a city of Asia, once much celebrated, and the capital of a very extensive empire; but which is now either entirely ruined, or become of so little consideration, that it is not taken notice of in our books of geography. The city was anciently an emporium and fortress of Sablestan, not far from the confines of India. During the vast and rapid conquests of the Arabs, all this country had been reduced under their subjection. On the decline of the power of the caliphs, however, the vast empire established by Mahomet and his successors was divided into a number of independent principalities, most of which were but of short duration. In the year of the Hegira 384, answering to the 994th of the Christian era, the city of Gazna, with some part of the adjacent country, was governed by Mahmud Gazni; who became a great conqueror, and reduced under his subjection a considerable part of India and most of Persia.

This empire continued in the family of Mahmud Gazni for upwards of 200 years. None of his successors, however, were possessed of his abilities; and therefore the extent of the empire, instead of increasing, was very considerably diminished soon after Mahmud's death. The Seljuks made themselves masters of Khorasan, and could not be driven out; the greatest part of the Persian dominions also fell off; and in the 347th year of the Hegira, the race of Gazni sultans was entirely set aside by one Gauri, who conquered Gazna. Khofru Shah the reigning prince, and bestowed his dominions on his own nephew Gayathoddin Mohammed. These new sultans proved greater conquerors than the former, and extended their dominions farther than even Mahmud Gazni himself had done. They did not however, long enjoy the sovereignty of Gazna; for in 1218, Jenghiz Khan having conquered the greatest part of China and almost all Tartary, began to turn his arms westward; and set out against the sultan of Gazna at the head of 700,000 men.

To oppose this formidable army, Mohammed, the reigning sultan, could muster only 400,000 men; and, in the first battle, 160,000 of his troops are said to have perished. After this victory, Jenghiz Khan advanced; Mohammed not daring to risk a second battle, the loss of which would have been attended with the entire ruin of his kingdom. He therefore distributed his army among the strongest fortified towns he had in his dominions; all of which Jenghiz Khan took one after another. The rapid progress of his conquests, indeed, almost exceeds belief. In 1219 and 1220, he had reduced Zarnuk, Nur, Bokhara, Otrar, Sagannak, Uzkant, Alhath, Jund, Tonkat, Khojend, and Samarcan. Mohammed, in the mean time, fled first to Bokhara; but on the approach of Jenghiz Khan's army, quitted that place, and fled to Samarcan. When this last city was also in danger of being invested, the sultan did not think proper to trust himself in it more than in the other, though it was garrisoned by 110,000 of his bravest troops; and therefore fled through byways into the province of Ghilan in Persia, where he took refuge in a strong fortress called Eflabod. But being also found out in this retreat, he fled to an island in the Caspian sea called Abijan; where he ended his days, leaving his empire, such as it was, to his son Jaloloddin.

The new sultan was a man of great bravery and experience in war; but nothing was able to stop the progress of the Moguls. In 1220 and 1221, they made themselves masters of all the kingdoms of Karazim and Khorasan, committing everywhere such massacres as were never heard of before or since that time. In the meantime Jaloloddin assembled his forces with the utmost diligence, and defeated two detachments of the Mogul army. This happened while Jenghiz Khan was besieging Bamiyan; but answered little other purpose, than serving to bring upon that city the terrible destruction of which an account is given under the article BAMIYAN. Immediately after the reduction of that city, Jenghiz Khan marched towards Gazna; which was very strongly fortified, and where he expected to have found Jaloloddin. But he had left the place 15 days before; and, as Jenghiz Khan's army was much reduced, he might perhaps have stood his ground, had it not been for an accident. He had been lately joined by three Turkish commanders, each of whom had a body of 10,000 men under his command. After his victories over the Moguls, these officers demanded the greatest share of the spoils; which being refused, they separated themselves from the sultan. He used his utmost endeavours to make them hearken to reason; and sent several messengers and letters to them, representing the inevitable ruin which must attend their separation, as Jenghiz Khan Gazna was advancing against them with his whole army. At last they were persuaded to lay aside their animosities; but it was now too late; for Jenghiz Khan, being informed of what passed, detached 60,000 horse to prevent their joining the sultan's army; who, finding himself deprived of this powerful aid, retired towards the river Indus. When he was arrived there, he stopped in a place where the stream was most rapid and the place confined, with a view both to prevent his soldiers from placing any hopes of safety in flight, and to hinder the whole Mogul army from attacking him at once. Ever since his departure from Gazna he had been tormented with a colic; yet, at a time when he suffered most, hearing that the enemy's vanguard was arrived at a place in that neighbourhood called Herder, he quitted his litter, and, mounting a horse, marched with some of his chosen soldiers in the night; surprized the Moguls in their camp; and having cut them almost all in pieces, without the loss of a single man on his side, returned with a considerable booty.

