Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (22/225)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

In 605 AH: a mighty earthquake struck Nishapur; it lasted for ten days, and multitudes perished beneath the debris.

In 606 AH: the Georgian king laid siege to Khilat and nearly captured it. Inside the town was al-Awhad, son of al-Malik al-ʿĀdil. His court astrologer, Iioay (1), told him, “You will spend this very night in the citadel of Khilat.” As it happened, the astrologer became intoxicated, led an assault with his troops, the Muslims sallied out, battle was joined, many were slain, and Iioay was taken prisoner—so he did indeed spend the night in the citadel. The Georgians next invested Arjish (2) and captured it by the sword.

Al-ʿĀdil at times neglected jihad and fought purely for worldly gain; he besieged Sinjar for a while.

Ibn al-Athir (3) reports: Khwarazm-Shah advanced, crossed the Jayhun River with his armies, and was confronted by Tayanku, the despot of the Khitans. The Khitans were routed, their king was taken prisoner, and Khwarazm-Shah sent him on to Khwarazm. The ruler of Samarqand rebelled against his father-in-law (4) Khwarazm-Shah, acted tyrannically, mutinied, and killed the Khwarazmian troops stationed with him. Khwarazm-Shah marched against him, seized Samarqand, and put the city to the sword—it is said that two hundred thousand Muslims were killed there. He then turned on the fortress, captured its ruler, and slaughtered him.

(5) About this time the first rumors of the Tatars were heard. They emerged from their lands in the deserts of China beyond Turkistan, fought the Khitans repeatedly, and their strength grew after the Khitans’ defeat at the hands of Khwarazm-Shah

(1) This is the ruler’s personal name. (2) The site is located near Khilat, according to Muʿjam al-Buldan. (3) Al-Kamil, vol. 12, p. 267; Ibn al-Athir records the event under the year 604 AH but notes that the battle actually occurred in 606 AH. (4) Because Khwarazm Shah had married his daughter to him. (5) Also taken from Ibn al-Athir, vol. 12, pp. 269–271, with slight adaptations.

وَفِي سَنَةِ ٦٠٥: كَانَتِ الزَّلْزَلَةُ العُظْمَى بِنَيْسَابُوْرَ، دَامت عَشْرَةُ أَيَّامٍ، وَمَاتَ الخلقُ تَحْتَ الرَّدْمِ. وَفِي سَنَةِ ٦٠٦: حَاصرَ ملكُ الكُرْجِ خِلاَط، وَكَادَ أَنْ يَأْخذَهَا، وَبِهَا الأَوحدُ ابْنُ الملكِ العَادلِ، فَقَالَ لإِيوَاي (١) الملكِ منجِّمُهُ: مَا تَبِيْتُ اللَّيْلَةَ إِلاَّ فِي قَلْعَةِ خِلاَط، فَاتَّفَقَ أَنَّهُ سَكِرَ وَحَمَلَ فِي جَيْشِهِ، وَخَرَجَ المُسْلِمُوْنَ، وَالْتَحَمَ الحَرْبُ، وَقُتِلَ خَلْقٌ، وَأُسِرَ إِيوَاي، فَمَا بَاتَ إِلاَّ فِي القَلْعَةِ، وَنَازلَتِ الكُرْجُ أَرْجَيْش (٢) ، وَافْتَتَحوهَا بِالسَّيْفِ. وَكَانَ العَادلُ رُبَّمَا تركَ الجِهَادَ، وَقَاتَلَ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا، فَحَاصَرَ سِنْجَارَ مُدَّةً. وَقَالَ ابْنُ الأَثِيْرِ (٣) : سَارَ خُوَارِزْم شَاه، فَعبَرَ جَيْحُونَ بجيوشِهِ، فَالتقَاهُ طَاينكو طَاغِيَةُ الخَطَا، فَانْهَزَمَتِ الخَطَا، وَأُسِرَ ملكُهُم، وَأَتَى بِهِ خُوَارِزْمشَاه، فَبَعَثَ بِهِ إِلَى خُوَارِزْم، وَعصَى صَاحِبُ سَمَرْقَنْدَ عَلَى حَمُوْهُ (٤) خُوَارِزْمشَاه، وَظلمَ وَتَمرَّدَ، وَقَتَلَ مَنْ عِنْدَهِ مِنَ العَسْكَرِ الخُوَارِزْمِيَّةِ، فَنَازلَهُ خُوَارِزْم شَاه، وَأَخَذَ مِنْهُ سَمَرْقَنْدَ، وَبَذَلَ فِيْهَا السَّيْفَ، فَيُقَالُ: قتلَ بِهَا مائَتَا أَلف مُسْلِمٍ، ثُمَّ زَحَفَ عَلَى القَلْعَةِ، وَأَسَرَ ملكَهَا، فَذبَحَهُ. وَفِي (٥) هَذَا الوَقْتِ أَوَّلُ مَا سُمِعَ بذِكْرِ التَّتَارِ، فَخَرَجُوا مِنْ أَرَاضيهِم بَادِيَةِ الصِّينِ، وَرَاءَ بلاَدِ تُرْكُستَانَ، فَحَاربُوا الخَطَا مَرَّاتٍ، وَقووا بِكسرَةِ خُوَارِزْم

(١) هذا اسم الملك. (٢) بالقرب من خلاط، كما في معجم البلدان. (٣) الكامل: ١٢ / ٢٦٧ وذكر ابن الأثير ذلك في حوادث سنة ٦٠٤، لكنه أشار إلى ان هذه الوقعة كانت سنة ٦٠٦. (٤) لان خوارزمشاه كان قد زوجه ابنته. (٥) هذا من ابن الأثير أيضا: ١٢ / ٢٦٩ - ٢٧١ بتصرف.