As the whole of my world-opening mind was taken up with the preparation
of the Qandahar army, and the remedy for that business, the unpleasant
news that reached me of a change in the condition of Khurram, and his
want of moderation, became a cause for aversion and dissension. I
accordingly sent Musawi K., who is one of the sincere servants who
knows my temperament, to that wretch (bi-daulat) to lay before him the
threatening messages and my wishes, and to give admonitions that might
sharpen his intelligence, so that by the guidance of good fortune he
might awake from the dream of carelessness and pride, and that he
(Musawi) having gained a (true) knowledge of his futile ideas and
aims might hasten to my presence, and carry out whatever appeared to
be necessary. On the 1st of the Divine month of Bahman the feast of
my lunar weighing took place. At this auspicious ceremony Mahabat K.,
having come from Kabul, paid his respects, and was the recipient of
special favours. I appointed Ya`qub K. Badakhshi to Kabul, exalting
him with the gift of drums. About this time report came from I`tibar
K. from Agra that Khurram, with the army of adversity, had left
Mandu and started in that direction. He had evidently heard the news
that the treasure had been sent for, and fire had fallen into his
mind, and having let fall from his hand the reins of self-control,
had started (with the idea) that on the road he might lay hold of
the treasure. Accordingly I thought it best to proceed for a tour,
and in order to hunt to the bank of the river of Sultan-pur (the
Beas). If that wretch by the guidance of error should place his
foot in the desert of audacity, I might hasten farther forward and
place the punishment of his unbecoming behaviour in the skirt of his
fortune. If matters turned out in any other way I might take steps
accordingly. With this purpose, on the 17th of the same month, at
an auspicious hour, I marched. Mahabat K. was dignified with a dress
of honour. Rs. 1,00,000 were ordered to be given to Mirza Rustam and
Rs. 2,00,000 to `Abdu-llah K. by way of advance of pay. I sent Mirza
Khan, s. Zain K., with a gracious farman to my fortunate son Shah
Parwiz, and renewed my urgency for his attendance. Raja Sarang Deo
had gone to summon Raja Bir Singh Deo: he came, and having paid his
respects, reported that the Raja, with a proper force and an equipped
army, would join me at Thanesar. At this time constant reports [596]
came from I`tibar K. and other servants of the State from Agra that
Khurram in revolt and disloyalty (bi-daulati) had changed what was
due by him for rearing into undutifulnesses, [597] and having placed
the foot of ruin in the valley of ignorance and error, had started in
that direction. They therefore did not consider it advisable to bring
the treasure, and were engaged in strengthening the towers and gates,
and providing things necessary for the defence of the fort. Similarly
a report came from Asaf K. that the wretch had torn off the veil of
respect, and turned his face towards the valley of ruin, and that the
odour of good came not from the manner of his approach. As it was not
for the advantage of the State to bring the treasure, he had entrusted
it to God, and was himself on the way to wait on me. Accordingly,
having crossed the river at Sultanpur, by successive marches I
proceeded to punish that one of dark fortune, and gave an order
that henceforth they should call him Bi-daulat (wretch). Wherever
in this record of fortune "Bi-daulat" is mentioned it will refer to
him. From the kindnesses and favours bestowed upon him I can say that
up till the present time no king has conferred such on his son. What
my reverend father did for my brothers I have done for his servants,
giving them titles, standards, and drums, as has been recorded in the
preceding pages. It will not be hidden from the readers of this record
of prosperity what affection and interest I have bestowed on him. My
pen's tongue fails in ability to set them forth. What shall I say of
my own sufferings? In pain and weakness, in a warm atmosphere that
is extremely unsuited to my health, I must still ride and be active,
and in this state must proceed against such an undutiful son. Many
servants cherished by me for long years and raised to the dignity of
nobility, whom I ought to employ to-day in war against the Uzbeg or
the Persian, I must punish [598] for his vileness and destroy with
my own hand. Thank God that he has given me such capacity to bear my
burdens that I can put up with all this, and go on in the same path,
and reckon them as light. But that which weighs heavily on my heart,
and places my eager temperament in sorrow is this, that at such a time
when my prosperous sons and loyal officers should be vying with each
other in the service against Qandahar and Khurasan, which would be
to the renown of the Sultanate, this inauspicious one has struck with
an axe the foot of his own dominion, and become a stumbling-block in
the path of the enterprise. The momentous affair of Qandahar must now
be postponed, but I trust that Almighty God will remove these griefs
from my heart.
At this time it was reported to me that Muhtarim K., the eunuch,
Khalil Beg Zu-l-qadr, and Fida'i K., the Master of the Ceremonies,
had allied themselves with Bi-daulat, and opened the gates of
correspondence with him. As it was no time for mildness and winking at
matters, I imprisoned all three, and as, after making inquiry into the
circumstances, no doubt remained as to their falseness to their salt,
and about the evil designs and malevolence of Khalil and Muhtarim, and
as Amirs like Mirza Rustam swore to the insincerity and malevolence
of Khalil, having no remedy I punished them [599] capitally. Fida'i
K., the dust of whose sincerity was free of suspicion and pure, I
brought out of confinement and promoted. I sent Raja Ruz-afzun by post
(dak-chauki) to my son Shah Parwiz that he might bring him with all
haste to wait on me; so that Bi-daulat might be brought to punishment
for his improper conduct. Jawahir K., the eunuch, was appointed to
the post of Ihtimam-i-darbar-i-mahall (superintendent of the harem).
