Have you ever heard of a banquet ending in massacre? Dive into the forgotten story of betrayal and revenge that unfolded centuries ago in medieval Afghanistan.
By Timur Khan
Historians and others with a knowledge of medieval Britain, and even many fans of George R.R. Martin’s books, probably know of Scotland’s ‘Black Dinner’ of 1440, in which two young nobles were killed at a dinner with King James II of Scotland. The idea of betrayal and bloodletting under the pretense of a friendly and welcoming occasion like a dinner is a powerful one. The contrast between the duties of hospitality and the brutality of open murder is shocking and invites us to think about how social norms, even deep-set ones, can be shattered for political gain.
In the history of the Pashtun people, historically known as ‘Afghans’ (a term now applied more widely to citizens of Afghanistan regardless of ethnicity) there is a similar story of banquet betrayal. Around the end of the 15th century, a powerful community of Afghans called the Yusufzai migrated from lands in the area of Kandahar (now southern Afghanistan) to Kabul. There they fell in with the city’s ruler, Ulugh Beg (r. 1461-1502). Ulugh Beg was a descendent of the Turkic emperor Timur (d. 1405, Tamerlane to Europeans) and uncle to the future founder of the Mughal empire, Babur (d. 1530). Ulugh Beg first allied with the Yusufzai, but then had many of their leaders massacred as he grew to resent their power. It is a story of prophecy, injustice, battle, and betrayals.
Timurid Empire in the 15th century – image by Stuntelaar / Wikimedia Commons
The story of what happened to the Yusufzai in Kabul is preserved in a couple of sources, most prominently a text called the Tawarikh-i Hafiz Rahmat Khani (‘The Histories of Hafiz Rahmat Khan’), which comes to us from a manuscript of the 18th century compiled by one Pir Mu‘azzam Shah. That manuscript preserves a Yusufzai history written in the 17th century which itself claims to include material from the period of migration in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. How the story of Ulugh Beg’s betrayal may have changed in its recording, we cannot know – but the events it describes most likely reflect, in an essentialized and romantic way, real conflicts which drove the Yusufzai out of Kabul and led them to travel further east.
That migration had a great impact: it was in the east, in modern Pakistan, that they settled permanently, becoming one of the most significant and powerful Pashtun communities and remaining so to this day. In the remainder of this article, I will present an abridged translation of the Tawarikh’s account of the massacre.
The Histories of Hafiz Rahmat Khan
They say that the Yusufzai were settled in Gara and Nashki, and the Ghoria Khel lived in Tarank, Muqur and Qarabagh [in the neighborhood of Kandahar]. For some reason, there was a quarrel between them. The Ghoria Khel defeated all the Khakhai [a federation within the Yusufzai people] and took their country from them. Thus all the Khakhai, Yusufzai, Gigiani, Tarkalani, and Muhammadzai moved out of there with their peoples and arrived in the land of Kabul, which they made their home. The Yusufzai gained great glory, and took control of all the area around Kabul.
In those days, the young Mirza [prince] Ulugh Beg, son of Sultan Abu Sa’id the Timurid, had come from Transoxiana to Kabul with just a few Mughals. They were defeated and tired. At that time the commander of all the Khakhai, Sulaiman Shah son of Taj al-Din, performed some tasks for the Mirza and much love developed between the two. Sulaiman Shah gave his daughter to Ulugh Beg; he always had him at his side and raised and educated him like a son. The Yusufzai became like the Mirza’s army.
Illustration of a Yusufzai Afghan fighter in 1815 – Wikimedia Commons
Sulaiman Shah’s thought: “This is a prince. When he grows up, I shall make him a king. His government will become mine, and the Khakhai and Yusufzai especially will become greatly respected and glorious.” One day, Mirza Ulugh Beg was sitting on Sulaiman Shah’s lap and by chance, Shaikh Usman Malizai passed by. In that time, Shaikh Usman was a great and famous holy man, and the Yusufzai were very devoted to him. Shaikh Usman saw the boy sitting in Sulaiman Shah’s lap and said to the latter, “O malik [leader], what are you doing?” Sulaiman Shah explained his intentions with the prince.
The Shaikh said, “This inexperienced youth has the eyes of Yazid, who slaughtered the Companions [a reference to the caliph Yazid, who infamously killed the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad at Karbala in 680 AD].”
Sulaiman Shah said, “O Shaikh! Do not say this: such words are unworthy of you. Kingly people do not forget a person’s goodwill. This is the son of a king: when he becomes a king, power shall be in my hands, and my people will become revered.”
The Shaikh said, “Very well, malik. I have warned you. It is your choice: do not say I did not tell you.”
