When 55 seconds had passed on Saturday, 1st Farwardin, in my 10th
year, corresponding with the 8th [442] of the month of Safar (March,
1615), 1024 Hijra, the sun from the constellation of Pisces entered the
house of honour of Aries. When three gharis had passed on the night of
Sunday I seated myself on the throne of State. The New Year's feast
and ceremonials were prepared in the usual manner. The illustrious
princes, the great Khans, the chief officers and Ministers of State
made their salutations of congratulation. On the 1st of the month
the mansab of I`timadu-d-daulah was increased from 5,000 personal and
2,000 horse by 1,000 personal and horse. Special horses were given to
the Kunwar Karan, Jahangir Quli Khan, and Raja Bir Singh Deo. On the
2nd the offering of Asaf Khan was laid before me; it was an approved
offering of jewels and jewelled ornaments and things of gold, of
cloth stuffs of all kinds and descriptions and was looked over in
detail. That which I approved was worth 85,000 rupees. On this day a
jewelled sword with a belt and band(?) (band u bar) was given to Karan,
and an elephant to Jahangir Quli Khan. As I had made up my mind to
proceed to the Deccan, I gave an order to `Abdu-l-Karim Ma`muri, to
go to Mandu and prepare a new building for my private residence and
repair the buildings of the old kings. On the 3rd day the offerings
of Raja Bir Singh Deo were laid before me and one ruby, some pearls,
and one elephant had the honour of being accepted. On the 4th day the
mansab of Mustafa Khan was increased by 500 personal and 200 horse
to 2,000 personal and 250 horse. On the 5th I gave a standard and
drums to I`timadu-d-daulah, and an order was given him to beat his
drums. The mansab of Asaf Khan was increased by 1,000 personal and
horse to 4,000 personal and 2,000 horse, and having increased the
mansab of Raja Bir Singh Deo by 700 horse, I dismissed him to his
own country, directing that he should present himself at Court at
stated periods. On the same day the offering of Ibrahim Khan was laid
before me. Some of all the kinds of things pleased me. Kishan Chand,
of the sons of the Rajas of Nagarkot, was honoured with the title of
Raja. On Thursday, the 6th, the offerings of I`timadu-d-daulah were
laid before me at Chashma-i-Nur; a large meeting had been arranged,
and by way of favour the whole of his offerings were inspected. Of
the jewels and jewelled things and choice cloth stuffs the value of
100,000 rupees was accepted, and the remainder given back. On the 7th
day I increased by 1,000 personal the mansab of Kishan Singh, which had
been 2,000 personal and 1,500 horse. On this day a tiger was killed in
the neighbourhood of Chashma-i-Nur. On the 8th I gave Karan the mansab
of 5,000 personal and horse, and gave him a small rosary of pearls and
emeralds with a ruby in the centre which in the language of the Hindus
is called smaran (Sanskrit for 'remembrance'). I increased the mansab
of Ibrahim Khan by 1,000 personal and 400 horse, so as to make it 2,000
personal and 1,000 horse, original and increase. The mansab of Haji Bi
Uzbeg was increased by 300 horse, and that of Raja Shyam Singh by 500
personal so as to make it 2,500 personal and 1,400 horse. On Sunday,
the 9th, there was an eclipse of the sun when twelve gharis of the day
had passed. It began from the west, and four out of five parts of the
sun were eclipsed in the knot of the dragon. From the commencement of
the seizure until it became light eight gharis elapsed. Alms of all
kinds, and things in the shape of metals, animals, and vegetables,
were given to fakirs and the poor and people in need. On this day
the offering of Raja Suraj Singh was laid before me; what was taken
was of the value of 43,000 rupees. The offering of Bahadur Khan, the
governor of Qandahar, was also laid before me on this day; its total
value came to 14,000 rupees. Two watches of the night had passed on the
night of Monday, the 29th Safar (30th March, 1615), in the ascension
of Sagittarius, when a boy was born to Baba Khurram by the daughter
of Asaf Khan; I gave him the name of Dara Shukuh. I hope that his
coming will be propitious to this State conjoined with eternity,
and to his fortunate father. The mansab of Sayyid `Ali Barha was
increased by 500 personal and 300 horse, so as to bring it to 1,500
personal and 1,000 horse. On the 10th the offering of I`tibar Khan
was laid before me, and what was of the value of 40,000 rupees was
accepted. On this day the mansab of Khusrau Bi Uzbeg was raised by
300 horse, and that of Mangli Khan by 500 personal and 200 horse. On
the 11th the offering of Murtaza Khan was laid before me. Of it seven
rubies, one rosary of pearls, and 270 other pearls were accepted, and
their value was 145,000 rupees. On the 12th the offerings of Mirza
Raja Bhao Singh and Rawat Shankar were laid before me. On the 13th,
out of the offering of Khwaja Abu-l-hasan, one qutbi (Egyptian?) ruby,
one diamond, one string of pearls, five rings, four pearls, and some
cloths, altogether the value of 32,000 rupees, were accepted. On the
14th the mansab of Khwaja Abu-l-hasan, which was 3,000 personal and
700 horse, was increased by 1,000 personal and 500 horse, and that
of Wafadar Khan, of 750 personal and 200 horse, by 2,000 personal
and 1,200 horse. On the same day Mustafa Beg, the ambassador of the
ruler of Iran, had the good fortune to wait upon me. After completing
the matter of Gurjistan (Georgia), my exalted brother sent him with
a letter consisting of expressions of friendship and assurances of
sincerity, with several horses, camels, and some stuffs from Aleppo,
which had come for that fortunate brother from the direction of
Rum. Nine large European hunting dogs, for which a request had gone,
were also sent by him.
