Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (15/20)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

on collecting the money,(1) so he replied, “Yes,” and dispatched with the two of them someone to watch over them on the road to the city of Khwarazm.(2) When they drew near the city of Khwarazm, the king had already arrived there ahead of them. The people, on seeing him, rejoiced exceedingly, the drums of glad tidings resounded throughout all his dominions, the king was restored to his throne, happiness was firmly fixed by his return, and he repaired whatever in his kingdom had fallen into disarray because of the widespread report of his death.(3) He then besieged Herat and took it by storm.

As for the man who had captured him, it happened one day that he said to the amir Masʿūd—who was being mentioned in glowing terms because he was going to bring the ransom—that Khwarazm-Shah had been killed.(4) Masʿūd replied, “No, he is the very man who was once your prisoner.” The captor said, “Why did you not inform me of this, so that I might have sent him back honored and revered?” Masʿūd answered, “I was afraid you might harm him.” “Come, let us go to him,” the man said, so they set off together and, on reaching the sultan, were treated with exceptional honor and kindness.

As for the treachery of the ruler of Samarqand, he slew everyone in his city who belonged to the Khwarazmian forces,(5) to the point that a man would be cut in two and hung up in the marketplace like a slaughtered sheep. He even resolved to kill his own wife, the daughter of Khwarazm-Shah; then he thought better of it, confined her in a fortress, and subjected her to severe restrictions. When the news reached Khwarazm-Shah, the king, he marched against him with his armies, confronted him, besieged Samarqand, and seized it by force. About two hundred thousand of its inhabitants were slain; he brought the king down from the citadel and executed him in cold blood before his eyes, leaving him neither offspring nor posterity. Khwarazm-Shah thus took possession of all the surrounding realms.

In the same year the Khitans fought the Tatar king Qishli Khan, whose territories bordered the kingdom of China. The king of the Khitans wrote to Khwarazm-Shah,(6) seeking his aid(7) against the Tatars and saying, “If they defeat us,(8) they will come straight on to your lands,” and so forth. The Tatars likewise wrote to him, asking his support against the Khitans and saying, “They are our enemies and yours; side with us against them.” Khwarazm-Shah answered each side with words that soothed its feelings, and he attended the engagement between them while holding aloof from both camps. The battle turned against the Khitans, who were annihilated save for a few survivors, and the Tatars broke(9) the pledge(10) they had given Khwarazm-Shah. Hence a deep estrangement(11) arose between them, and they fixed a time for war; Khwarazm-Shah feared them and laid waste to many lands

(1) Edition reads: “then he strives to acquire wealth.” (2) Edition reads: “Khawarizm Shah.” The term “Shah” is superfluous here, since the city, not the sovereign, is intended. (3) Mss. A and B read: “from its absence.” (4) Ms. A reads: “He once said to Ibn Mas‘ud, ‘Do you imagine that the Khawarizm Shah has ceased to exist?’” (5) Edition reads: “who was in his captivity.” (6) Edition reads: “for Khawarizm Shah.” (7) Ms. A reads: “they call upon him for aid.” (8) Ms. B reads: “they overcame.” (9) Ms. A reads: “they betrayed the Tatars,” an inelegant phrasing. (10) Ms. B reads: “they had not stopped at it.” (11) Edition reads: “among them.”

بتحصيل (١) المال، فقال: نعم، فجهز معهما من يحفظهما (إِلى مدينة) خوارزم (٢) . فلما اقتربوا (من) مدينة خوارزم سبق الملك إِليها. فلما رآه الناس فرحوابه فرحًا شديدًا [جدًا] ، ودقت البشائر في سائر بلاده، وعاد الملك إِلى نصابه، واستقر السرور بإِيابه، وأصلح ما كان وهى من مملكته بسبب ما اشتهر من قتله (٣) ، وحاصر هراة وأخذها عنوة. وأما الذي كان (قد أسره فإِنه قال يومًا للأمير مسعود الذي يتوجَّه لي وينوِّهون به أن خوارزم شاه قد قتل (٤) ، فقال: لا، هو الذي كان) في أسرك، فقال له: فهلَّا أعلمتني به حتى كنت أردُّه موقَّرًا معظَّمًا؟ (فقال: خفتك عليه) ، فقال: سر بنا إِليه، فسارا إِليه فأكرمهما إِكرامًا زائدًا، وأحسن إِليهما. وأما غدر صاحب سمرقند، فإِنه قتل كل من كان ببلده (٥) من الخوارزمية، حتى كان الرجل يُقطع قطعتين ويُعلَّق في السوق كما تعلَّق الأغنام، وعزم على قتل زوجته بنت خوارزم شاه، ثم رجع عن قتلها وحبسها في قلعةٍ وضيَّق عليها، فلما بلغ الخبر إِلى [الملك] خوارزم شاه سار إِليه في الجنود (فنازله) وحاصر سمرقند فأخذها قهرًا وقتل من أهلها نحوًا من مئتي ألف، وأنزل الملك من القلعة وقتله صبرًا بين يديه، ولم يترك له نسلًا ولا عقبًا، واستحوذ خوارزم شاه على تلك الممالك التي هنالك. [وفيها] تحارب الخطا وملك التتار كشلي خان المتاخم لمملكة الصين، فكتب (ملك) الخطا إِلى خوارزم (٦) شاه يستنجد (٧) على التتار ويقول: متى غلبونا (٨) خلصوا إِلى بلادك، وكذا (وكذا) . وكتب التتار إِليه أيضًا يستنصرونه على الخطا ويقولون: هؤلاء أعداؤنا وأعداؤك، فكن معنا عليهم، فكتب خوارزم شاه إِلى كلٍّ من الفريقين يطيِّب قلبه، وحضر الوقعة بينهم (وهو متحيِّز عن الفريقين، وكانت الدائرة على الخطا فهلكوا إِلا القليل منهم، و) غدر (٩) التتار ما كانوا عاهدو (١٠) عليه خوارزم شاه، فوقعت بينهما (١١) الوحشة الأكيدة، وتواعدوا للقتال، (وخاف منهم خوارزم شاه وخرَّب بلادًا كثيرة

(١) ط: ثم يسعى في تحصيل المال. (٢) ط: خوارزم شاه. ولفظة شاه زائدة هنا لأن المقصود المدينة لا الملك. (٣) أ، ب: من عدمه. (٤) أ: قال يومًا لابن مسعود توحون أن خوارزم شاه قد عدم. (٥) ط: من كان في أسره. (٦) ط: لخوارزم شاه. (٧) أ: يستنجدونه. (٨) ب: غلبوا. (٩) أ: غدروا التتار. وهي لغة مفضولة. (١٠) ب: ما كانوا وقفوا عليه. (١١) ط: بينهم.