"The garden-nymphs [328] were brilliant,
Their cheeks shone like lamps;
There were fragrant buds on their stems (or 'under their rind'),
Like dark amulets on the arms of the beloved.
The wakeful, ode-rehearsing nightingale
Whetted the desires of wine-drinkers;
At each fountain the duck dipped his beak
Like golden scissors cutting silk;
There were flower-carpets and fresh rosebuds,
The wind fanned the lamps of the roses,
The violet braided her locks,
The buds tied a knot in the heart."
The finest inflorescence is that of the almond and the peach. Outside
the hill-country the commencement of blossoming is the 1st
Isfandarmuz (February 10). In the territory of Kashmir it is 1st
Farwardin (March 10), and in the city gardens it is the 9th and
10th of that month, and the end of their blooming joins on to
the commencement of that of the blue jessamine. In attendance on
my revered father I frequently went round the saffron fields, and
beheld the spectacle of the autumn. Thank God that on this occasion
I beheld the beauties [329] of the spring. The beauties of the
autumn shall be described in their place. The buildings of Kashmir
are all of wood; they make them two-, three-, and four-storied, and
covering the roofs with earth, they plant bulbs of the chaughashi
[330] tulip, which blooms year after year in the spring season,
and is exceedingly beautiful. This custom is peculiar to the
people of Kashmir. This year, in the little garden [331] of the
palace and on the roof of the chief mosque, the tulips blossomed
luxuriantly. There are many blue jessamines in the gardens, and
the white jessamines that the people of India call chambili are
sweet-scented. Another kind is of the colour of sandal-wood, and
this is also very sweet-scented. This is special to Kashmir. I
saw several sorts of red roses: one is specially sweet-scented,
and another is a flower of the colour of sandal (light yellow),
with an exceedingly delicate scent. It (the scent?) is of the
nature of (that of) the red rose, and its stem is like that
of the red rose. There are two kinds of lilies. That which is
grown in gardens is vigorous (balida) and fresh (lit. green)
coloured, the other is a wild kind. Although the latter has less
colour it is very sweet-scented. The flower of the Ja`fari [332]
(a yellow flower) is large and sweet-scented; its stem is above a
man's height, but in some years, when it has grown large and has
flowered, a worm is produced, and spreads over the flower a kind
of spider's web, and destroys it and dries up its stem. This year
it has so happened. The flowers that are seen in the territories
of Kashmir are beyond all calculation. Those that Nadiru-l-`asri
Ustad Mansur, [333] has painted are more than 100. Before my
father's time there were no shah-alu (cherries). [334] Muhammad
[335] Quli Afshar brought them from Kabul and planted them,
and there are now ten or fifteen fruit-bearing trees. There were
also some apricot-trees. The aforesaid made them known in this
country, and now there are many of them. In fact, the apricot [336]
of Kashmir is good. There was a tree in the Shahr-ara garden at
Kabul, called Mirza'i, better fruit than which I had not eaten,
but in Kashmir there are trees equal to this in the gardens. There
are pears (nashpati) of the best kind, better than those of Kabul,
or Badakhshan, and nearly equal to those of Samarkand. The apples
of Kashmir are celebrated for their goodness. The guavas (amrud)
are middling. Grapes are plentiful, but most of them are harsh and
inferior, and the pomegranates are not worth much. Water-melons
of the best kind can be obtained. The melons are very sweet
and creased, (? shikananda) [337], but for the most part when
they become ripe a worm is found in them that spoils them. If
by chance they are preserved from this misfortune they are
very delicate. There are no shah-tut [338] (some kind of large
mulberry), but there are other (tut) mulberries everywhere. From
the foot of every mulberry-tree a vine-creeper grows [339] up. In
fact, the mulberries of Kashmir are not fit to eat, with the
exception of some on trees grown in gardens, but the leaves are
used to feed the silkworm. They bring the silkworms' eggs from
Gilgit and Tibet. There is plenty of wine and vinegar, but the
wine is sour and inferior, and in the Kashmir language is called
mas. After they take cups of it some heat of head ensues. They make
various pickles with the vinegar. As the garlic of Kashmir is good,
the best pickle is that of garlic. There are all kinds of crops