Murtaza Khan, on this day, obtained leave to go for the capture
of the fort of Kangra, the equal of which for strength they cannot
point to in the hill country of the Panjab or even all the habitable
world. From the time when the sound of Islam reached the country
of Hindustan up to this auspicious time when the throne of rule
has been adorned by this suppliant at the throne of Allah, none of
the rulers or kings has obtained possession of it. Once in the time
of my revered father, the army of the Panjab was sent against this
fort, and besieged it for a long time. At length they came to the
conclusion that the fort was not to be taken, and the army was sent
off to some more necessary business. When he was dismissed, I gave
Murtaza Khan a private elephant with trappings. Raja Suraj Mal, son
of Raja Baso, as his country was near that fort, was also appointed,
and his previous mansab was increased by 500 personal and horse. Raja
Suraj Singh also came from his place and jagir and waited on me, and
presented an offering of 100 ashrafis. On the 17th the offering of
Mirza Rustam was laid before me. Two jewelled daggers, one rosary of
pearls, some pieces of cloth, an elephant, and four Iraq horses were
accepted, and the rest returned; their value was 15,000 rupees. On
the same date the offering of I`tiqad Khan, of the value of 18,000
rupees, was laid before me. On the 18th the offering of Jahangir
Quli Khan was inspected. Of jewels and cloth stuffs the value of
15,000 rupees was accepted. The mansab of I`tiqad Khan, which was 700
personal and 200 horse, I increased by 800 personal and 300 horse,
so that with original and increase it came to 1,500 personal and 500
horse. Khusrau Bi Uzbeg, who was one of the distinguished soldiers,
died of the disease of dysentery. On the 8th day, which was Thursday,
after two watches and four and a half gharis had passed, the sharaf
(highest point of the sun's ascension) began. On this auspicious day I
ascended the throne in happiness and prosperity, and the people saluted
and congratulated me. When one watch of the day remained I went to the
Chashma-i-Nur. According to agreement the offering of Mahabat Khan
was laid before me at that place. He had arranged beautiful jewels
and jewellery, with cloth stuff and articles of all kinds that were
pleasing to me. Among these, a jewelled khapwa (dagger), which at
his request the royal artificers had made, and the like of which in
value there did not exist in my private treasury, was worth 100,000
rupees. In addition to this, jewels and other things of the value
of 138,000 rupees were taken. Indeed, it was a splendid offering. To
Mustafa Beg, the ambassador of the ruler of Iran, I gave 20,000 darab,
or 10,000 rupees. On the 21st I sent robes of honour by the hand of
`Abdu-l-Ghafur to fifteen of the Amirs of the Deccan. Raja Bikramajit
obtained leave to go to his jagir, and a special shawl (parm narm
[443]) was given to him. On the same day I gave a jewelled waist-dagger
to Mustafa Beg, the ambassador. I increased the mansab of Hushang,
the son of Islam Khan, which was 1,000 personal and 500 horse, by 500
personal and 200 horse. On the 23rd, Ibrahim Khan was promoted to the
Subah of Behar. Zafar Khan was ordered to present himself at Court. To
the mansab of Ibrahim Khan, which was 2,000 personal and 1,000 horse,
I added 500 personal and 1,000 horse. Saif Khan on the same day was
dismissed to his jagir, as well as Haji Bi Uzbeg, who was honoured
with the title of Uzbeg Khan. Bahaduru-l-mulk, who belonged to the
army of the Deccan and held the mansab of 2,500 personal and 2,100
horse received an increase of 500 personal and 200 horse. An increase
of 200 was made in the mansab of Khwaja Taqi, which was 800 personal
and 180 horse. On the 25th an increase of 200 horse was made in the
rank of Salamu-llah, the Arab, so that it became 1,500 personal and
1,000 horse. I presented Mahabat Khan with the black piebald horse
out of my special horses which the ruler of Iran had sent me. At
the end of the day of Thursday I went to the house of Baba Khurram
and remained there till a watch of the night had passed. His second
offering was laid before me on that day. On the first day he paid his
respects he laid before me a celebrated ruby of the Rana, which, on the
day of his paying his respects, he had made an offering of to my son,
and which the jewellers valued at 60,000 rupees. It was not worthy of
the praise they had given it. The weight of this ruby was eight tank,
[444] and it was formerly in the possession of Ray Maldeo, who was the
chief of the tribe of the Rathors and one of the chief rulers (or Rays)
of Hindustan. From him it was transferred to his son Chandar Sen, who,
in the days of his wretchedness and hopelessness, sold it to Rana
Uday Singh. From him it went to Rana Partap, and afterwards to this
Rana Amar Singh. As they had no more valuable gift in their family,
he presented it on the day that he paid his respects to my fortunate
son Baba Khurram, together with the whole of his stud of elephants,
which, according to the Indian idiom, they call gheta char. [445]
I ordered them to engrave on the ruby that at the time of paying his
respects Rana Amar Singh had presented it as an offering to Sultan
Khurram. On that day certain other things from among the offerings of
Baba Khurram were accepted. Among them was a little crystal box of
Frank work, made with great taste, with some emeralds, three rings,
four Iraq horses, and various other things, the value of which was
80,000 rupees. On the day on which I went to his house he had prepared
a great offering, in fact there were laid before me things and rarities
worth about four or five lakhs of rupees. Of these the equivalent of
100,000 rupees was taken away and the balance given to him.