On the 1st of Isfandarmuz the royal army arrived at Nur-saray. On this
day a report came from I`tibar K., that Bi-daulat had arrived in all
haste in the neighbourhood of Agra, in the hope that before the fort
was strengthened, the gates of strife and mischief might be opened,
and he might attain his end. When he arrived at Fathpur, he found
the gates closed against him, and, being struck with the disgrace
of ruin, he had halted. The Khan-khanan and his son and many of the
royal Amirs attached to the Deccan and Gujarat had come with him as
companions on the road of rebellion and ingratitude. Musawi K. saw
him at Fathpur, and showed him the royal orders, and it was settled
that he should send his servant Qazi `Abdu-l-`Aziz with him to Court
to put his requests before me. He sent to Agra his servant Sundar,
[600] who was the ringleader of the people of error and the chief of
the seditious, to take possession of the treasures and hidden wealth
of those servants of the State who were at Agra. Amongst [601] others
he entered the house of Lashkar K., and seized Rs. 9,00,000. In
the same manner, wherever he suspected there was property in the
houses of other servants (of the Court), he stretched out his hand
to seize it, and took possession of all that he found. When nobles
like Khan-khanan, who had been distinguished with the rank of Atalik
and arrived at the age of seventy years, made their faces black with
rebellion and ingratitude, how could one complain of others? It may
be said that his very nature was seditious and ungrateful. His father
(Bairam K.) at the end of his life behaved in the same unbecoming way
towards my reverend father. He, following the example of his father,
at his age made himself accursed and rejected to all eternity.
In the end a wolf's cub becomes a wolf
Although he grow up with man. (Sa`di.)
On this day Musawi K. arrived with `Abdu-l-`Aziz, the envoy of
Bi-daulat. As his requests were unreasonable, I did not allow him
to speak, but handed him over to Mahabat to be kept in prison. On
the 5th of the month I pitched on the bank of the river of Ludiyana
(the Sutlej). I promoted Khan A`zam to the mansab of 7,000 with 5,000
horse. Raja Bharat, the Bandila, from the Deccan, and Dayanat K. from
Agra, came and waited on me. I pardoned the offences of Dayanat K.,
and gave him the same mansab that he had previously held. Raja Bharat
was raised to the mansab of 1,500 and 1,000 horse, and Musawi K. to
that of 1,000 and 300 horse. On Thursday, the 12th, in the pargana of
Thanesar, Raja Bir Singh Deo, having waited on me, reviewed his army
and elicited great praise. Raja Sarang Deo was promoted to the mansab
of 1,500 with 600 horse. In Karnal Asaf K., coming from Agra, lifted
up the head of honour in kissing my stirrup. His coming at this time
was the herald of victory. Nawazish K., s. Sa`id K., having arrived
from Gujarat, paid his respects. When Bi-daulat was at Burhanpur, at
his request I had appointed Baqi K. to Junagarh. He had been ordered
to come to Court, and now came and shared in my service. As my march
from Lahore took place without previous notice, and time did not
admit of delay or reflection, I came with the few Amirs who were in
attendance. Until I arrived at Sihrind only a few men had the good
fortune to accompany me, but after passing beyond it, great numbers
of the army came in from all sides and quarters. Before arrival at
Delhi such a force had come together that in any direction in which
one looked the whole plain was occupied by troops.
As it was reported that Bi-daulat had left Fathpur and was coming
in this direction, and making continuous marches towards Delhi,
I gave the victorious army orders to put on their chiltas (quilted
coats). In this disturbance the pivot of the management of affairs and
the arrangement of the army were entrusted to Mahabat K. The command
of the vanguard was given to `Abdu-llah K. Of the selected young men
and experienced sipahis, whoever was asked for by him was enrolled in
his corps. I ordered him to march a koss ahead of the other forces. He
was also entrusted with the intelligence department and the control
of the routes. I was ignorant of the fact that he was in league with
Bi-daulat, and that the real object of that evil-natured one was to
send news from my army to him. Previously to this he used to bring
long written slips of true and false news, saying that his spies
had sent them from that place. The purport was that they (the spies)
suspected some of my servants of being in league with Bi-daulat, and
of sending him news. Had I been led away by his intrigues and become
alarmed at this time when the wind of disturbance was blowing strongly
I would have been obliged to destroy many of my servants. Although some
faithful servants suspected his evil intentions and untruthfulness,
the time was not one for removing the veil openly from the face of his
deeds. I guarded my eye and tongue from doing anything which might
carry terror into his evil mind, and showed him more attention and
favour than before, with the idea that possibly he would be struck
with shame, and might turn away from his evil deeds, and give up his
evil nature and sedition. That rejected one to all eternity, in whom
a tendency to vileness and falsity was natural, did not fail to do
what was in accordance with himself, as will be related hereafter.
The tree [602] that is bitter in its nature
If you plant it in the garden of Paradise,
And water it from the eternal stream thereof,
If you pour on its root pure honey,
In the end it shows its natural quality,
And it bears the same bitter fruit.
In fine, when I was near Delhi, Sayyid Bahwa Bukhari, Sadr K., and
Raja Kishan Das came out of the city, and had the good fortune to
kiss my stirrup. Baqir K., faujdar of Oudh, also on this day came to
the victorious camp. On the 25th of the month, passing by Delhi, I
pitched my camp on the bank of the Jumna. Girdhar, s. Ray Sal Darbari,
having come from the Deccan, had the honour to pay his respects. He
was promoted to the mansab of 2,000 and 1,500 horse, and obtained the
title of Raja, and was clothed in a dress of honour. Zabar-dast K.,
Master of the Ceremonies, was honoured with a standard.