Sulaiman Shah thus raised the prince and duly educated him. After that, he made him King of Kabul. Coinage and the Friday sermon were put in his name. His rule was unshakable. He conquered lands. His army grew. Mughals came from various directions and gathered there; Kabul became a capital city. Until that time all the business of governance was in Sulaiman Shah’s hands. Thus the Yusufzai gained total dominance in Kabul, with influence in all state affairs.
Once Mirza Ulugh Beg became king, he changed his mind about the Yusufzai. They were powerful in all stations and did not care about him. They were rulers and acted by their own will. Whatever Sulaiman Shah and the Yusufzai wanted, happened. By then their tyranny had become extreme in Kabul city and the surrounding villages. Soldiers, city-dwellers and commoners were all troubled. Immorality, heavy-handedness, drinking, and other debauchery became the Yusufzai’s occupation. One man, Ismail, became such a drunkard that he would kidnap genteel people and exchange them for just one cup of wine. In the bazaar, he made his purchases after bullying and cheating the prices down, and no one could stop him.
Mirza Ulugh Beg attacks the Gigiani
On the one hand, Yusufzai tyranny worsened. On the other hand, there was conflict between the Yusufzai and the Gigiani [Afghans]. Mirza Ulugh Beg and the Mughals were very pleased that the seed of enmity was planted between those two peoples. Ulugh Beg advised his commanders: “Having quickly mobilized an army, we must first attack the Gigiani and plunder them. The Yusufzai and Gigiani are like two arms: one arm will break, meaning the Gigiani will be subdued, and so the Yusufzai too will submit to us, since they will be alone.”
Counsel to attack and plunder the Gigianis was also given to Sulaiman Shah, but he was a man of foresight. Outwardly he met the prince’s words with agreement, but in his heart he was displeased with the impending slaughter. Thus he discreetly informed the Gigiani that “Mirza Ulugh Beg is coming to plunder you; he will destroy you, so be warned and save your people.” The Gigiani got this news and fled. Ulugh Beg arrived and did not encounter them, to his great shock. He told his army, “It is clear that someone forewarned them.” He returned disappointed and embarrassed.
Arriving in Kabul, he began to investigate. When some days had passed, the Gigiani faithlessly sent a message to Mirza Ulugh Beg saying, “News of your assault was given to us by your great officer, Sulaiman Shah, through one of his trusted people. Therefore we fled with all our belongings to a place outside your reach and you were unable to bring us under your control.”
A view of Kabul in the 19th century, by Louis Haghe (1806–1885) – Wikimedia Commons
Hearing this, the Mirza and other Mughals became vexed beyond limit with Sulaiman Shah and the Yusufzai, and the prince’s malice and envy towards them soared. Day and night, he thought of a strategy for their destruction, and took counsel with those close to him in private. One day Mirza Ulugh Beg called Hasan son of Changa and Shibli son of Turi, the Gigiani commanders, to his presence. He made peace with them and ennobled them with various honors. Afterwards he said, “I, along with my entire army, am your helper: I have become displeased with the Yusufzai and have no trust in them. Go assemble your army and promptly march out for war with them. I shall join you. When it is done, show them no mercy.” The two parties took weighty oaths on this matter.
The Battle of Bloodsoaked Field
Having assembled their army, the Gigiani left for the field of battle. As per their agreement, Mirza Ulugh Beg joined them with a mighty army. In one body, they set out for the Yusufzai. The Mughal-Gigiani army was divided into four columns. When the Yusufzai saw this, they similarly divided their army into four. A great battle commenced. But the Yusufzai fell upon their enemies and showed such manliness that the Mughals and Gigiani were overwhelmed and defeated. Many alighted at the pier of death.
The battlefield was a green meadow near Kabul but from the blood of the slain Mughals and Gigiani it became red. For this reason, the battlefield is called ‘Ghora Margha,’ meaning bloodsoaked field. The Afghans to this day refer to this as the Battle of Bloodsoaked Field, and call the place by this name.
When Mirza Ulugh Beg and the Gigiani were defeated, the Mirza returned to Kabul and the Gigiani to their settlements. Ulugh Beg was gravely humiliated and upset. The flame of rage was further kindled in his heart. He said to Hasan son of Changa and Shibli son of Turi, “We must still think of the annihilation and slaughter of the Yusufzai.” They advised him, “They cannot be brought under control without gentleness. Offer them words of peace and act conciliatory. This way, they may be fooled and fall into your hands.”
Ulugh Beg replied, “If I make peace with them and bring them here courteously, who shall break their bones [i.e. power]? And who will slay them?” They told him, “Make apologies and summon their commanders and youths in a gentle way. First show great favor and grace, then seize them and have their hands bound. Have them handed to us and if Allah wills it, we shall set them beneath our blades.”
Mirza Ulugh Beg sent conciliatory letters and some gifts of cash to the Yusufzai. Although the Yusufzai commanders spoke the proverb:
Gold is such a calamity that makes nobles slaves; he who is not greedy can even laugh at kings.
