The Kipchaks withdrew on receiving this statement. The Georgians advanced, but Jelal sent this message to their leader: “Your men must be wearied by long marches; if they wish rest for to-day the best warriors from both sides may amuse themselves by trying their strength and address in the presence of the armies.” This proposition was accepted.
One of the bravest of Georgia’s great veterans rode forth to the space between the two forces. The Sultan rushed to meet this [[160]]strong champion, and pierced him through with one lance thrust. Three sons of the man came forth then to avenge him and were killed in succession by Jelal. Next came a fifth man, enormous in stature. The Sultan’s horse was wearied, there was no time for a change, and had it not been for his marvelous skill in escaping from blows and in parrying, Jelal would have seen his last hour in that conflict. But when the Georgian was rushing lance in rest at him, the Sultan sprang to the ground, disarmed the oncoming giant, and killed him. He gave with his whip then a signal for the onset, and, in spite of the truce, his whole army rushed at the Georgians, surprised and defeated them.
Free of his enemies now Jelal marched in 1229 on Khelat to besiege it a second time. He remained all the winter before it, but was forced by keen cold and deep snow to lodge a great part of his troops in the villages of that region. To his camp came the Erzerum prince, Rokn ud din Jihan Shah, who belonged to a branch of the Seljuks of Rūm. This prince, having had quarrels before that with Jelal, wished now to arrange them, show homage, and give presents ten thousand dinars in value.
The Sultan received him with every distinction, and in taking farewell asked for siege engines. Rokn ud din sent a great catapult, shields and many engines of value. The princes of Amid and Mardin sent their submission through envoys. Next came an embassy from Bagdad. Nassir, the Kalif, had died during 1225 in the forty-sixth year of his rule, the longest rule of any man in the whole line of Abbasids. Zahir, Nassir’s son and successor, had been only nine months in office when he died. Mostansir, his son, then succeeded. Mostansir now sent an envoy to make two demands upon Jelal; first that the Sultan would claim no rights of a sovereign in Mosul, Erbil, Abuye and Jebal whose princes were vassals of the Kalif; second that he would restore the name of the Kalif in all public prayers throughout Persia. Shah Mohammed, his father, had abolished this practice when he was marching on Bagdad, and had not restored it. The Sultan granted both requests straightway and commanded that in all his states every Moslem should pray for Mostansir. When the envoy returned a chamberlain of the Sultan went with him. This chamberlain came back with two officials, who brought from the Kalif a robe of investiture to Jelal, and splendid presents to him [[161]]and his highest officials. Jelal asked earnestly for the title of Sultan. Bagdad refused, having given thus far, as was stated, that title to no ruler, but while investing him the Kalif gave the title Shah in Shah (Shah of Shahs). In letters after that Jelal styled himself servant of the Kalif whom he called lord and master.
While besieging Khelat the Sultan commanded to adorn Ispahan with a college, and a domed mausoleum of rich structure. This building was to hold the sarcophagus of his father which meanwhile would rest on the Demavend mountain in Erdehan, a strong fortress three days’ journey from Rayi toward the Caspian. He requested by letter his aunt, Shah Khatun, a widow of the Mazanderan prince named Ardshir, to attend the “great Sultan’s” remains to the fortress. The chief men of her country and the Moslem Ulema were to go with her. Mohammed of Nessa, who indited the letter with this request, declares that he sent it unwillingly, since he knew well that Mohammed’s remains were far safer on that island in the Caspian than they ever could be in the fortress; for the Mongols burned the corpses of all kings whose graves they found, believing them of the Kwaresmian dynasty. They dug up in Gur the remains of Mahmud, son of Sebak Tegin, though this prince had been dead two whole centuries. “The event failed not to justify my fears,” adds Mohammed Nessavi.[3] “After Jelal had been slain the Mongols took the Erdehan stronghold and sent the body of Mohammed to Ogotai who burned it.”
Before beginning the siege of Khelat, Jelal sent an envoy from Meraga to the Sultan of Rūm, Alai ed din Kei Kubad, with a letter expressing his wish for relations of friendship, and showing the need of close union, since they were one in the East and the other in the West, the two bulwarks of Islam against raging infidels. Kei Kubad read this letter with favor, and to strengthen an alliance proposed that Jelal give a daughter in marriage to his, Kei Kubad’s, son, Kei Kosru. Two envoys from Kei Kubad came bringing friendly expressions to Jelal while he was in front of Khelat, and besieging it.
These envoys were forced to deliver their presents just as did subjects when bringing gifts to their sovereign. They asked a daughter of Jelal for Kei Kubad’s son, and received a refusal. [[162]]They complained of hostility shown Kei Kubad by his cousin and vassal, the Erzerum prince, and asked that Jelal yield this prince up, and let Kei Kubad take his country. This request roused Jelal, who answered with spirit: “Though I have complaints against Jihan Shah, he has come to my court and now is a guest in it. It would not be proper for me to deliver him to an enemy.” Discontent in the envoys was heightened immensely by insolence from Jelal’s vizir.
One day when Nessavi was visiting this minister he heard rude speech and boasting: “If the Sultan permitted I would enter your country and subject it with the troops at my order,” said Sherif. “When the envoy had gone I asked the vizir,” says Nessavi, “for the cause of his rudeness, since Kei Kubad had testified friendship. ‘The presents brought by those envoys.’ replied the vizir, ‘are not equal to two thousand dinars.’ ”
The envoys, accompanied by three others from Jelal, went home little pleased with their mission. When they arrived at the boundary of Rūm the two hurried on in advance to their sovereign. On hearing their narrative Kei Kubad despatched one of them straightway to make an alliance with Ashraf.
After six months of siege work Jelal stormed Khelat and took it April 2, 1230. He wished that his men should not pillage and ruin the city, but his generals declared that the siege had been long, that the warriors had lost many horses with cattle and property, that if he forbade pillage no new campaign would be possible at any time; all might desert in a body. The generals insisted so firmly that Jelal had to yield to them.