Page:History of India Vol 5.djvu/161

DISMISSAL OF IMAD-AD-DIN KIHAST 125 would willingly obey the orders of the Sultan. The royal army marched from Hansi to Jind, and on Sat- urday, the twenty-second of Shawwal, 652 A. H. (Dec. 5, 1254 A. D.), Imad-ad-din was dismissed from his office of minister (thanks be to God for it!) and was given, instead, the privileges attaching to the government of Badaun. Izz-ad-din Balban, deputy of the lord chamberlain, repaired to the camp of Ulugh Khan, and on Tuesday, the third of Zu-1-ka'da, Ban Khan Aybek Khitai came to the royal camp to make the final arrangements regarding the terms of peace. An extraordinary plot was now formed, since Imad-ad-din Khan, aided by a number of Turks of low degree, who were inimical to Ulugh Khan, resolved to murder Ban Khan Aybek Khitai at the entrance of the royal tent, in order that Ulugh Khan, on hearing of the assassination, might slay Izz-ad-din Balban in retaliation. Peace would thus be prevented, Imad-ad-din would retain his position in safety, and Ulugh Khan would be unable to come to court. Kutb-ad-din Hasan heard of the conspiracy and sent one of the chief attendants of the chamberlain to Ban Khan, advising him not to go to the royal tent in the morning, but to remain at his own lodging. Ban Khan acted on this advice, and the plot failed. The facts became known, and Imad-ad-din was sent off to Badaun at the command of the Sultan. On Tuesday, the seventeenth of Zu-1-ka'da, his Maj- esty, in his desire of making peace, directed Minhaj- as-Siraj, the author of this history, to offer terms of