Jelal, who remained all the winter (1231) in Mugan, went to Arran in the spring upon hearing that the Mongols were moving from Odjan to find him. When near Sherif’s castle he sent for the traitorous vizir and feigned to know nothing of his treason. Sherif came with a shroud on his neck. Jelal had wine brought to him, an act not agreeing with etiquette, since the Kwaresmian sultans never admitted vizirs to their banquets. Sherif thought himself then at the summit of favor, but soon he had reason to think otherwise, for though he followed the Sultan the latter assigned him no duties. The bad condition of Jelal’s affairs affected the people of the two Caspian provinces recently subjected. In Tebriz the population, roused to anger by the men who commanded in the name of the Sultan, were ready to massacre all the Kwaresmians and thus win good grace from the Mongols. Revolts broke out in many places of Azerbaidjan and of Arran. Men in the service of the Sultan were killed and their heads carried off as presents to the enemy. Jelal wishing to assemble the troops of Arran, and unable to trust any Turkman in his service, prevailed on Mohammed of Nessa to accept this most delicate mission, which he carried out with such thoroughness and so deftly that Jelal soon had a strong force at his command. At report of this exploit the Mongol division which had marched into Arran withdrew to the main camp at Odjan. An envoy sent to the Bailecan governor to effect his surrender was brought before Jelal immediately. On being asked touching Chormagun’s army, and promised his life if he told the truth sacredly (the man was a Moslem), he declared that the army roll counted twenty thousand on the day of review near the Bokhará suburbs. Jelal, lest his troops lose their courage and scatter, had the man killed at once. Then, fearing that the vizir might rush away on a sudden and rouse many men to rebellion, the Sultan set out for Jaraper followed still by the traitor. He ordered then the commandant of the Jaraper fortress, a cruel old Turkman, to arrest the vizir and put him in irons the moment that he, the Sultan, moved farther. This was done, and soon after, the old Turkman sent six guards to take life from Sherif. The moment he saw the men coming the vizir knew that his last hour was present. He begged a short respite during which to implore the Almighty. He made his ablutions, then prayed, read some lines in the Koran, and said that the guards might enter. On reappearing they asked him which he preferred, the cord or the sabre. “The sabre,” answered Sherif. “It is not the usage that great people die by the sabre,” said the guard, “and death by the cord is far easier.” “The task is yours,” replied Sherif. “Do what seems best to you. I receive that which comes to him always who trusts the ungrateful.” These were the last words of Sherif. He was strangled.