They were oblivious and divided the amount amongst themselves – becoming ensnared in the net. Happily, they said to each other, “How good that we defeated the Mirza and the Gigiani, and now the prince has become dependent on us. He is feeling his mistake. He will surely make a good peace with us.” These unwise Yusufzai agreed to the summons and put their trust in Ulugh Beg’s sincerity.
Sulaiman Shah and a gathering of Yusufzai leaders went with the prince’s men to Kabul. Mirza Ulugh Beg came out to welcome his lords, including the Yusufzai, and he received them with perfect respect. Rank by rank, he gave robes of honor and decrees of forgiveness. He was daily engaged in giving them hospitality and holding gatherings.
It so happens that one day Ulugh Beg drank wine along with his lords and close companions. On this day some beautiful and brave young drinkers, who had come along with the Yusufzai commanders, started misbehaving and speaking obscenely. Imagining that the Mirza was absent, lost in drunkenness, they drew their swords and daggers from their scabbards and struck the walls and pillars. Ulugh Beg and the Mughals found their drunkenness and bad manners abhorrent, and their anger at the Yusufzai became further inflamed. But since the Yusufzai had all come armed, they did nothing. Ulugh Beg kept expediently quiet. He treated them with favor and gave them leave to go home.
Mirza Ulugh Beg calls the Yusufzai with intent to kill them
Mirza Ulugh Beg after some time once again showed contrition to Malik Sulaiman Shah and the other leaders of the Yusufzai. He wrote and sent a decree stating:
I desire a royal banquet, with the intention of giving luxurious robes of honor and grants according to all your ranks. It is required that every one of your excellencies be present so that each will be ennobled by my royal mercy.
When the Yusufzai people heard this, they became immersed in the drunkenness of pleasure and hope. Every commander, malik, and brave youth, even the elderly, gathered. Seven hundred eminent Yusufzai made their way to Kabul. They were told, “The Mirza has given the order that none may enter the city with a blade or weapon. Anyone who has one, leave it here as you enter the city and show respect and deference.” Since they were all satisfied and unthinking, each one left their arms behind, entering the city with empty hands.
Ulugh Beg showed each person compassion, and made a display of love. To all his lords and nobles who were present, he decreed, “It has grown late. Separate the Yusufzai, take them to your own homes, and give them matchless entertainment.” Thus those seven hundred eminent Yusufzai were divided among his lords. The Yusufzai were told, “My nobles will divide you all and entertain you each separately. They will perform all the duties of a host.” Each of the Yusufzai went with a different Mughal lord as guests.
After this, the Mirza’s men went to each nobleman and told them, “Bind all the Yusufzai’s hands behind their backs and present yourselves.” So they tied all their hands. Since they were scattered in different homes, unarmed and unconcerned, awaiting a feast, they could do nothing to save themselves. The Mughal lords told them, “So what if we have bound you? Do not worry: the Mirza will again show you kindness and certainly let you go.”
The binding of the Yusufzai council at Kabul by Mirza Ulugh Beg
Sulaiman Shah was not bound, because Ulugh Beg had great fondness for him and greatly deferred to his rank. When the Yusufzai were seized, the Mirza commanded that they be brought forth. The lords and officers thus stood in the royal court with seven hundred Yusufzais. Sulaiman Shah was greatly surprised and worried. He went between the Yusufzai and the prince, begging and appealing to the latter to release the prisoners.
The prince at this time was sitting in some other place far from court, hidden. In the meanwhile, five good men of the Yusufzai, among whom was Kausar son of Mulla [a religious leader] Hussain, had suddenly come from their own lands to meet their kinsmen, totally unaware of the situation. Several Yusufzai said to them, “O servants of God, what kind of sin brought you our way?” Seeing what was happening, the five men were shocked. When the Mughals saw these five, they bound their hands behind their backs as well.
The revelation of Shaikh Usman
The great saint Shaikh Usman was also among the bound victims. On the day that the Mirza slaughtered the Yusufzai, the Gigiani commanders were also present. The Mirza told them, “Here are seven hundred picked Yusufzai men. You boasted that you would break their power. Now, cut off the heads of a few great commanders with your own hands and fulfill your oath. As for the rest of their heads, my executioner will strike them off.” The Gigiani maliks and the prince’s executioners took naked blades in their hands and made for the tied victims.
Sulaiman Shah went to and fro several times, lamenting and interceding for the Yusufzai, but it had no effect. The prince said to him, “O malik, why are you crying so? You are not being murdered. I have forgiven you, for you are my father.”
Sulaiman Shah said, “I do not fear my own death. But one sadness remains. That when you were a child you once sat on my lap and I was feeding you. Our Shaikh Usman said some words of revelation about you to me. But I did not take heed. Today the day has come and I have seen what you are.”
