[Among the different coins struck in Mahmud's reign one bore the following inscription:] "The right hand of the empire, Mahmud Sultan, son of Nasir-u… - Minhaj-i-Siraj

After he had reached the capital he sent, in A.H. 6324 (1234 A.D.), the army of Islam [went] towards Malwa and took the fort and city of Bhilsa.5 There was a temple there which was three hundred years in building. It was about one hundred and five gaz high. He demolished it. From thence he proceeded to Ujjain, where there was a temple of Mahakal, which he destroyed, as well as the image of Bikaramajit, who was king of Ujjain, and reigned 1316 years before this time. The Hindu era dates from his reign. Some other images cast in copper were carried with the stone image of Mahakal to Delhi..

The nobles and servants of the State were all Turks of pure origin and Taziks of good stock, but Imadu-d din [an Indian convert] was an eunuch and impotent; he, moreover, belonged to one of the tribe of Hindustan. Notwithstanding all this he exercised authority over the heads of all these chiefs. They were disgusted with this state of affairs and could no longer endure it…

The Khakan-I Muazzam Ulugh Khan-I Azam belonged to the stock of the Khakans of Albari…The Almighty desired to grant a support to the power of Islam and to the strength of the Muhammadan faith, to extend his glorious shadow over it, and to preserve Hindustan within the range of his favour and protection. He therefore removed Ulugh Khan in his youth from Turkistan, and separated him from his race and kindred, from his tribe and relations, and conveyed him to the country (of Hindustan), for the purpose of curbing the Mughals [Mongols]…