Sykes' History of Persia Vol 2 (pdf) - Heritage Institute

102 HISTORY OF PERSIA
ances, and secretive, but more generous in disposition than
his upbringing and rjycumsfranrp.s would lead us to expect.
Malik Kawarfof Kerman) A. H .
4 77-46 c i ^} *J "~r J (1041-1072)^.
\ i
Although it was the career of Toghril Beg that
governed the fortunes of the Seljuk dynasty, we may
turn aside for a moment to notice the Kerman dynasty,
which lasted from A.H. 433 (1041) to A.M. 583 (i 187),
albeit its importance was mainly confined to the lifetime
of its
jbunder Imad-u-Din, fKara Arslan Kaward, the
ol" Chacir Be This scionor the House of
Seljuk was vigorous and capable, and found little
difficulty
in seizing
the province from the Buwayhid rulers, who
were weakened by family feuds. The chronicler Mohamed
Ibrahim relates that when Abu Kalinjar,
the Imad-u-Din,
marched from Fars to defend the province he was
poisoned by a favourite slave girl,
but further efforts
apparently were made after his death. The jeljuk now
had to deal with the " t
J3jaJ^JOiLti^' which at this period
was jjidgpemJent,
Here again treachery was employed,
and Malik Kaward, as he is generally termed, not only
annexed the country down to the coast but compelled
the Governor of Hormuz to fit out a fleet, in which he
crossed to Oman. As the result of his expedition this
province of Arabia remained for many years tributary to
Kerman.
Later in his reign Malik Kaward turned his attention
to^istair, building a fort to close the pass on the only
route which united t he Jwo provinces, and erecting pillars
to serve as beacons in the desert. One of these two
columns, which is still intact, is now termed u the Column
of Nadir " it was
; owing to the chronicle of Mohamed
Ibrahim that I was able to assign
it to the first Seljuk
ruler of Kerman. 1
The ambitions of Malik Kaward were boundless, and
he soon added Fajg
to his
kingdom but he was ; obliged
to surrender this to Alp Arslar^who besieged JELerman.
Finally, upon the accessionoT Malik Shah, lie made a bid
for the throne, and paid the penalty with his life.
Alp Arslan^ A.H. 4*^-465 (1063-1072).
1
Ten Thousand Miles, etc., p. 418.
During
his