The Mirza said again, “Do not fear, you are my father.”
Sulaiman Shah continued, “I fed you on my own lap, I sat you on my shoulders and raised you, made you a king, did many good deeds by your side – and you made me a father. I owe many of my privileges to you: defer to them and do not murder those people. And if you do not defer, then accept my three requests.”
The prince asked, “What are these three requests? Speak.”
Sulaiman Shah began, “The first is that you kill me before anyone else, for I shall not see them killed before me. Their blood should not become my responsibility.
“The second is that my nephew Malik Ahmad, son of Sultan Shah, be released in my place and not killed.” At this time it was no secret that Malik Ahmad was around fifteen years old, a youth without whiskers. From his childhood, the marks of greatness and command adorned his forehead.
“The third request is that you may kill us, the seven hundred men who are here, except Ahmad; but afterwards never attack the Yusufzai people, spare them from slaughter and plunder and imprisonment and wherever they wish to go, let them go and do not prevent them.”
Mirza Ulugh Beg accepted the three requests. He said, “Very good, o malik. I have accepted your three requests and shall act accordingly.” He left Ahmad alive. Sulaiman Shah’s murder was ordered and thus he went to join the rest. The Yusufzai whispered to each other, “Is there no such master of mystical insight among us? Who might save us from today’s destruction?”
Shaikh Usman heard this and said to them, “Ask your malik what I, long before today, told him. Did I make him aware of this event or not?”
Sulaiman said, “The Shaikh speaks the truth. Without a doubt, he told me of this situation, but I did not heed his words.” After this Shaikh Usman said in a loud voice:
I saw this scene, I heard the tumult and lamentation, but God did not let it into my hands.
When the Gigiani commanders and Ulugh Beg’s executioners came to kill the Yusufzai, Hasan and Shibli Gigiani recited this verse to Sulaiman Shah:
As we said, so it is: hands tied, God has delivered you to us – now we shall kill you like sheep.
In answer to them, Sulaiman Shah recited this quatrain:
If there were war and combat, you could not meet it like a man Given to you with hands tied, you will butcher us like sheep.
Hasan and Shibli first cut off Sulaiman Shah’s head, and then those of other great leaders. The prince’s executioners also began to cut off heads. When Shaikh Usman was struck, he remained standing, chanting “Truth, truth!” [haq, haq, also one of the names of Allah] Witnesses of that great miracle of Shaikh Usman, including the executioners, were seized with wonder and terror. When it came time for Kausar son of Mulla Hussain to be killed, his head was not cut off when the executioner struck a strong blow. The man was amazed – “What kind of great man is this that isn’t cut by a blade?”
That executioner went immediately to Ulugh Beg and explained the situation of Shaikh Usman and Kausar. The Mirza was amazed and said, “You lie. That cannot be.” He sent a trusted man to do the deed; that man struck Kausar, but again he was not cut. Ulugh Beg realized the executioner had told the truth. Kausar and his four friends were freed. Other than Kausar and his friends and Ahmad, six people altogether, no one out of the seven hundred survived the great massacre. Mirza Ulugh Beg ordered that all the slain be buried outside Kabul city. In accordance, they were taken northeast to a distance of two or three arrow-shots to the area of Siah Sang and buried.
The six survivors escaped and arrived in their people’s homeland. For the Yusufzai, it was doomsday. Each house became a house of mourning; crying and wailing voices were raised high.
According to the promise he made to Sulaiman Shah, Ulugh Beg did not attack the families of the Yusufzai. However, he sent an army to plunder their territory and take their livestock and property, to the point of seizing the clothes on people’s backs. Thereafter, they could go where they wished, since Ulugh Beg’s army left and obeyed his command.
Note: the Tawarikh is available online in two modern editions. One is a translation into Urdu, the other a reproduction in Persian and Pashto. Both versions were consulted for this translation: pages 57 to 78 in the Urdu edition, and pages 5 to 27 in the Persian/Pashto edition. If possible, I encourage reading the full text, which contains anecdotes, descriptions, and terms which I have excised for clarity and ease of reading.
Timur Khan is a PhD student based in Leiden, the Netherlands. His work focuses on the early modern and colonial history of Afghanistan and South Asia, particularly the 18th and 19th century Durrani empire. His work can be found on his Academia page.
Further Reading:
Green, Nile. “Tribe, Diaspora, and Sainthood in Afghan History.” The Journal of Asian Studies 67, no. 1 (2008): 171–211.