On the 28th the mansab of Khwaja Jahan, which was 3,000 personal and
1,800 horse, was increased by 500 personal and 400 horse. In the end
of the month I presented Ibrahim Khan with a horse, a robe of honour,
a jewelled dagger, a standard and drums, and dismissed him to the
province of Behar. The office of `arz-mukarrir (reviser of petitions),
that belonged to Khwajagi Haji Muhammad, as he had died, I gave to
Mukhlis Khan, who was in my confidence. Three hundred horse were
increased in the mansab of Dilawar Khan, who now had 1,000 personal
and horse. As the hour of the leave-taking of Kunwar Karan was at hand,
I was desirous of showing him my skill in shooting with a gun. Just at
this time the qarawulan (shikaris) brought in news of a tigress. Though
it is an established custom of mine only to hunt male tigers, yet,
in consideration that no other tiger might be obtained before his
departure, I went for the tigress. I took with me Karan, and said
to him that I would hit it wherever he wished me to do so. After
this arrangement I went to the place where they had marked down the
tiger. By chance there was a wind and disturbance in the air, and the
female elephant on which I was mounted was terrified of the tigress
and would not stand still. Notwithstanding these two great obstacles
to shooting, I shot straight towards her eye. God Almighty did not
allow me to be ashamed before that prince, and, as I had agreed,
I shot her in the eye. On the same day Karan petitioned me for a
special gun, and I gave him a special Turkish one.
As on the day for his departure I had not given Ibrahim Khan an
elephant, I now gave him a special elephant, and I also sent an
elephant to Bahaduru-l-mulk and one to Wafadar Khan. On the 8th
Urdibihisht the assemblage for my lunar weighing was held, and I
weighed myself against silver and other things, distributing them
amongst the deserving and needy. Nawazish Khan took leave to go to
his jagir, which was in Malwa. On the same day I gave an elephant to
Khwaja Abu-l-hasan. On the 9th they brought Khan A`zam, who had come
to Agra from the fort of Gwalior, and who had been sent for. Though
he had been guilty of many offences, and in all that I had done
to him I was right, yet when they brought him into my presence
and my eye fell on him, I perceived more shame in myself than in
him. Having pardoned all his offences, I gave him the shawl I had
round my waist. I gave Kunwar Karan 100,000 darab. On the same day
Raja Suraj Singh brought a large elephant of the name of Ran-rawat,
which was a celebrated elephant of his, as an offering. In fact,
it was such a rare elephant that I put it into my private stud. On
the 10th the offering of Khwaja Jahan, which he sent me from Agra
by the hand of his son, was laid before me. It was of all kinds of
things, of the value of 40,000 rupees. On the 12th the offering of
Khan Dauran, which consisted of forty-five [446] horse two strings
of camels, Arabian dogs (greyhounds), and hunting animals (hawks?),
was brought before me. On the same day seven other elephants from Raja
Suraj Singh were also brought to me as an offering, and were placed
in my private stud. Tahayyur Khan, after he had been in attendance
on me for four months, to-day got leave to go. A message was sent to
`Adil Khan. I impressed on him the profit and loss of friendship and
enmity, and made an agreement (with Tahayyur Khan) that all these
words should be repeated to `Adil Khan, and he should bring him back
to the path of loyalty and obedience. At the time of his taking leave I
also bestowed on him certain things. On the whole, in this short time,
what with the gifts bestowed on him by me privately, by the princes,
and those given him by the Amirs according to order, the account
mounted up to about 100,000 rupees that he had received. On the 14th
the rank and reward of my son Khurram were fixed. His mansab had
been one of 12,000 personal and 6,000 horse, and that of his brother
(Parwiz) 15,000 personal and 8,000 horse. I ordered his mansab to be
made equal with that of Parwiz, besides other rewards. I gave him a
private elephant of the name of Panchi Gaj, [447] with accoutrements
of the value of 12,000 rupees. On the 16th an elephant was given to
Mahabat Khan. On the 17th the mansab of Raja Suraj Singh, which was
4,000 personal and 3,000 horse, was increased by 1,000, and it was
raised to 5,000. At the request of `Abdu-llah Khan the mansab of Khwaja
`Abdu-l-Latif, which was 500 personal and 200 horse, was raised by 200,
and it was ordered to be 1,000 personal and 400 horse. `Abdu-llah,
the son of Khan A`zam, who was imprisoned in the fort of Rantambhor,
