The Seven Cities of Delhi
of Altamsh bought him In a lot of a hundred slaves, and carried him to Delhi. According to Ibn Batuta, Balban was a miserable-looking
creature, and Altamsh refused to take him. Balban then plucked up courage to ask him,"Why have you bought all these slaves?" Altamsh replied with a smile, " For my own sake, without doubt." Whereupon Balban said, " Then buy me for the sake of God," and Altamsh good-naturedly agreed to do so. He was not considered good-looking enough to be anything but a cup-bearer, but he joined a confederacy of forty slaves; by their efforts and his talents he raised himself to the highest place in the kingdom. Unfortunately, he now had to put out of the way all the survivors of this confederacy, but after this he reigned with justice and mercy. He bears a great name for gene-
rosity, and assigned princely allowances to fifteen petty sovereigns who sought his protection against the Moghals; he kept up great pomp and magnificence at his court, but was himself free from the vices so common among the monarchs of those days. A great sportsman,
he kept his army engaged, and in good fighting trim, by making them beat for him while he was out hunting ; his enemies thoroughly
understood why he did so. Yet he could not180
