हम्मीर महाकाव्यम् (रणथम्भौर चौहान वीरगाथा एवं इतिहास)

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territory of Jâgarâ as a jâhîgîr. Henceforth Pîtama lived
here, and the other members of Bhoja's family, while he himself
stayed at court. 'Alâ'u'd-dîn's object was to learn Ham-
mîra's affairs, and he therefore lavished presents and honours
on Bhoja, who gradually became entirely devoted to the interests
of his new master.
Convinced of Bhoja's devotion to his cause, 'Alâu-d-dîn one
day asked him, in private, if there were any easy and practicable
means of subduing Hammîra. Bhoja answered that it was no
easy matter to conquer Hammîra, a king who was the terror
of the kings of Kuntala, Madhyadeśa (Central India), Aṅ-
gadeśa and the far Kâñchî—a king who was master of the
six guṇas and the three śaktis, and who commanded a vast and
powerful army—a king whom all other kings feared and obeyed,
and who had a most valiant brother in Vîrama, the conqueror
of many princes—a king who was served by the fearless Mon-
gol chiefs Mahimsâhi and others, who, after defeating his
brother, had defied 'Alâu'ddîn himself. Not only had
Hammîra able generals, said Bhoja, but they were all attach-
ed to him. Seduction was impossible save in one quarter.
One man only had his price in the court of Hammîra. What
a blast of wind was to a lamp, what the cloud was to the lotuses,
what night was to the sun, what the company of women was
to an ascetic, what avarice was to all other qualities, that was
this one man to Hammîra—the sure cause of disgrace and
destruction. The present time, too, said Bhoja, was not ill
suited for an expedition against Hammîra. There was a
bumper harvest this year in the Chohân country and if 'Alâu'd-
dîn could but snatch it from the peasantry before it could be
stored away he would induce them, as they already suffered from
the blind man's tyranny, to forsake the cause of Hammîra.
'Alâu'ddîn liked Bhoja's idea, and forthwith commanded
Ulugh Khân to invade Hammira's country with an army of
E