except peas. If they sow peas, they give a crop the first year,
in the second they are inferior, and in the third year they are
like mushang. [340] Rice is the principal crop. Probably there are
three parts under rice and one under all other grains. The chief
food of the people of Kashmir is rice, but it is inferior. They
boil it fresh, [341] and allow it to get cold, and then eat it, and
call it batha. It is not usual to take their food warm, but people
of small means keep a portion of the batha for a night, and eat
it next day. Salt is brought from India. It is not the custom to
put salt into the batha. They boil vegetables in water, and throw
in a little salt in order to alter the flavour, and then eat them
along with the batha. Those who want to have something tasty put
a little walnut-oil into the vegetables. Walnut-oil soon becomes
bitter and evil-flavoured. They also use cow-oil (raughan--i.e.,
ghi), but this is taken fresh, and fresh from newly-made butter
(maska). They throw this into the food, and call it "sada-pak"
in the Kashmiri language. As the atmosphere is cold and damp,
it becomes altered by being kept for three or four days. There
are no buffaloes, and the cattle are small and inferior. The
wheat [342] is small and of little substance (kam maghz). It
is not the custom to eat bread (nan). There are tailless sheep,
resembling the kadi [343] (or gaddi) of India. They are called
handu, and their flesh is not without flavour. Fowls, geese,
and ducks (murghabi)--golden and others--are plentiful. There
are all kinds of fish, both with and without scales, but they are
inferior. The woollen cloths are well known. Men and women wear a
woollen tunic (kurta), and call it pattu. If they do not put on
a tunic, they believe that the air affects them, and even that
it is impossible to digest their food without it. The shawls of
Kashmir, to which my father gave the name of parm-narm, are very
famous: there is no need to praise them. Another kind is taharma
(naharma in the printed version); it is thicker than a shawl, and
soft. [344] Another is called darma. It is like a jul-i-khirsak,
[345] and is put over carpets. With the exception of shawls they make
other woollen materials better in Tibet. Though they bring the wool
for the shawls from Tibet they do not make them there. The wool for
shawls comes from a goat which is peculiar to Tibet. In Kashmir they
weave the pattu shawl from wool, and sewing two shawls together they
smooth them into a kind of saqarlat (broad-cloth), which is not bad
for a rain-coat. The men of Kashmir shave the head and put on a round
turban, and the common women do not wear clean, washed clothes. They
use a tunic of pattu for three or four years; they bring it unwashed
from the house of the weaver, and sew it into a tunic, and it does
not reach the water till it falls to pieces. It is considered wrong
to wear drawers (izar); they wear the tunic long and ample as far
as the head and falling down to the feet, and they also wear [346]
a belt. Although most of the houses are on the river-bank not a drop
of water touches their bodies. In short, they are as dirty outside
as inside, without any cleanliness. In the time of Mirza Haidar there
were many skilled people there. They were skilled in music, and their
lutes, dulcimers, harps, drums, and flutes were celebrated. In former
times they had a musical instrument like a lute, and used to sing in
the Kashmiri language compositions according to Hindi musical modes,
there being even two or three modes combined together. Moreover,
many sing together in chorus. In fact, Kashmir is much indebted to
Mirza Haidar for its excellencies. Before the reign of my father the
chief method by which the people of these parts rode was on gunts
(ponies). They had no large horses, but used to bring `Iraq and Turki
horses by way of rare gifts for their rulers. Gunt means a yabu [347]
(pony). They have thick shoulders, and are low in the body. They
are common in other of the hill-countries of India. For the most
part they are vicious [348] and hard-mouthed. When this God-created
flower-garden acquired eternal beauty under the auspices of the State,
and by the blessing of the teaching of the Alexander-minded Khaqan,
many of the Aimaqs (cavalry) were presented with jagirs in this Subah,
and herds of `Iraqi and Turki horses were given them to breed from
(kih kurra bagirand). The soldiers also brought horses [349] on
their own account, and in a short time horses were obtainable, so
that many Kashmiri horses were bought and sold for 200 and Rs. 300,
and even for Rs. 1,000.