was sent for at the request of his father. He came to the Court, and
I took the chains off his legs and sent him to his father's house. On
the 24th, Raja Suraj Singh presented me with another elephant, called
Fauj-sangar ('ornament of the army'), by way of offering. Although
this is also a good elephant, and has been placed in my private stud,
it is not to be compared with the first elephant (he sent), which
is one of the wonders of the age, and is worth 20,000 rupees. On
the 26th, 200 personal were added to the mansab of Badi`u-z-zaman,
son of Mirza Shahrukh; it was 700 personal and 500 horse. On the
same day Khwaja Zainu-d-din, who is of the Naqshbandi Khwajas,
came from Mawara'a-n-nahr and waited on me, bringing as an offering
eighteen horses. Qizilbash Khan, who was one of the auxiliaries of
the province of Gujarat, had come to Court without the leave of the
governor. I ordered that an ahadi should put him into confinement,
and that he be sent back to the governor of Gujarat, so that others
might not desire to do the same. The mansab of Mubarak Khan Sazawal
I raised 500 personal, so that it should be 1,500 personal and 700
horse. On the 29th I gave Khan A`zam 100,000 rupees, and ordered that
the parganahs of Dasna [448] and Kasna,1 which are equivalent to 5,000
personal, should be made his jagir. At the end of the same month I gave
leave to Jahangir Quli Khan, with his brothers and other relatives,
to go to Allahabad, which had been appropriated to them as jagir. At
this meeting twenty horse, a qaba (parm narm) of Cashmere cloth,
twelve deer, and ten Arabian dogs were given to Karan. The next day,
which was the 1st Khurdad, forty horse, the next day forty-one horse,
and the third day twenty, amounting in the space of three days to
101 head, were given as a present to Kunwar Karan. In return for the
elephant Fauj-sangar, an elephant worth 10,000 rupees out of my private
stud was presented to Raja Suraj Singh. On the 5th of the month ten
turbans (chira), ten coats (qaba), and ten waist-bands were given to
Karan. On the 20th I gave him another elephant.
In these days the news-writer of Kashmir had written that a Mulla of
the name of Gada'i, a disciplined dervish, who for forty years had
lived in one of the monasteries of the city, had prayed the inheritors
of that monastery two years [449] before he was to deliver over the
pledge of his life that he might select a corner in that monastery
as a place for his burial. They said, "Let it be so." In short, he
selected a place. When the time for his delivery came he informed his
friends and relations and those who were dear to him that an order
had reached him that, delivering over the pledge (of life) he had, he
should turn towards the last world. Those who were present wondered
at his words, and said that the prophets had no such information,
and how could they believe such words? He said, "Such an order has
been given to me." He then turned to one of his confidants, who was
of the sons of the Qazis of the country, and said: "You will expend
the price [450] of my Koran, which is worth 700 tankas, in carrying
me (to the grave). When you hear the call to Friday's prayer you
will enquire for me." This conversation took place on the Thursday,
and he divided all the goods in his room among his acquaintance and
disciples, and went, and at end of the day bathed at the baths. The
Qazi-zada aforesaid came before the call for prayer, and enquired
as to the health of the Mulla. When he came to the door of the
cell he found the door closed and a servant sitting there. He asked
the slave what had happened, and the servant said, "The Mulla has
enjoined me that until the door of the cell open of its own accord I
must not go in." Shortly after these words were said the door of the
cell opened. The Qazi-zada entered the cell with that servant and saw
that the Mulla was on his knees with his face turned toward the qibla,
and had given up his soul to God. Happy the state of the freed who can
fly away from this place of the snares of dependence with such ease!
By the increase of 200 personal and 50 horse in the mansab of Karam
Sen Rathor, I raised it to 1,000 personal and 300 horse. On the
11th of this month the offering of Lashkar Khan, which consisted of
three strings of Persian camels and twenty cups and plates from Khita
(China) and twenty Arabian dogs, was brought before me. On the 12th
a jewelled dagger was bestowed on I`tibar Khan, and to Karan I gave
a plume (kalgi) worth 2,000 rupees. On the 14th I gave a dress of
honour to Sar- [451]buland Ray, and gave him leave to go to the Deccan.
