AL MAS’U′DI′.
the country of the Rahbút, which is the country of Kandahár: the fourth river comes from the country of Kábul, and its mountains on the frontier of Sind towards Bust, Ghaznin, Zara’ún, ar-Rukhaj, and the country of Dáwar, which is the frontier of Sijistán. The last of the five rivers comes from the country of Kashmir. The king of Kashmír has the name of Ráí, which is a general title for all the kings. Kashmír forms part of Sind.
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The kingdom of the Bauüra, king of Kanauj, extends about one hundred and twenty square parasangs of Sind, each parasang being equal to eight miles of this country. This king has four armies, according to the four quarters of the wind. Each of them numbers 700,000 or 900,000 men. The army of the north wars against the prince of Múltán, and with the Musulmans, his subjects, on the frotier. The army of the south fights against the Balhará, king of Mánkír. The other two armies march to meet enemies in every direction.
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Múltán is one of the strongest frontier places of the Musalmans, and around it there are one hundred and twenty thousand towns villages. In it is the idol also known by the name of Multan. The inhabitants of Sind and India perform pilgrimages to it from the most distant places: they carry money, precious stones, aloe-wood, and all sorts of perfumes there to fulfil their vows. The greatest part of the revenue of the king of Multan is derived from the rich presents brought to the idol of the pure aloe-wood of Kumár, which is of the finest quality, and one man of which is worth 200 dinárs◌◌◌◌When the unbelievers march against Multan, and the faithful do not feel themselves strong enough to oppose them, they threaten to break their idol, and their enemies immediately withdraw.
When all the rivers which we have enumerated have passed the “boundary of the house of gold,” which is the meaning of the name of Múltán, they unite at about three days’ journey below this city and above Mansúra, at a place called Dúsháb,[1] into one stream, which proceeds to the town of Al Rúr [Alor], which lies on its western
- ↑ [Dúáb? referring either to the country between the Ghara and the Chináb, or to that between the Panj-nad and the Indus.]