Nichols, Robert. “Reclaiming the Past: The Tawarikh-i Hafiz Rahmat Khani and Pashtun Historiography,” in Afghan History Through Afghan Eyes, edited by Nile Green. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Top Image: Mosaic Tile Fragment – Iran or Central Asia 15th Century – Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar. Photo by Adam Jones / Wikimedia Commons
Have you ever heard of a banquet ending in massacre? Dive into the forgotten story of betrayal and revenge that unfolded centuries ago in medieval Afghanistan.
By Timur Khan
Historians and others with a knowledge of medieval Britain, and even many fans of George R.R. Martin’s books, probably know of Scotland’s ‘Black Dinner’ of 1440, in which two young nobles were killed at a dinner with King James II of Scotland. The idea of betrayal and bloodletting under the pretense of a friendly and welcoming occasion like a dinner is a powerful one. The contrast between the duties of hospitality and the brutality of open murder is shocking and invites us to think about how social norms, even deep-set ones, can be shattered for political gain.
In the history of the Pashtun people, historically known as ‘Afghans’ (a term now applied more widely to citizens of Afghanistan regardless of ethnicity) there is a similar story of banquet betrayal. Around the end of the 15th century, a powerful community of Afghans called the Yusufzai migrated from lands in the area of Kandahar (now southern Afghanistan) to Kabul. There they fell in with the city’s ruler, Ulugh Beg (r. 1461-1502). Ulugh Beg was a descendent of the Turkic emperor Timur (d. 1405, Tamerlane to Europeans) and uncle to the future founder of the Mughal empire, Babur (d. 1530). Ulugh Beg first allied with the Yusufzai, but then had many of their leaders massacred as he grew to resent their power. It is a story of prophecy, injustice, battle, and betrayals.
The story of what happened to the Yusufzai in Kabul is preserved in a couple of sources, most prominently a text called the Tawarikh-i Hafiz Rahmat Khani (‘The Histories of Hafiz Rahmat Khan’), which comes to us from a manuscript of the 18th century compiled by one Pir Mu‘azzam Shah. That manuscript preserves a Yusufzai history written in the 17th century which itself claims to include material from the period of migration in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. How the story of Ulugh Beg’s betrayal may have changed in its recording, we cannot know – but the events it describes most likely reflect, in an essentialized and romantic way, real conflicts which drove the Yusufzai out of Kabul and led them to travel further east.
That migration had a great impact: it was in the east, in modern Pakistan, that they settled permanently, becoming one of the most significant and powerful Pashtun communities and remaining so to this day. In the remainder of this article, I will present an abridged translation of the Tawarikh’s account of the massacre.
The Histories of Hafiz Rahmat Khan
They say that the Yusufzai were settled in Gara and Nashki, and the Ghoria Khel lived in Tarank, Muqur and Qarabagh [in the neighborhood of Kandahar]. For some reason, there was a quarrel between them. The Ghoria Khel defeated all the Khakhai [a federation within the Yusufzai people] and took their country from them. Thus all the Khakhai, Yusufzai, Gigiani, Tarkalani, and Muhammadzai moved out of there with their peoples and arrived in the land of Kabul, which they made their home. The Yusufzai gained great glory, and took control of all the area around Kabul.
In those days, the young Mirza [prince] Ulugh Beg, son of Sultan Abu Sa’id the Timurid, had come from Transoxiana to Kabul with just a few Mughals. They were defeated and tired. At that time the commander of all the Khakhai, Sulaiman Shah son of Taj al-Din, performed some tasks for the Mirza and much love developed between the two. Sulaiman Shah gave his daughter to Ulugh Beg; he always had him at his side and raised and educated him like a son. The Yusufzai became like the Mirza’s army.
Sulaiman Shah’s thought: “This is a prince. When he grows up, I shall make him a king. His government will become mine, and the Khakhai and Yusufzai especially will become greatly respected and glorious.” One day, Mirza Ulugh Beg was sitting on Sulaiman Shah’s lap and by chance, Shaikh Usman Malizai passed by. In that time, Shaikh Usman was a great and famous holy man, and the Yusufzai were very devoted to him. Shaikh Usman saw the boy sitting in Sulaiman Shah’s lap and said to the latter, “O malik [leader], what are you doing?” Sulaiman Shah explained his intentions with the prince.
The Shaikh said, “This inexperienced youth has the eyes of Yazid, who slaughtered the Companions [a reference to the caliph Yazid, who infamously killed the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad at Karbala in 680 AD].”
Sulaiman Shah said, “O Shaikh! Do not say this: such words are unworthy of you. Kingly people do not forget a person’s goodwill. This is the son of a king: when he becomes a king, power shall be in my hands, and my people will become revered.”
The Shaikh said, “Very well, malik. I have warned you. It is your choice: do not say I did not tell you.”