On the night of Friday, the 15th, a strange affair occurred. By chance
on that night I was at Pushkar. To be brief, Kishan, own brother to
Raja Suraj Singh, was in great perturbation through Gobind Das, the
Vakil of the said Raja having some time ago killed his nephew, a youth
of the name of Gopal Das. The cause of the quarrel it would take too
long to tell. Kishan Singh expected that, as Gopal Das was also the
nephew of the Raja (Suraj Singh), the latter would kill Gobind Das. But
the Raja, on account of the experience and ability of Gobind Das,
relinquished the idea of seeking revenge for his nephew's death. When
Kishan saw this neglect on the part of the Raja, he resolved himself
to take revenge for his nephew, and not allow his blood to pass away
unnoticed. For a long time he kept this matter in his mind, until on
that night he assembled his brothers, friends, and servants, and told
them that he would go that night to take Gobind Das's life, whatever
might happen, and that he did not care what injury might happen to
the Raja. The Raja was in ignorance of what was happening, and when
it was near dawn Kishan came with Karan, his brother's son, and other
companions. When he arrived at the gate of the Raja's dwelling he
sent some of the experienced men on foot to the house of Gobind Das,
which was near the Raja's. He himself (Kishan) was on horseback, and
stationed himself near the gate. The men on foot entered Gobind Das's
house, and killed some of those who were there on guard. Whilst this
fight was going on Gobind Das awoke, and seizing his sword in a state
of bewilderment was coming out from one side of the house to join the
outside watchmen. When the men on foot had finished killing some of
the people, they came out of the tent to endeavour to find out Gobind
Das, and, meeting him, they finished his affair (killed him). Before
the news of the killing of Gobind Das reached Kishan, he, unable to
bear it any more, dismounted and came inside the dwelling. Although
his men protested in a disturbed state that it was not right to be on
foot, he would in no way listen to them. If he had remained a little
longer and the news of his enemy having been killed had reached him,
it is possible that he would have escaped safe and sound, mounted as
he was. As the pen of destiny had gone forth after another fashion,
as soon as he alighted and went in, the Raja, who was in his mahall
(female apartment), awoke at the uproar among the people, and stood
at the gate of his house with his sword drawn. People from all sides
were aroused and came in against the men who were on foot. They saw
what the number of men on foot was, and came out in great numbers
and faced Kishan Singh's men, who were about ten in number. In short,
Kishan Singh and his nephew Karan, when they reached the Raja's house,
were attacked by these men and both of them killed. Kishan Singh had
seven and Karan nine wounds. Altogether in this fight 66 men on the
two sides were killed, on the Raja's side 30 and on Kishan Singh's
36. When the sun rose and illumined the world with its light, this
business was revealed, and the Raja saw that his brother, his nephew,
and some of his servants, whom he considered dearer than himself,
were killed, and the whole of the rest had dispersed to their own
places. The news reached me in Pushkar, and I ordered them to burn
those who were killed, according to their rites, and inform me of the
true circumstances of the affair. In the end it became clear that the
affair had happened in the manner in which it has been written here,
and that no further enquiry was necessary.
On the 8th Miran Sadr Jahan came from his native place and waited on
me with an offering of 100 muhrs. Ray Suraj Singh was dismissed to
his duty in the Deccan. I presented him with a couple of pearls for
his ears and a special Kashmir shawl (parm narm). A pair of pearls
were also sent to Khan Jahan. On the 25th I increased the mansab
of I`tibar Khan by 600 horse, so as to bring it to 5,000 personal
and 2,000 horse. On the same day Karan obtained leave to go to his
jagir. He received a present of a horse, a special elephant, a dress
of honour, a string of pearls of the value of 50,000 rupees, and a
jewelled dagger which had been completed for 2,000 rupees. From the
time of his waiting on me till he obtained leave, what he had had
in the shape of cash, jewellery, jewels, and jewelled things was
of the value of 200,000 rupees, with 110 horses, five elephants, in
addition to what my son Khurram bestowed on him at various times. I
gave Mubarak Khan Sazawal a horse and an elephant, and appointed him
to accompany him. I sent several verbal messages to the Rana. Raja
Suraj Singh also obtained leave to go to his native country, with a
promise to return in two months. On the 27th, Payanda Khan Moghul,
[452] who was one of the old Amirs of the State, gave up the deposit
of his life.
At the end of this month news came that the ruler of Iran had executed
his eldest son Safi Mirza. This was a cause of great bewilderment. When
I enquired into it they said that at Darash, [453] which is one of
the noted cities of Gilan, he ordered a slave of the name of Bihbud
to kill Safi Mirza. The slave found an opportunity, early in the
morning on the 5th of Muharram, in the year 1024 (25th January,
1615), when the Mirza was returning from the baths towards his
house, and finished his affair for him with two wounds from a sword
(sikhaki). [454] After a great part of the day had passed, while his
body lay between the water and the mud, Shaikh Baha'u-d-din Muhammad,
who was the best known man in the country for learning and holiness,
and on whom the Shah had full reliance, reported the affair, and,
obtaining leave to lift him up, took his corpse and sent it to Ardabil,
where was the burial-ground of his ancestors. Although much enquiry was
made of travellers from Iran, no one would say a word of this affair
that satisfied my mind with regard to it. The killing of a son must
have some powerful motive in order to do away with the disgrace of it.