The merchants and artificers of this country are mostly Sunnis,
while the soldiers are Imamiyya Shias. There is also the sect
of Nur-bakhshis. [350] There is also a body of Faqirs whom they
call Rishis. [351] Though they have not religious knowledge or
learning of any sort, yet they possess simplicity, and are without
pretence. They abuse no one, they restrain the tongue of desire,
and the foot of seeking; they eat no flesh, they have no wives,
and always plant fruit-bearing trees in the fields, so that men may
benefit by them, themselves deriving no advantage. There are about
2,000 of these people. There is also a body of brahmans living from of
old in this country, who still remain there and talk in the Kashmiri
tongue. Outwardly one cannot distinguish them from Mussulmans. They
have, however, books in the Sanskrit language, and read them. They
carry into practice whatever relates to the worship of idols. Sanskrit
is a language in which the learned of India have composed books, and
esteem them greatly. The lofty idol temples which were built before
the manifestation of Islam are still in existence, and are all built
of stones, which from foundation to roof are large, and weigh 30 or 40
maunds, placed one on the other. Near the city there is a small hill
which they call Kuh-i-Maran [352] ("The Wicked Hill," Lawrence, 298),
as well as Hari Parbat. On the east side of the hill there is the
Dal Lake, which measures round a little more than 6 1/2 koss. [353]
My father (may the lights of Allah be his testimony!) gave an order
that they should build in this place a very strong fort of stone
and lime; this has been nearly completed during the reign of this
suppliant, so that the little hill has been brought into the midst
of the fortifications, and the wall of the fort built round it. The
lake is close to the fort, and the palace overlooks the water. In
the palace there was a little garden, with a small building in it
in which my revered father used constantly to sit. At this period it
appeared to me to be very much out of order and ruinous. As it was the
place where that veritable qibla (place turned towards in prayer) and
visible Deity used to sit, and it is really a place of prostration for
this suppliant, therefore its neglected state did not appear right to
me. I ordered Mu`tamid K., who is a servant who knows my temperament,
to make every effort to put the little garden in order and repair the
buildings. In a short space of time, through his great assiduity,
it acquired new beauty. In the garden he put up a lofty terrace 32
yards square, in three divisions (qit'a), and having repaired the
building he adorned it with pictures by masterhands, and so made it
the envy of the picture gallery of China. I called this garden Nur-afza
(light increasing).
On Friday, the 15th of the Divine month of Farwardin, two qutas oxen,
out of the offerings of the Zamindar of Tibet, were brought before
me. In form and appearance they closely resemble the buffalo. All the
limbs are covered with wool which properly belongs to animals in a cold
country. For instance, the rang goats (ibex), which they brought from
the country of Bhakkar (Sind) and the hill-country of the Garmsir (in
Afghanistan) were very handsome, and had but little wool, and those
that are met with in these hills, on account of the excessive cold
and snow, are covered with hair and ugly. The Kashmiris call the rang
kapal. [354] On this day they brought a musk deer as an offering. As
I had not tasted its flesh, I ordered it to be cooked; it appeared
very tasteless and bad for food. The flesh of no other wild animal
is so inferior. The musk-bag when fresh has no scent, but when it is
left for some days and becomes dry, it is sweet-scented. The female
has no musk-bag. In these two or three days I frequently embarked in
a boat, and was delighted to go [355] round and look at the flowers of
Phak and Shalamar. Phak is the name of a pargana situated on the other
side of the lake. Shalamar is near the lake. It has a pleasant stream,
which comes down from the hills, and flows into the Dal Lake. I bade
my son Khurram dam it up and make a waterfall, which it would be a
pleasure to behold. This place is one of the sights of Kashmir.
