When the Mongols had gone from the country Persian Irak was the cause of a conflict between the two Turk leaders Edek Khan and Togan Taissi the Atabeg. These rivals divided the province between them at last, and, since Ispahan fell to the former, Ghiath ud din wished to win him as a vassal. He therefore promised Edek his sister in marriage, but while settling the terms of agreement Edek was slain by his rival, the Atabeg, Togan.
Ghiath marched against Ispahan promptly, received Togan’s homage, and gave him the sister just promised to Edek. In quick time he thus found himself master of Irak, Mazanderan and Khorassan. [[146]]
Jelal ud din when defeated at the Indus, which he swam with such daring, had been pursued fiercely in India by Jinghis Khan’s warriors until he was very near Delhi.
The sovereign at that capital was Shems ud din Iletmish, a Turkman and once a slave of the Sultan of Gur, the last ruler of his line in that country. When the Gur dynasty fell, Iletmish seized a good part of north India and was ruling unchallenged. He feared now the coming of so brave and incisive a man as Jelal ud din, hence he sent him rich gifts and declared that the climate of Delhi was unwholesome. Jelal would find, he felt certain, a far better residence in Multan and a much more salubrious climate. Jelal withdrew, but he gathered much booty of value as he traveled.
Meanwhile from Irak came many generals who were enraged at Ghiath ud din, his brother. They brought with them warriors who were ready for service since service meant plunder. Jelal could meet now the Scinde prince, Karadja, whom he hated. He entered Karadja’s dominions, sacked many cities and routed his army. Hearing that Iletmish was advancing to strengthen Karadja he set out at once to encounter the Sultan of Delhi.
But Iletmish offered peace, and the hand of his daughter instead of hostilities; Jelal took peace and the woman. Still Iletmish made a league with Karadja and others to drive out the Kwaresmian if need be. Jelal, who could not make head against all, took advice of his generals. Those who had quitted his brother wished a return to home regions. It would be easy, they told him, to snatch command from Ghiath his brother, a weakling, and foolish. But Euzbeg, one of the generals, declared that Jelal should remain where he was in full safety from Mongols who were more to be feared than all the princes in India. Jelal ud din, swept off by the hope of regaining his father’s dominion, decided on going to Persia. He left Euzbeg to watch over his fortunes in India and to Vefa Melik he gave the whole government of Gur and of Ghazni.
While crossing the desert lying north of the Indus Jelal lost a part of his army by disease, exhaustion and hunger, and when he reached Kerman, his whole force had shrunk to four thousand. A Turk commander named Borak, with the surname Hadjib, that is Chamberlain, had won that whole region. Borak had [[147]]served Shah Mohammed as chamberlain, hence the surname Hadjib from his service. Later on Ghiath ud din gave him office in Ispahan, making him governor, but, embroiled in the sequel with Ghiath’s vizir, Borak got permission to go to Jelal then in India. While crossing Kerman the Kevashir governor attacked him, incited to do so by Ghiath, who wished at that juncture to seize all the baggage and women belonging to Borak’s assistants.
The aggressor was beaten, put to flight and driven into a neighboring fortress, where Borak killed him. Borak not satisfied yet with this outcome had attacked Kevashir where the son of the recent, but then defunct, governor was commanding. While thus engaged he heard all at once that Jelal was in Kerman. Borak sent rich gifts to his visitor straightway and hurried off to receive him. He offered one of his daughters while greeting the Sultan, who took her in marriage without hesitation. When Jelal stood before Kevashir the place yielded and opened its gates to him.
The Sultan had passed a whole month in Kerman when he learned that his father-in-law was pondering treason. Orkhan, a general, advised the arrest of Borak and a seizure of all his possessions, but the vizir, Khodja Jihan, declared that if haste were exhibited in punishing the man who had been the first to acknowledge the Sultan many minds would be shaken, since there was no chance to prove clearly the existence of treason.
Jelal chose to feign ignorance, and continued his journey. Borak remained master of Kerman. After him nine of his family during eighty-six years succeeded in authority. These formed the Kara Kitan dynasty of Kerman, so called because of this Borak, the Hadjib, its founder.