On the 1st of the month of Tir I gave an elephant of the name of
Ranjit with its trappings to Mirza Rustam and another to Sayyid
Ali Barha. Mirak Husain, a relation of Khwaja Shamsu-d-din, was
appointed bakhshi and news-writer of the Subah of Behar, and took
leave to go. I gave Khwaja `Abdu-l-Latif Qush-begi (the falconer) an
elephant and a dress of honour, and dismissed him to his jagir. On
the 9th of the same month I gave a jewelled sword to Khan Dauran,
and a jewelled dagger was sent for Allahdad, the son of Jalala the
Afghan, who had become loyal. On the 13th took place the meeting for
the festival of the Ab-pashan [455] (rose-water scattering), and the
servants of the Court amused themselves with sprinkling rose-water
over each other. On the 17th, Amanat Khan was appointed to the port
of Cambay. As Muqarrab Khan proposed to come to Court, the (charge
of the) aforesaid port was changed. On the same day I sent a jewelled
waist-dagger to my son Parwiz. On the 18th the offering of Khankhanan
was laid before me. He had prepared all kinds of jewellery and other
things, jewels with jewelled things, such as three rubies and 103
pearls, 100 rubies (yaqut), two jewelled daggers and an aigrette
adorned with rubies and pearls, a jewelled water-jar, a jewelled
sword, a quiver bound with velvet, and a diamond ring, altogether
of the value of about 100,000 rupees, in addition to jewels and
jewelled things, cloth from the Deccan and Carnatic, and all kinds
of gilt and plain things, with fifteen elephants and a horse whose
mane reached the ground. The offering of Shah-nawaz Khan (his son)
also, consisting of five elephants, 300 pieces of all kinds of cloth,
was brought before me. On the 8th I honoured Hushang with the title
of Ikram Khan. Ruz-afzun, who was one of the princes of the Subah of
Behar and who had been from his youth one of the permanent servants
of the Court, having been honoured by admission into Islam, was made
Raja of the province of his father, Raja Sangram. [456] Though the
latter had been killed in opposing the leaders of the State, I gave
him an elephant and leave to go to his native place. An elephant was
presented to Jahangir Quli Khan. On the 24th, Jagat Singh, son of
Kunwar Karan, who was in his 12th year, came and waited on me, and
presented petitions from his grandfather, the Rana Amar Singh, and
from his father. The signs of nobility and high birth were evident on
his face. I pleased him with a dress of honour and kindness. To the
mansab of Mirza `Isa Tarkhan an addition of 200 personal was made,
so that it attained to 1,200 personal and 300 horse. In the end
of the month, having honoured Shaikh Husain Rohila with the title
of Mubariz Khan, I dismissed him to his jagir. Ten thousand darabs
(5,000 rupees) were given to the relations of Mirza Sharafu-d-din
Husain Kashghari, who at this time had come and had the honour of
kissing the threshold. On the 5th Amurdad, to the mansab of Raja
Nathmal, which was 1,500 personal and 1,100 horse, an addition of
500 personal and 100 horse was made. On the 7th, Kesho (Das) Maru,
who had a jagir in the Sarkar of Orissa, and who had been sent for to
Court on account of a complaint [457] against the governor of the Subah
of that place, came and paid his respects. He produced as an offering
four elephants. As I had a great desire to see my farzand (son) Khan
Jahan (Lodi), and for the purpose of enquiring into important matters
connected with the Deccan, it was necessary for him to come at once,
I sent for him. On Tuesday, the 8th of the same month, he waited on me,
and presented as an offering 1,000 muhrs, 1,000 rupees, 4 rubies, 20
pearls, 1 emerald, and a jewelled phul katara, the total value being
50,000 rupees. On the night of Sunday, as it was the anniversary of
the great Khwaja (Mu`inu-d-din), I went to his revered mausoleum,
and remained there till midnight. The attendants and Sufis exhibited
ecstatic states, and I gave the fakirs and attendants money with
my own hand; altogether there were expended 6,000 rupees in cash,
100 saub-kurta (a robe down to the ankles), 70 rosaries of pearls,
[458] coral and amber, etc. Maha Singh, grandson of Raja Man Singh,
was honoured with the title of Raja, and a standard and drums given
him. On the 16th an Iraq horse out of my private stable and another
horse were presented to Mahabat Khan. On the 19th an elephant was
given to Khan A`zam. On the 20th, 200 horse were added to the mansab
of Kesho (Das) Maru, which was 2,000 personal and 1,000 horse, and
he was dignified with a dress of honour. An increase of 200 personal
and horse was made to the mansab of Khwaja `Aqil, which was 1,200
personal and 600 horse. On the 22nd, Mirza Raja Bhao Singh took leave
to go to Amber, which was his ancient native place, and had given him
a special Kashmir phup (?) robe. [459] On the 25th, Ahmad Beg Khan,
who was imprisoned at Rantambhor, paid his respects to me, and his
offences were pardoned on account of his former services. On the 28th,
Muqarrab Khan came from the Subah of Gujarat and waited on me, and
offered an aigrette and a jewelled throne. [460] An increase of 500
personal and horse was made to the mansab of Salaamu-llah, the Arab,
and it was brought to 2,000 personal and 1,100 horse. On the 1st of the
month of Shahriwar the following increases were made in the rank of
a number of men who were going on service to the Deccan:--To Mubariz
Khan 300 horse, making 1,000 personal and horse. Nahir Khan was also
raised to 1,000 personal and horse. Dilawar Khan was raised by 300
horse to 2,500 personal and horse. Mangli Khan's rank was increased
by 200 horse to 1,500 personal and 1,000 horse. Girdhar, the son of
Ray Sal, had the rank of 800 personal and horse bestowed on him, and
Ilf Khan Qiyam Khan the same mansab, original and increase. Yadgar
Husain was raised to 700 personal and 500 horse, and Kamalu-d-din,
son of Shir Khan, to the same mansab. One hundred and fifty horse were
added to the rank of Sayyid `Abdu-llah Barha, which then came to 700
personal and 300 horse, original and increase. On the 8th of the said
month I bestowed one Nur-jahani muhr, which is equal to 6,400 rupees,
on Mustafa Beg, the ambassador of the ruler of Iran, and presented
five cheetahs to Qasim Khan, governor of Bengal. Mirza Murad, eldest
son of Mirza Rustam, on the 12th of the same month was honoured with
the title of Iltifat Khan. On the night of the 16th, corresponding with
the Shab-i-barat (consecrated to the memory of forefathers), I ordered
them to light lamps on the hills round the Ana Sagar tank and on its
banks, and went myself to look at them. The reflection of the lamps
fell on the water and had a wonderful appearance. I passed the most
of that night with the ladies of the mahall on the bank of that tank.
On the 17th, Mirza Jamalu-d-din Husain, [461] who had gone as an
ambassador to Bijapur, came and waited on me, and presented three
rings, the stone of one of which was a cornelian from Yemen, of
great beauty and pureness of water, the like of which is seldom
seen among the cornelians of Yemen. `Adil Khan sent a person of
the name of Sayyid Kabir Khan on his own part with the said Mir,
and forwarded as offerings elephants with gold and silver fittings,
Arab horses, jewels and jewelled things, and all kinds of cloth made
in that country. On the 24th of this month they were brought before
me with a letter he had brought. On the same day the assembly for my
solar weighing was held. On the 26th, Mustafa Beg, the ambassador,
took his leave. In addition to what had been bestowed on him during
the time of his attendance, I gave him 20,000 rupees more in cash
and a dress of honour, and in answer to the letter he had brought
sent a friendly letter written in the perfection of friendship. On
the 4th of the month of Mihr the mansab of Mir Jamalu-d-din Husain,
which was 2,000 personal and 500 horse, was fixed at 4,000 personal
and 2,000 horse. On the 5th, Mahabat Khan, in company with Khan
Jahan, who had been appointed to serve in the Deccan, at the hour
that had been appointed for him, took his leave; he was honoured
with a dress of honour, a jewelled dagger, a phul katara, a special
sword, and an elephant. On the 8th, Khan Jahan took his leave, and I
presented him with a dress of honour, and a special nadiri (a dress),
and an ambling horse with a saddle, a special elephant, and a special
sword. On the same date 1,700 horse of those under the command of
Mahabat Khan were ordered to have assignments (tankhwah) for two or
three horses given them. The whole of the men who were at this time
appointed for service in the Deccan were 330 mansabdars, 3,000 ahadis,
700 horse from the Uymaqs, and 3,000 Dalazak Afghans. Altogether
there were 30,000 [462] cavalry, and 3,000,000 rupees of treasure,
and an efficient artillery, and war elephants. They proceeded on this
duty. The mansab of Sarbuland Ray was increased by 500 personal and
260 horse, and came to 2,000 personal and 1,500 horse. Balju, nephew of
Qilij Khan, was promoted to the mansab of 1,000 personal and 700 horse,
original and increase. I also increased Raja Kishan Das's mansab by
500. At the request of Khan Jahan, the mansab of Shahbaz Khan Lodi,
who belonged to the Deccan force, was fixed, original and increase,
at 2,000 personal and 1,000 horse; and 200 horse were added to the
mansab of Wazir Khan. The mansab of Suhrab Khan, son of Mirza Rustam,
was fixed at 1,000 personal and 400 horse, original and increase. On
the 14th of the same month 1,000 was added to the mansab of Mir
Jamalu-d-din Husain, and by increasing it also by 500 horse he was
raised to the exalted rank of 5,000 personal and 2,500 horse. On the
19th, Raja Suraj Singh, with his son Gaj Singh, who had gone home,
came and paid their respects, and presented as offerings 100 muhrs and
1,000 rupees. I gave Sayyid Kabir, who had been sent by `Adil Khan,
one Nurjahani muhr, which weighed 500 tulcha. On the 23rd, ninety
elephants of those which Qasim Khan had acquired from the conquest
of the country of Kuch (Behar), and the conquest of the Maghs and the
zamindars of Orissa, were brought before me and placed in the special
elephant houses. On the 26th, Iradat Khan was raised to the rank of
Mir-samani (head butler), Mu`tamad Khan to that of Bakhshi of the
Ahadis, Muhammad Riza Jabiri to that of Bakhshi of the Subah of the
Panjab and news writer of that place. Sayyid Kabir, who had come on
the part of `Adil Khan to beg pardon for the offences of the rulers
(dunya-daran) of the Deccan, and to promise the restoration of the
fort of Ahmadnagar and the royal territory which had been taken out
of the possession of the chiefs of the victorious State through the
rebellion of certain rebels, came and waited on me, and obtained
leave to go on this date; and, having received a dress of honour,
an elephant, and a horse, started off. As Raja Raj Singh Kachhwaha
had died in the Deccan, I promoted his son Ram Das to the mansab of
1,000 personal and 400 horse. On the 4th of Aban, drums were given
to Saif Khan Barha and his mansab increased by 300 horse, so as to
bring it up to 3,000 personal and 2,000 horse. On the same date I
released Raja Man, who was in confinement in the fort of Gwalior,
on the security of Murtaza Khan, and, confirming his mansab, sent
him to the said Khan for duty at the fort of Kangra. At the request
of Khan Dauran, an increase of 300 horse was ordered to the mansab
of Sadiq Khan, raising it to 1,000 personal and horse. Mirza `Isa
Tarkhan came from the province of Sambhal, which was his jagir, and
waited on me, and offered 100 muhrs. On the 16th, Raja Suraj Singh
obtained leave to go to his duty in the Deccan, and I increased his
mansab by 300 horse, so as to make it 5,000 personal and 3,300 horse;
he received a dress of honour and a horse, and started. On the 18th
I confirmed the mansab of Mirza `Isa, original and increase, at 1,500
personal and 800 horse, and gave him an elephant and a dress of honour,
and he took leave to go to the Deccan.