On Sunday, the 17th, a strange affair took place. Shah Shuja`
was playing in the buildings of the palace. By chance there was a
window with a screen in front of it looking towards the river. They
had put a screen in front, but had not fastened the door, and the
prince in play went towards the window to look out. As soon as
he arrived there he fell headlong. By chance they had laid down a
carpet below the wall, and a farrash (carpet-spreader) was sitting
near it. The child's head fell on this carpet, and his feet on the
back and shoulders of the farrash, and so came to the ground. Though
the height was 7 yards [356] (dara`), the compassion of God, the
Great and Glorious, came to his aid, and the carpet and the farrash
became the means of saving his life. God forbid, but if it had not
been so it would have been a serious matter for him. At the time Ray
Man, the head of the Khidmatiyya [357] piyadas, was standing below
the jharoka. He immediately ran and picked him up, and holding him
in his arms, was taking him upstairs. In that condition he asked:
"Whither are you carrying me?" He replied: "Into the presence of His
Majesty." Then weakness overcame him, and he could speak no more. I
was lying down when this alarming news reached me, and ran out in a
state of bewilderment. When I saw him in this state my senses forsook
me, and for a long time holding him in my affectionate embrace I was
distracted with this favour from Allah. When a child of four years of
age falls headlong from a place ten ordinary (shar`i) gaz in height,
and no harm happens to his limbs, it is a cause for amazement. Having
performed my prostrations for this fresh act of goodness, I distributed
alms, and ordered that deserving people and the poor who lived in the
city should be brought before me in order that I might assure them
their means of livelihood. A strange thing was that three or four
months before this event Jotik Ray, the astrologer, who is one of
the most skilled of the class in astrology, had represented to me,
without any intermediary, that it was predicted from the Prince's
horoscope that these three or four months were unpropitious to him,
and it was possible he might fall down from some high place, but that
the dust of calamity would not settle on the skirt of his life. As
his prognostications had repeatedly proved correct, this dread dwelt
in my mind, and on these dangerous roads and difficult mountain
passes I was never for a moment forgetful of that nursling of the
parterre of Fortune. I continually kept him in sight, and took the
greatest precautions with regard to him. When I arrived in Kashmir
this unavoidable [358] catastrophe occurred. His nurses (anagaha)
and wet-nurses must have been very careless. God be praised that it
ended well!
In the garden of `Aishabad [359] (abode of pleasure) I saw a tree
which had numerous [360] blossoms. They were very large and beautiful,
but the apples that the tree produced were bitter.
As excellent service had been done by Dilawar K. Kakar, I promoted him
to the mansab of 4,000 personal and 3,000 horse, and also conferred
mansabs on his sons. Shaikh Farid, s. Qutbu-d-din K. was raised to
the mansab of 1,000 personal and 400 horse. The mansab of Sar-barah
K. was ordered to be 700 personal and 250 horse, and I promoted
Nuru-llah Kurkiraq (in charge of furriery?) to that of 600 personal
and 100 horse, bestowing on him the title of Tashrif K. The offerings
of Thursday, the 21st, were handed over as a reward to Qiyam K., the
chief huntsman. As Allah-dad Afghan, s. the Tariki, [361] had repented
of his evil deeds and come to Court at the request of I`tmadu-d-daula
I pardoned his offences; the signs of disgrace and shame were evident
on his forehead and, according to the previous arrangement, I bestowed
on him the mansab of 2,500 and 200 horse. Mirak Jalayir, one of the
auxiliaries of Bengal, was promoted to the mansab of 1,000 personal
and 400 horse.
As it was reported that the jughasi (i.e., black) tulips were in
good bloom on the roof of the Jami` mosque, on Saturday, the 23rd,
I went to see them. In truth, one side of that flower-garden was
very beautiful. The parganas of Mau [362] and Mihri (?) (text has
Maud Mihri), which previously to this had been granted to Raja Baso,
and afterwards continued to his rebel son Suraj Mal, were now bestowed
on Jagat Singh, his brother, who had not obtained the tika (mark of
royal succession), and I gave the pargana of Jammu to Raja Sangram. On
Monday, the 1st of Urdibihisht, I went to the house of Khurram,
and entered his bath-house, and when I came out he presented his
offerings. Of these I accepted a trifle in order to please him. On
Thursday, the 4th, Mir Jumla was promoted to the mansab of 2,000
personal and 300 horse. On Sunday, the 7th, I rode to the village of
Chardara, [363] which is the native country of Haidar Malik, to hunt
partridges. In truth this is a very pleasant spot of ground, and has
flowing streams and lofty plane-trees. At his request I gave it the
name of Nurpur [364] (city of light). On the road there was a tree
[365] called halthal; when one takes one of the branches and shakes it,
the whole of the tree comes into movement. The common people believe
that this movement is peculiar to that tree. By chance in the said
village I saw another tree of the same kind, which was in similar
movement, and I ascertained that it was common to that species of
tree, and not confined to one tree. In the village of Rawalpur,
2 1/2 koss from the city towards Hindustan, there is a plane-tree,
burnt in the inside. Twenty-five years before this, when I myself was
riding on a horse, with five other saddled horses and two eunuchs,
we went inside it. Whenever I had chanced to mention this people were
surprised. This time I again ordered some of the men to go inside,
and what I had in my mind came to pass in the same manner. It has
been noted in the Akbar-nama that my father took [366] thirty-four
people inside and made them stand close to each other.