Sulaiman Shah thus raised the prince and duly educated him. After that, he made him King of Kabul. Coinage and the Friday sermon were put in his name. His rule was unshakable. He conquered lands. His army grew. Mughals came from various directions and gathered there; Kabul became a capital city. Until that time all the business of governance was in Sulaiman Shah’s hands. Thus the Yusufzai gained total dominance in Kabul, with influence in all state affairs.
Once Mirza Ulugh Beg became king, he changed his mind about the Yusufzai. They were powerful in all stations and did not care about him. They were rulers and acted by their own will. Whatever Sulaiman Shah and the Yusufzai wanted, happened. By then their tyranny had become extreme in Kabul city and the surrounding villages. Soldiers, city-dwellers and commoners were all troubled. Immorality, heavy-handedness, drinking, and other debauchery became the Yusufzai’s occupation. One man, Ismail, became such a drunkard that he would kidnap genteel people and exchange them for just one cup of wine. In the bazaar, he made his purchases after bullying and cheating the prices down, and no one could stop him.
Mirza Ulugh Beg attacks the Gigiani
On the one hand, Yusufzai tyranny worsened. On the other hand, there was conflict between the Yusufzai and the Gigiani [Afghans]. Mirza Ulugh Beg and the Mughals were very pleased that the seed of enmity was planted between those two peoples. Ulugh Beg advised his commanders: “Having quickly mobilized an army, we must first attack the Gigiani and plunder them. The Yusufzai and Gigiani are like two arms: one arm will break, meaning the Gigiani will be subdued, and so the Yusufzai too will submit to us, since they will be alone.”
Counsel to attack and plunder the Gigianis was also given to Sulaiman Shah, but he was a man of foresight. Outwardly he met the prince’s words with agreement, but in his heart he was displeased with the impending slaughter. Thus he discreetly informed the Gigiani that “Mirza Ulugh Beg is coming to plunder you; he will destroy you, so be warned and save your people.” The Gigiani got this news and fled. Ulugh Beg arrived and did not encounter them, to his great shock. He told his army, “It is clear that someone forewarned them.” He returned disappointed and embarrassed.
Arriving in Kabul, he began to investigate. When some days had passed, the Gigiani faithlessly sent a message to Mirza Ulugh Beg saying, “News of your assault was given to us by your great officer, Sulaiman Shah, through one of his trusted people. Therefore we fled with all our belongings to a place outside your reach and you were unable to bring us under your control.”
Hearing this, the Mirza and other Mughals became vexed beyond limit with Sulaiman Shah and the Yusufzai, and the prince’s malice and envy towards them soared. Day and night, he thought of a strategy for their destruction, and took counsel with those close to him in private. One day Mirza Ulugh Beg called Hasan son of Changa and Shibli son of Turi, the Gigiani commanders, to his presence. He made peace with them and ennobled them with various honors. Afterwards he said, “I, along with my entire army, am your helper: I have become displeased with the Yusufzai and have no trust in them. Go assemble your army and promptly march out for war with them. I shall join you. When it is done, show them no mercy.” The two parties took weighty oaths on this matter.
The Battle of Bloodsoaked Field
Having assembled their army, the Gigiani left for the field of battle. As per their agreement, Mirza Ulugh Beg joined them with a mighty army. In one body, they set out for the Yusufzai. The Mughal-Gigiani army was divided into four columns. When the Yusufzai saw this, they similarly divided their army into four. A great battle commenced. But the Yusufzai fell upon their enemies and showed such manliness that the Mughals and Gigiani were overwhelmed and defeated. Many alighted at the pier of death.
The battlefield was a green meadow near Kabul but from the blood of the slain Mughals and Gigiani it became red. For this reason, the battlefield is called ‘Ghora Margha,’ meaning bloodsoaked field. The Afghans to this day refer to this as the Battle of Bloodsoaked Field, and call the place by this name.
When Mirza Ulugh Beg and the Gigiani were defeated, the Mirza returned to Kabul and the Gigiani to their settlements. Ulugh Beg was gravely humiliated and upset. The flame of rage was further kindled in his heart. He said to Hasan son of Changa and Shibli son of Turi, “We must still think of the annihilation and slaughter of the Yusufzai.” They advised him, “They cannot be brought under control without gentleness. Offer them words of peace and act conciliatory. This way, they may be fooled and fall into your hands.”
Ulugh Beg replied, “If I make peace with them and bring them here courteously, who shall break their bones [i.e. power]? And who will slay them?” They told him, “Make apologies and summon their commanders and youths in a gentle way. First show great favor and grace, then seize them and have their hands bound. Have them handed to us and if Allah wills it, we shall set them beneath our blades.”
Mirza Ulugh Beg sent conciliatory letters and some gifts of cash to the Yusufzai. Although the Yusufzai commanders spoke the proverb:
Gold is such a calamity that makes nobles slaves; he who is not greedy can even laugh at kings.
