Page:History of India Vol 5.djvu/185

 SUBJECTION OF HINDU KINGS 149 head of subjection on the ground. He then returned to fetch his treasures and was engaged all night in bringing them out, and next day he conveyed them before the royal tent and made them over to the king's treasurer. The commander remained twelve days in that city, which is four months' distance from Delhi, and sent the captured elephants and horses to that capital. On Wednesday, the eighteenth of Shawwal (March 21), Ala-ad-din's general, Malik Kafur, beat his drums, loaded his camels for his expedition to Ma' bar, and after five days arrived at the mountains which divide Ma' bar from Dhur Samundar. In this range there are two passes one Sarmali, the other Tabar. After trav- ersing the passes, they arrived at night on the banks of the river Kanobari and bivouacked on the sands. Thence they departed for Birdhul, massacring and dev- astating all around it. The Raja Bir intended at first to flee for refuge to his islands in the ocean, but as he was not able to carry out this plan, his attendants coun- selled him to flee by land. With a small amount of treasure and property he deserted the city and fled to Kandur, yet even there he dared not remain, but fled again to the jungles. Thither the Malik pursued " the yellow-faced Bir," and at Kandur was joined by some Mussulmans who had been subjects of the Hindus, now no longer able to offer them protection. They were half-Hindus and not strict in their religious observances, but as they could repeat the profession of faith, the Sultan of Islam