On this day it was represented to me that Prithi-chand, s. Ray
Manohar, who was one of the auxiliaries of the army against Kangra,
had sacrificed his life in a useless (bi-sarfa [367]) battle with
the enemy.
On Thursday, the 11th, certain servants of the State were promoted
in the following manner: Tatar K. to 2,000 personal and 500 horse;
`Abdu-l-`Aziz K. to 2,000 personal and 1,000 horse; Debi Chand of
Gwalior to 1,500 personal and 500 horse; Mir Khan, s. Abu-l-Qasim
K. Namakin to 1,000 personal and 600 horse; Mirza Muhammad to 700
personal and 300 horse; Lutfu-llah to 300 personal and 500 horse;
Nasru-llah `Arab to 500 personal and 250 horse; and Tahawwur K. was
appointed to the faujdarship of Mewat. On Thursday, the 25th, Sayyid
Bayazid Bukhari, faujdar of Bhakkar, raised his head of honour with
the Subadarship of Sind, and his mansab, original and increased, was
fixed at 2,000 personal and 1,500 horse, and he was also presented
with a standard. Shaja`at K. `Arab obtained the honour of exaltation
to the mansab of 2,500 personal and 2,000 horse. Anira'i Singh-dalan,
at the request of Mahabat K., was appointed to Bangash. Jan-sipar
K. was promoted to the mansab of 2,000 personal and 1,500 horse.
At this time, on the representation of the Commander-in-Chief,
Khan-Khanan, and all the loyal people, it was shown to me that `Ambar,
the black-fated one (he was an Abyssinian), had again placed his foot
beyond the bounds of good behaviour, and had, according to his nature,
laid a foundation for trouble and sedition, and as the victorious army
had proceeded to a distant part of the country, he, considering it a
good opportunity, had broken the pledges he had given to the servants
of the Court, and had stretched out his hand to take possession of
royal territory. It is hoped that he will soon be entangled in the
disgrace of his deeds. As he (the Commander-in-Chief) had asked
for treasure, it was ordered that the diwans of Agra should send
Rs. 20,00,000 to the Commander-in-Chief. Close upon this news came that
the Amirs had left their posts, and come together to Darab K., and that
the Bargis [368] (the Mahrattas) were surrounding his camp, and that
Khanjar K. had taken refuge in Ahmadnagar. Two or three battles had
already taken place between the rebels and the servants of the Court,
and each time the enemy had been defeated, and many of them killed. On
the last occasion Darab K., taking with him well-mounted young men,
attacked the rebels' camp. A fierce battle ensued, and the enemy being
defeated turned the face of ruin towards the valley of flight. Their
camp had been plundered, and the victorious army had returned in safety
to their camp. As difficulty and distress had fallen on the victorious
army, those who were loyal came to the conclusion that they should
go down by the Pass of Rohangarh [369] and remain below the ghat,
so that forage and grain might be easily obtained, and the men not
incur any labour or distress. Having no choice, they prepared the
army of prosperity at Balapur, and the rebels of black fortune, with
impertinence and importunity, appeared near Balapur. Raja Bir Singh
Deo, with some of the devoted servants, plucking up courage in order
to beat back the enemy, slew many of them. An Abyssinian of the name of
Mansur, who was in the rebel army, fell into their hands, and although
they wished to put him on an elephant (see Iqbal-nama 161, the text
wrongly has zir "under"), he would not agree, and was insolent. [370]
Raja Bir Singh Deo ordered them to separate his head from his body. It
is hoped that the circling sphere will lay the recompense of improper
deeds on the skirt of life of all who do not recognize the right.
On the 3rd Urdibihisht I rode to see the Sukh Nag. [371] It is a
beautiful summer residence (ilaq). This waterfall is in the midst
of a valley, and flows down from a lofty place. There was still ice
on its sides. The entertainment of Thursday was arranged for in that
flower-land, and I was delighted at drinking my usual cups on the edge
of the water. In this stream I saw a bird like a saj. [372] A saj is
of a black colour and has white spots, while this bird is of the same
colour as a bulbul with white spots, and it dives and remains for
a long time underneath, and then comes up from a different place. I
ordered them to catch and bring two or three of these birds, that I
might ascertain whether they were waterfowl and were web-footed, or
had open feet like land birds. They caught two and brought them. One
died immediately, and the other lived for a day. Its feet were not
webbed like a duck's. I ordered Nadiru-l-`asr Ustad Mansur to draw
its likeness. The Kashmiris call it galkar [373]--that is, "water saj."