Jenghiz Khan, finding by this that he had a vigilant enemy to deal with, proceeded with great circumspection. When he came near the Indus, he drew out his army in battalia: to Jagatay, one of his sons, he gave the command of the right wing; to Oktay, another son, he gave the command of the left: and put himself in the centre, with 6000 of his guards. On the other side, Jaloloddin prepared for battle like one who had no resource but in victory. He first sent the boats on the Indus farther off; reserving only one to carry over his mother, wife, and children: but unluckily the boat split when they were going to embark, so that they were forced to remain in the camp. The sultan took to himself the command of the main body of the army. His left wing, drawn up under shelter of a mountain which hindered the whole right wing of the Moguls from engaging at once, was commanded by his vizir; and his right by a lord named Amin Malek. This lord began the fight; and forced the enemy's left wing, notwithstanding the great disparity of numbers, to give ground. The right wing of the Moguls likewise wanting room to extend itself, the sultan made use of his left as a body of reserve, detaching from thence some squadrons to the affiance of the troops who stood in need of them. He also took one part of them with him when he went at the head of his main body to charge that of Jenghiz Khan; which he did with so much resolution and vigour, that he not only put it in disorder, but penetrated into the place where Jenghiz Khan had originally taken his station: but that prince, having had a horse killed under him, was retired from thence, to give orders for all the troops to engage.

This disadvantage had like to have lost the Moguls the battle; for a report being immediately spread that the enemy had broken through the main body, the troops were so much disconcerted, that they would certainly have fled, had not Jenghiz Khan encouraged them by riding from place to place in order to show himself. At last, however, Jaloloddin's men, who were in all but 30,000, having fought a whole day with ten times their number, were seized with fear and fled. One part of them retired to the rocks which were on the shore of the Indus, where the enemy's horse could not follow them; others threw themselves into the river, where many were drowned, though some had the good fortune to cross over in safety; while the rest surrounding their prince, continued the fight through despair. The sultan, however, considering that he had scarce 7000 men left, began to think of providing for his own safety: therefore, having bidden a final adieu to his mother, wife, and children, he mounted a fresh horse, and spurred him into the river, which he crossed in safety, and even stopped in the middle of it to insult Jenghiz Khan, who was now arrived at the bank. His family fell into the hands of the Moguls; who killed all the males, and carried the women into captivity.

Jaloloddin being now securely landed in India, got up into a tree in order to preserve himself from wild beasts. Next day, as he walked melancholy among the rocks, he perceived a troop of his soldiers, with some officers, three of whom proved to be his particular friends. These, at the beginning of the defeat, had found a boat in which they had sailed all night, with much danger from the rocks, shelves, and rapid current of the river. Soon after, he saw 500 horse coming towards him; who informed him of 4000 more that had escaped by swimming over the river; and these also soon after joined the rest. In the meantime an officer of his household, named Jamalarrazad, knowing that his master and many of his people were escaped, ventured to load a very large boat with arms, provisions, money, and stuff to clothe the soldiers; with which he crossed the river. For this important service Jaloloddin made him steward of his household, and named him the Ghofor or the Glory of the Faith. For some time after, the sultan's affairs seemed to go on prosperously: he gained some battles in India; but the princes of that country, envying his prosperity, conspired against him, and obliged him to repass the Indus. Here he again attempted to make head against the Moguls; but was at last defeated and killed by them, and a final end put to the once mighty empire of Gazna.

The metropolis was reduced by Otkay; who no sooner entered the country in which it was situated, than he committed the most horrid cruelties. The city was well provided with all things necessary for sustaining a siege; had a strong garrison, and a brave and resolute governor. The inhabitants, expecting no mercy from Jenghiz Khan, who they knew had sworn their ruin, were resolved to make a desperate defence. They made frequent forays on the besiegers, several times overthrew their works, and broke above 100 of their battering rams. But one night, after an obstinate fight, part of the city walls fell down; and a great number of Moguls having filled up the ditch, entered the city sword in hand. The governor perceiving all was lost, at the head of his bravest soldiers rushed into the thickset of his enemies, where he and his followers were all slain. However, Gazna was not entirely destroyed, nor were the people all killed; for after the massacre had continued for four or five hours, Otkay ordered it to cease, and taxed those who were left alive at a certain rate, in order to redeem themselves and the city. It does not, however, appear that after this time the city of Gazna ever made any considerable figure.—It was taken by the Moguls in the year 1222.