They were oblivious and divided the amount amongst themselves – becoming ensnared in the net. Happily, they said to each other, “How good that we defeated the Mirza and the Gigiani, and now the prince has become dependent on us. He is feeling his mistake. He will surely make a good peace with us.” These unwise Yusufzai agreed to the summons and put their trust in Ulugh Beg’s sincerity.
Sulaiman Shah and a gathering of Yusufzai leaders went with the prince’s men to Kabul. Mirza Ulugh Beg came out to welcome his lords, including the Yusufzai, and he received them with perfect respect. Rank by rank, he gave robes of honor and decrees of forgiveness. He was daily engaged in giving them hospitality and holding gatherings.
It so happens that one day Ulugh Beg drank wine along with his lords and close companions. On this day some beautiful and brave young drinkers, who had come along with the Yusufzai commanders, started misbehaving and speaking obscenely. Imagining that the Mirza was absent, lost in drunkenness, they drew their swords and daggers from their scabbards and struck the walls and pillars. Ulugh Beg and the Mughals found their drunkenness and bad manners abhorrent, and their anger at the Yusufzai became further inflamed. But since the Yusufzai had all come armed, they did nothing. Ulugh Beg kept expediently quiet. He treated them with favor and gave them leave to go home.
Mirza Ulugh Beg calls the Yusufzai with intent to kill them
Mirza Ulugh Beg after some time once again showed contrition to Malik Sulaiman Shah and the other leaders of the Yusufzai. He wrote and sent a decree stating:
I desire a royal banquet, with the intention of giving luxurious robes of honor and grants according to all your ranks. It is required that every one of your excellencies be present so that each will be ennobled by my royal mercy.
When the Yusufzai people heard this, they became immersed in the drunkenness of pleasure and hope. Every commander, malik, and brave youth, even the elderly, gathered. Seven hundred eminent Yusufzai made their way to Kabul. They were told, “The Mirza has given the order that none may enter the city with a blade or weapon. Anyone who has one, leave it here as you enter the city and show respect and deference.” Since they were all satisfied and unthinking, each one left their arms behind, entering the city with empty hands.
Ulugh Beg showed each person compassion, and made a display of love. To all his lords and nobles who were present, he decreed, “It has grown late. Separate the Yusufzai, take them to your own homes, and give them matchless entertainment.” Thus those seven hundred eminent Yusufzai were divided among his lords. The Yusufzai were told, “My nobles will divide you all and entertain you each separately. They will perform all the duties of a host.” Each of the Yusufzai went with a different Mughal lord as guests.
After this, the Mirza’s men went to each nobleman and told them, “Bind all the Yusufzai’s hands behind their backs and present yourselves.” So they tied all their hands. Since they were scattered in different homes, unarmed and unconcerned, awaiting a feast, they could do nothing to save themselves. The Mughal lords told them, “So what if we have bound you? Do not worry: the Mirza will again show you kindness and certainly let you go.”
The binding of the Yusufzai council at Kabul by Mirza Ulugh Beg
Sulaiman Shah was not bound, because Ulugh Beg had great fondness for him and greatly deferred to his rank. When the Yusufzai were seized, the Mirza commanded that they be brought forth. The lords and officers thus stood in the royal court with seven hundred Yusufzais. Sulaiman Shah was greatly surprised and worried. He went between the Yusufzai and the prince, begging and appealing to the latter to release the prisoners.
The prince at this time was sitting in some other place far from court, hidden. In the meanwhile, five good men of the Yusufzai, among whom was Kausar son of Mulla [a religious leader] Hussain, had suddenly come from their own lands to meet their kinsmen, totally unaware of the situation. Several Yusufzai said to them, “O servants of God, what kind of sin brought you our way?” Seeing what was happening, the five men were shocked. When the Mughals saw these five, they bound their hands behind their backs as well.
The revelation of Shaikh Usman
The great saint Shaikh Usman was also among the bound victims. On the day that the Mirza slaughtered the Yusufzai, the Gigiani commanders were also present. The Mirza told them, “Here are seven hundred picked Yusufzai men. You boasted that you would break their power. Now, cut off the heads of a few great commanders with your own hands and fulfill your oath. As for the rest of their heads, my executioner will strike them off.” The Gigiani maliks and the prince’s executioners took naked blades in their hands and made for the tied victims.
Sulaiman Shah went to and fro several times, lamenting and interceding for the Yusufzai, but it had no effect. The prince said to him, “O malik, why are you crying so? You are not being murdered. I have forgiven you, for you are my father.”
Sulaiman Shah said, “I do not fear my own death. But one sadness remains. That when you were a child you once sat on my lap and I was feeding you. Our Shaikh Usman said some words of revelation about you to me. But I did not take heed. Today the day has come and I have seen what you are.”
The Mirza said again, “Do not fear, you are my father.”
Sulaiman Shah continued, “I fed you on my own lap, I sat you on my shoulders and raised you, made you a king, did many good deeds by your side – and you made me a father. I owe many of my privileges to you: defer to them and do not murder those people. And if you do not defer, then accept my three requests.”
The prince asked, “What are these three requests? Speak.”
Sulaiman Shah began, “The first is that you kill me before anyone else, for I shall not see them killed before me. Their blood should not become my responsibility.
“The second is that my nephew Malik Ahmad, son of Sultan Shah, be released in my place and not killed.” At this time it was no secret that Malik Ahmad was around fifteen years old, a youth without whiskers. From his childhood, the marks of greatness and command adorned his forehead.
“The third request is that you may kill us, the seven hundred men who are here, except Ahmad; but afterwards never attack the Yusufzai people, spare them from slaughter and plunder and imprisonment and wherever they wish to go, let them go and do not prevent them.”
Mirza Ulugh Beg accepted the three requests. He said, “Very good, o malik. I have accepted your three requests and shall act accordingly.” He left Ahmad alive. Sulaiman Shah’s murder was ordered and thus he went to join the rest. The Yusufzai whispered to each other, “Is there no such master of mystical insight among us? Who might save us from today’s destruction?”
Shaikh Usman heard this and said to them, “Ask your malik what I, long before today, told him. Did I make him aware of this event or not?”
Sulaiman said, “The Shaikh speaks the truth. Without a doubt, he told me of this situation, but I did not heed his words.” After this Shaikh Usman said in a loud voice:
I saw this scene, I heard the tumult and lamentation, but God did not let it into my hands.
When the Gigiani commanders and Ulugh Beg’s executioners came to kill the Yusufzai, Hasan and Shibli Gigiani recited this verse to Sulaiman Shah:
As we said, so it is: hands tied, God has delivered you to us – now we shall kill you like sheep.
In answer to them, Sulaiman Shah recited this quatrain:
If there were war and combat, you could not meet it like a man
Given to you with hands tied, you will butcher us like sheep.
Hasan and Shibli first cut off Sulaiman Shah’s head, and then those of other great leaders. The prince’s executioners also began to cut off heads. When Shaikh Usman was struck, he remained standing, chanting “Truth, truth!” [haq, haq, also one of the names of Allah] Witnesses of that great miracle of Shaikh Usman, including the executioners, were seized with wonder and terror. When it came time for Kausar son of Mulla Hussain to be killed, his head was not cut off when the executioner struck a strong blow. The man was amazed – “What kind of great man is this that isn’t cut by a blade?”
That executioner went immediately to Ulugh Beg and explained the situation of Shaikh Usman and Kausar. The Mirza was amazed and said, “You lie. That cannot be.” He sent a trusted man to do the deed; that man struck Kausar, but again he was not cut. Ulugh Beg realized the executioner had told the truth. Kausar and his four friends were freed. Other than Kausar and his friends and Ahmad, six people altogether, no one out of the seven hundred survived the great massacre. Mirza Ulugh Beg ordered that all the slain be buried outside Kabul city. In accordance, they were taken northeast to a distance of two or three arrow-shots to the area of Siah Sang and buried.
The six survivors escaped and arrived in their people’s homeland. For the Yusufzai, it was doomsday. Each house became a house of mourning; crying and wailing voices were raised high.
According to the promise he made to Sulaiman Shah, Ulugh Beg did not attack the families of the Yusufzai. However, he sent an army to plunder their territory and take their livestock and property, to the point of seizing the clothes on people’s backs. Thereafter, they could go where they wished, since Ulugh Beg’s army left and obeyed his command.
Note: the Tawarikh is available online in two modern editions. One is a translation into Urdu, the other a reproduction in Persian and Pashto. Both versions were consulted for this translation: pages 57 to 78 in the Urdu edition, and pages 5 to 27 in the Persian/Pashto edition. If possible, I encourage reading the full text, which contains anecdotes, descriptions, and terms which I have excised for clarity and ease of reading.
Timur Khan is a PhD student based in Leiden, the Netherlands. His work focuses on the early modern and colonial history of Afghanistan and South Asia, particularly the 18th and 19th century Durrani empire. His work can be found on his Academia page.
Further Reading:
Green, Nile. “Tribe, Diaspora, and Sainthood in Afghan History.” The Journal of Asian Studies 67, no. 1 (2008): 171–211.
Nichols, Robert. “Reclaiming the Past: The Tawarikh-i Hafiz Rahmat Khani and Pashtun Historiography,” in Afghan History Through Afghan Eyes, edited by Nile Green. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Top Image: Mosaic Tile Fragment – Iran or Central Asia 15th Century – Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar. Photo by Adam Jones / Wikimedia Commons
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