On this day the Qazi and the Chief Justice represented to me that
`Abdu-l-Wahhab, the son of Hakim `Ali, claimed Rs. 80,000 from
the Sayyids of Lahore, and produced a bond with the seal of Qazi
Nuru-llah. He said that his father had placed that sum in deposit
with Sayyid Wali, the father of these men, who denied it. [374] If
an order were given, the Hakim's son, by way of caution, [375] would
swear an oath on the Qoran, and would take what was his due from
them. I told them to do whatever was right by the Divine Law. The
next day Mu`tamid Khan represented that the Sayyids showed great
humility and submissiveness. The matter was a complicated [376]
one. The greater reflection shown in ascertaining the truth in the
matter the better. I accordingly ordered that Asaf K. should take
exceeding trouble and forethought in ascertaining the truth of this
quarrel, and point out such a way (of unravelling it) that no doubt
whatever should remain. With all this, if it could not be cleared
up, I would examine them in my own presence. Immediately he heard
these words, the Hakim's son lost both his hands and his heart in the
affair, and made a number of his friends intercessors, and proposed
a withdrawal. His representation was that if the Sayyids would not
[377] refer the matter to Asaf K. he would give a release, and that
hereafter he would have no right against nor claim from them. Whenever
Asaf K. sent to fetch him, as he was a low deceiver, he passed his
time in making excuses, and did not appear until he handed over the
deed of release to one of his friends, and the true state of affairs
became evident to Asaf K. They brought him by force into the place
of examination, and, having no choice, he confessed that the deed had
been prepared by one of his servants, who himself witnessed it, and had
misled him. He gave a writing to this effect. When Asaf K. informed
me of the real state of matters, I took away his mansab and jagir,
and cast him out of my presence, and gave the Sayyids leave to return
to Lahore in all honour and respect.
On Mubarak-shamba (Thursday), the 8th of Khurdad, I`tiqad Khan was
promoted to the mansab of 4,000 personal and 1,500 horse, and Sadiq
Khan to that of 2,500 personal and 1,400 horse. Zainu-l-`abidin,
son of the deceased Asaf Khan (Ja`far), was promoted to be Bakhshi
of Ahadis. Raja Bir Singh Deo Bandila raised his head of honour with
the high mansab of 5,000 personal and horse.
In Kashmir the most juicy(?) fruit is the ashkan(?) (askami in the
MSS.). It is subacid (mai-khush), smaller than the alu balu (sour
cherry), much better flavoured, and more delicate. When drinking
wine, one cannot eat more than three or four alu balu, but of these
one can take as many as a hundred in twenty-four hours, especially
of the paiwandi(?) sort. I ordered that the ashkan should hereafter
be called the khushkan. It grows in the hills of Badakhshan and in
Khurasan; the people there call it jamdami. The largest of them weigh
1/2 misqal. The shah-alu (cherry), on the 4th Urdibihisht, appeared
of the size of a grain of pulse; on the 27th it reddened, and on the
15th Khurdad it was ripe, and new fruit (nau-bar) had formed(?). The
shah-alu (cherry), to my taste, is better than most fruits. Four
trees had borne fruit in the Nur-afza garden. I called one of these
Shirin-bar, the second Khush-guwar, the third, which bore the most
fruit, Pur-bar, and the fourth, which had less, Kam-bar. One tree in
Khurram's garden had also borne fruit, and I called it Shahwar. There
was a young plant in the little garden of `Ishrat-afza (joy enhancing),
and this I called Nau-bar (new fruit). Every day I plucked with my own
hand sufficient to give a flavour to my cups. Although they sent them
by runners from Kabul as well, yet to pick them oneself from one's
home garden gave additional sweetness. The shah-alu of Kashmir is
not inferior to that of Kabul; it is even better grown. The largest
of them weighed one tank, five surkhs.
