the Khitan, and he went with that emir to wait upon the sultan, who received him graciously and bestowed various gifts upon him.

ʿIzz al-Dīn ʿAlī ibn al-Athīr (1) said: He was patient in hardship and relentless travel, unpampered and unindulgent—his sole passion was kingship. He was virtuous, knowledgeable in fiqh and uṣūl, generous toward scholars, delighted to debate them, and he sought blessing from people of devotion. The custodian of the Prophet’s Chamber told me: “I came to him; he embraced me, walked beside me and asked, ‘Do you serve the Chamber of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him?’”

I replied, “Yes.” He took my hand, passed it over his face, and gave me a substantial sum.

Sibt al-Jawzi (2) said: He exterminated the kings of Khurasan and Transoxiana, emptied the lands and ruled them alone, and that became the cause of his ruin. When he reached Hamadhan, Ibn al-Qummi, the deputy vizier, wrote to his commanders promising them the provinces; they therefore sought to kill him. He discovered the plot and marched to Marw, accompanied by seventy thousand Khitans, among whom was his maternal uncle. The uncle informed against him, so he went into hiding. They plundered his treasuries—reportedly containing ten thousand dinars—and he owned ten thousand mamluks. He then mounted and fled to an island.

I say: He assumed the sultanate in the year 596 AH.

Al-Muwaffaq said: His father Tīkish (3) was one-eyed, ill-favoured, and fond of amusements. He sent Toghril’s head to Baghdad and claimed the sultanate; the Khitans then stirred, forcing him to return to Khwarazm. After him his son Muḥammad took power. Muḥammad was brave, high-spirited, daring, ever on campaign, fortunate, swift across great distances, and he also practised cupping.