Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/77

 Chap. II.] SEBEKTEGIN— SULTAN MAHMOOD. 43

glad to propose terms of accommodation. Mahmood stood out, and would be a.d. 997.

satisfied with nothing short of a decisive victory; but his father, more prudent

and moderate, was satisfied with a present payment in elephants and gold, and

the promise of a certain amount of annual tribute. Jeipal returned humiliated

to Lahore, and endeavoured to hide his shame by breaking his promise. When

the messengers of Sebektegin arrived to receive the tribute, he not only refused

it, but threw them into prison.

Warlike preparations on a grander scale than before again commenced Se- war between bektegin advanced to take revenge; and Jeipal, aware how much he had done to amujiljah provoke it, endeavoured to ward it off by means of a confederacy, in which, "^'"" in addition to other rajahs of less importance, he was joined by those of Delhi, Ajmeer, Callinger, and Canouge. Thus supported, he advanced at the head of an army composed of an innumerable host of foot and 100,000 horse. In his Oriental phraseology Ferishta says,^ that when Sebektegin a.scended a hill to view the forces of Jeipal, they "appeared in extent like the boundless ocean, and in number like the ants or locusts of the wilderness ;" but instead of beinsr dis- mayed at his vast inferiority in point of numbers, "he considered himself as a wolf about to attack a flock of sheep." So confident, indeed, was he, that, dis- daining to act on the defensive, he commenced the attack by singling out a certain point in the enemy's line, and charging it by successive squadrons of 500 men. When in this way he had tlirown it into disorder, he made a general assault, and carried everything before him Tiie Hindoos, panic-struck, thought only of flight, and suffered immense slaughter. The Indian camp yielded a rich plunder. The more permanent results of the victory were, that Sebektegin was acknowledged king of all the territory west of the Neelab or Upper Indus, and sent one of his officers with 10,000 horse to govern Peshawer.

Sebektegin died in 997, after a reign of twenty years distinguished by Sebektegins prudence, equity, and moderation. His death was sudden, but during his last moments he named his son Ismael his heir. He appears, indeed, to have had a better title than Mahmood, who, though elder, was illegitimate. Ultimately, however, after a war of succession, in which Ismael was worsted and impri- soned for life, Mahmood, assuming the title of sultan, which, though well known in Arabia, had not previously been borne by any prince of Turkish origin, seated himself firmly on his father's throne.

Mahmood was of an athletic form, but was strongly marked with the small- smtan

. . iiii'i. ic • Mahmood.

pox, and so deficient in personal beauty, that one day, on beholding himself in a glass, he exclaimed, " The sight of a king should brighten the eyes of the beholders, but nature has been so unkind to me that my appearance is positively forbidding." This defect probably made him less disposed to indulge in youth- ful pleasures, and concurred with his natural temper in inducing him to seek fame by military exploits. He has already been seen ui-ging his father to reject

• Brigg's FerislUa, vol. i. p. 18.