On Tuesday, the 21st, Padshah [378] Banu Begam died (became a
sitter in the bridal chamber of the permanent world), and grief for
this heart-rending event laid a heavy load on my mind. I hope that
Almighty God may give her a place near his own forgiveness. A strange
thing is--that Jotik Ray, the astrologer, two months before this,
had informed some of my servants that one of the chief sitters in the
harem of chastity would hasten to the hidden abode of non-existence. He
had discovered this from the horoscope of my destiny, and it fell
out accordingly.
One of the events (that now took place) was the martyrdom of Sayyid
`Izzat [379] K. and of Jalal K. Gakhar in the army of Bangash. The
particulars of this are that when the season for the collection
of revenue arrived, Mahabat K. appointed a force to go into the
hill-country to eat up the crops of the Afghans, and not omit one
tittle of raiding and plundering, and killing and binding. When the
servants of the Court arrived at the foot of the Pass the ill-fated
Afghans attacked them from all sides, and took the head of the Pass,
and fortified it. Jalal K., who was an experienced man, and an old man
that had undergone labours, thought it better to delay for a few days,
so that the Afghans might expend the few days' provisions they had
brought with them on their backs, and necessarily disperse of their
own accord; that then his men would be able to cross with ease over the
head of the difficult Pass. When he once passed the head of the defile
they would be unable to do any more, and would be punished. `Izzat
K., who was a battle-lighting flame and a foe-burning lightning, did
not fall in with Jalal K.'s idea, and excited the steed of courage
of some of the Sayyids of Barha. The Afghans, swarming round on all
sides, like ants and locusts, attacked him, and caught him in their
midst. Though the battlefield was not fit for cavalry, yet wherever
the forehead of his wrath shone, he consumed many with the fire of
his sword. In the midst of the fighting they hamstringed his horse,
but he fought on foot and as long as he had breath, and at last fell
bravely. At the time when `Izzat K. made his attack, Jalal K. Gakhar
[380] and Mas`ud, s. Ahmad Beg K., and Bizan (or Bizhan), s. Nad
`Ali Maidani, and other servants, lost restraint, and rushed on from
all sides of the pass, and the rebels seized the tops of the hills,
and fought with stones and arrows. The devoted young men, both of
the servants of the Court and the retainers of Mahabat K., performed
the duties of valour, and slaughtered many of the Afghans. In this
contest Jalal K. and Mas`ud, with many other brave men, sacrificed
their lives. Owing to the rashness of `Izzat K. such a disaster as
this befell the Imperial army.
When Mahabat K. heard this fearful news, he sent a fresh body of
men to assist, and strengthened the posts. Wherever they found a
trace of those ill-fortuned ones, they did not fail to slay or bind
them. When I heard this news, I summoned Akbar Quli, s. Jalal K. who
had been told off for duty in the conquest of the fort of Kangra, to my
presence, and gave him the mansab of 1,000 personal and 1,000 horse,
and confirmed to him, according to custom, his hereditary territory
(the Gakhar country) in jagir, presented him with a dress of honour
and a horse, and sent him to the support of the army of Bangash. As
`Izzat K. had left a son of very tender years, keeping before my eyes,
that discerned the truth, his life-sacrifice, I gave him (the child)
a mansab and a jagir, so that those left behind should not be scattered
abroad, and others might have increased hope.
On this day Shaikh Ahmad of Sirhind, who had for some time been
placed in the prison of correction on account of his pretentiousness
(literally, adorning his shop and selling himself) and immoderate
language, was summoned to my presence, and I released him, giving him
a dress of honour and Rs. 1,000 for expenses, and making him free to
go or remain. He justly represented that his punishment had really
been a valuable lesson to him, and that his desire was to wait on me.
On the 27th Khurdad apricots arrived [381] (from Kabul). The
picture-gallery in the garden had been ordered to be repaired; it
was now adorned with pictures by master hands. In the most honoured
positions were the likenesses of Humayun and of my father opposite
to my own, and that of my brother Shah `Abbas. After them were the
likenesses of Mirza Kamran, Mirza Muhammad Hakim, Shah Murad, and
Sultan Daniyal. On the second storey (row?) were the likenesses of
the Amirs and special servants. On walls of the outer hall the stages
of the road to Kashmir were recorded in the order in which I had come
to them. A poet fixed the date by this hemistich: