Page:History of India Vol 5.djvu/62

 36 THE HOLY WARS OF ISLAM Mm and made him restless, and Ms lands became nar- row under Ms feet, though their expanse was broad. Then he arose with Ms relations, and the generals of Ms army, and his vassals, and hastened with his huge elephants to wreak his revenge upon Sabuktagin, by treading the field of Islam under Ms feet, and doing dishonour to that which should be treated with respect. In this disposition he marched on until he passed Lam- ghan and approached the territory of Sabuktagin, trust- ing to Ms own resources and power, for Satan had laid an egg in Jaipal's brain and hatched it; so that he waxed proud, entertaining absurd thoughts, and antici- pating an immediate accomplishment of his wishes, impracticable as they were. When the amir heard of Jaipal's approach toward Ms territory, and of Ms great power, he girt up his loins to fight, and collecting his vassals and the Moham- medan forces whose duty it was to oppose infidels, he advanced from Ghazni against Jaipal, who was en- camped between that place and Lamghan, with soldiers as black as night and as impetuous as a torrent. Ya- min-ad-daulah Mahmud accompanied Amir Sabuktagin, Ms father, like a lion of the forest or a destructive eagle, and they attempted no difficult undertaking which they did not easily accomplish. The armies fought several days successively against each other, and cups filled to the brim with blood, drawn from wounds inflicted by sword and spear, circulated among them till they were drunken. In consequence of the great fear which fell upon Jaipal, who confessed