mahummud, who swore allegiance to the empire of Ghizni. He was succeeded by his son Cuttub ul dien Hussein, who was killed by an arrow in the eye, in attacking a certain fort, when he rebelled against Ghizni.
Upon the death of Cuttub, his son Sham was obliged to fly to Hindostan, where he followed the business of a merchant; and having acquired much wealth, he returned up the Indus to his native country. But unfortunately he was wrecked, narrowly escaping with his life upon a plank, with his son Ezid ul dien Hussein, after driving with the tide for three days. When they got foot on shore, they made towards a town that appeared in sight, but, it being late before they arrived, they could find no lodgings, and were obliged to creep in under a balcony, where they might sleep out of the rain. The watch going the rounds perceived them, and without further examination, concluding they were thieves, carried them to prison. They were condemned to slavery for seven years, during which time the son died.
When Sham obtained his liberty, he proceeded towards Ghizni, on the way to which, he was met by a gang of robbers, that had for a long time infested the roads. When they saw him a man of great strength and of a bold appearance, they insisted upon enrolling him in the gang, to which he was obliged to consent; but unfortunately that very night, a party of the troops of Sultan Ibrahim surrounded them and carried them all in chains before the Emperor, who immediately condemned them to death.
When the executioner was binding up the eyes of Sham, he raised a grievous complaint, protesting, and calling God to witness, that he was innocent, which softened the steely heart of the executioner to pity. He desired him to relate what he had to say in his own defence, which he did in such a circumstantial and probable manner, that the magistrate who attended, believing him innocent, petitioned the King to give him a hearing. This being accordingly granted, he acquitted himself with such modesty and eloquence, that the King commanded him to be released, and admitted him into his particular friendship and favour. Ibrahim, some time after, created Sham an Omrah, and appointed him master of requests, in which station he acquitted himself so honourably, that he rose daily in rank and honours, till Sultan Musaood, the son of Ibrahim, put him in possession of his hereditary kingdom. He then married a princess of the house of Ghizni, by whom he had seven sons, denominated the seven stars.
After the death of Hussein Sham, his sons became divided into two factions; one headed by the governor of Taristan and Hiatilla, whose name was Fuchur ul dien Musaood, the eldest son: And the other by the fourth son, Nasir ul dien Mahummud, who took possession of Ghor. The second son, Cuttub ul dien Mahummud, took possession of the hills, and founded the city of Firose Ko, which he made his capital; and raising himself in a few years to great power, he meditated an attempt upon the empire of Ghizni, collecting soldiers of fortune from all parts. But Byram Shaw, being privately acquainted of his intentions, treacherously invited him in friendship to Ghizni, where, contrary to all the laws of honour and hospitality, he ordered poison to be administered to him, which proved the fatal cause of the war between the houses of Ghor and Ghizni.
Seif ul dien Souri the fifth son, who had accompanied his brother, escaped the snare and fled to Firose Ko. He there placed himself at the head of his brother's army, and marched towards Ghizni to revenge his death, as we have seen in the history of that kingdom. He took Ghizni, and Byram Shaw fled to Hindostan. But Byram returning again in the winter, when the troops of Seif ul dien were mostly gone to Ferose Ko and Ghor, from whence they could not easily return, on account of the roads and deep snow, Seif ul dien, as before related, was treacherously delivered up to him, and with his vizier, put to a most ignominious death.
The consequence of this impolitic cruelty was, that Baha ul dien Sham, the sixth brother, prepared to invade Byram, with an army from Firoze Ko and Ghor; but dying in the interim, the command devolved upon the seventh brother, Alla ul dien the incendiary, who took and destroyed Ghizni. He carried his ravages so far as to destroy every monument and tomb of the Ghiznian Kings, excepting those of the Sultans Mamood, Musaood, and Ibrahim, throwing fire into their very graves, and defacing their inscriptions upon all public edifices. When he returned to Ghor, he appointed his nephew Yeas ul dien Mahummud Sham, and Moaz ul dien Mahummud Sham, to the government of a province of Ghor called Singia.
But when they found the revenues of that province could not support the figure which they endeavoured to make, by their unbounded generosity and liberality to military men, whom they began to collect from all parts; they began to extend their limits. This having reached the ears of Alla ul dien, he sent a force against them, and seizing them both, confined them in the fort of Goristan.
Alla then turned the hostile spear against Sultan Sinjer, to whom his father paid tribute. He overrun the provinces of Balich and Herat; but coming to an engagement with the Sultan, he was defeated and taken prisoner. Notwithstanding all which, the Sultan had compassion upon him, and again confirmed him in the kingdom of Ghor, where he died in the year five hundred and fifty-one.
Alla was succeeded by his son Seif ul dien Mahummud, who upon his accession released his two cousins from their confinement at Goristan, and bestowed the government of Singia upon them. In little more than a year, he commenced a war with the tribe of Turkumans called Ghiza, and in the day of battle, was killed by one of his own men.
He was succeeded by Yeas ul dien Mahummud ben Sham, the eldest of his two cousins, who appointed his brother Shab ul dien his general, and in a short time, subdued Chorrassan and a great part of Hindostan, of which countries, he annexed the titles to his own, and died in the year 599, after a glorious reign of upwards of forty six years.