On the same day the news of the death of the wretch Chin Qilij was
received by a letter from Jahangir Quli Khan. After the death of Qilij
Khan, who was one of the old servants of this State, I had made this
inauspicious man an Amir, and shown him great favour, and given him
in jagir such a place as Jaunpur. I also sent his other brothers and
relations with him and made them his deputies. He had one brother of
the name of Lahori, [463] of a very wicked disposition. It was reported
to me that the servants of God (people) were greatly oppressed by his
conduct. I sent an ahadi to bring him (Lahori) from Jaunpur. At the
coming of the ahadi, suspicion without any cause prevailed over Chin
Qilij, and it came into his mind to run away, taking his misguided
brother with him. Leaving his mansab, his government, place, and jagir,
money, property, children, and people, he took a little money and gold
and a few jewels and went with a small body among the zamindars. This
news arrived a few days ago and caused great astonishment. In short,
to whatever zamindar he went he took money [464] from him(?) and then
let him go(?), until news came that he had entered the country of
Johat. [465] When this news reached Jahangir Quli Khan, he sent some
of his men to take and bring that thoughtless one. They took him as
soon as they arrived, and were intending to take him to Jahangir Quli
Khan, when he at that very moment went to hell. Some of those who had
accompanied him said that for some days previously he had contracted
an illness and it had killed him. But this was heard of him as well,
that he committed suicide, in order that they might not take him to
Jahangir Quli Khan in this state. In any case, they brought his body
with his children and servants who were with him to Allahabad. They
made away with most of the money that he had, and the zamindars took
it from him. Alas, that salt (i.e. loyalty) should not have brought
such black-faced wretches to condign punishment!
"Behind the duty that lies on all people is the duty to the
sovereign and benefactor"(?). [466]
On the 22nd, at the request of Khan Dauran, 200 horse were added to the
mansab of Nad `Ali Maidani, one of the officers appointed to Bangash,
which brought it to 1,500 personal and 1,000 horse; 100 horse were
also added to the mansab of Lashkar Khan, which was 2,000 personal
and 900 horse. On the 24th I confirmed the mansab of Muqarrab Khan,
which was 3,000 personal and 2,000 horse, and increased it to 5,000
personal and 2,500 horse. On the same day I bestowed the title of Khan
on Qiyam, son of Shah Muhammad Qandahari, who was an Amir-zada, and was
in service as a huntsman. On the 5th of the month of Azar a jewelled
dagger was given to Darab Khan, and by the hand of Raja Sarang Deo
dresses of honour were bestowed on the Amirs of the Deccan. As some
(evil) things had been heard about Safdar Khan, governor of Kashmir,
I dismissed him from the government, and favouring Ahmad Beg Khan
on account of his previous services, I promoted him to be Subadar of
Kashmir, and confirmed his mansab of 2,500 personal and 1,500 horse,
honoured him with a jewelled waist-dagger and a dress of honour, and
gave him leave. By the hand of Ihtimam Khan I sent winter dresses of
honour to Qasim Khan, governor of Bengal, and the Amirs that were
attached to that province. On the 15th of the month there was laid
before me the offering of Maka'i, son of Iftikhar Khan, consisting of
an elephant, got [467] horses, and pieces of cloth. He was honoured
with the title of Muruwwat Khan. At the request of I`timadu-d-daula,
I had sent for Dayanat Khan, who was in the fort of Gwalior, and he
had the good fortune to pay his respects; his property, which had
been confiscated, was restored to him.
At this time Khwaja Hashim, of Dahbid, who at this day vigorously
maintains in Transoxiana the profession of a dervish, and in whom
the people of that country have great belief, sent a letter by the
hand of one of his disciples pointing out his old devotion (to the
royal family) and connection and friendship of his ancestors with
this illustrious family, together with a farji [468] and a bow and a
couplet which the late king Babar had made for a saint of the name
of Khwajagi, who also belonged to that sect of dervishes. The last
hemistich is as follows:--
"We are bound to the Khwajagi and are servants to the Khwajagi."
I also with my own pen wrote some lines in the style of that writing,
and sent impromptu quatrains with 1,000 Jahangiri muhrs to the said
Khwaja--
"O thou whose kindness to me is ever more and more,
The State has remembrance of thee, O Dervish,
As from good tidings our heart is rejoiced,
We are glad that thy kindness passes all bounds."
As I ordered that whoever had the poetic temperament should recite
(compose?) this quatrain, [469] Hakim Masihu-z-zaman said, and said
very well--
"Although we have the business of kingship before us,
Every moment more and more we think on the dervishes.
If the heart of our Dervish be gladdened by us
We count that to be the profit of our kingship."
I gave the Hakim 1,000 muhrs for the composition of this quatrain. On
the 7th of the month of Day, when I was coming back from Pushkar and
returning to Ajmir, on the way forty-two wild pigs were taken.
On the 20th, Mir Miran came and waited on me. A summary of his
circumstances and of his family is now written. On the side of his
father [470] he is the grandson of Mir Ghiyasu-d-din Muhammad Mir
Miran, son of Shah Ni`matu-llah Wali. During the reigns of the Safawi
kings the family had attained to great respect, so that Shah Tahmasp
gave his own sister Janish [471] Khanim to Shah Ni`matu-llah, and so
on account of his being a great Shaikh and of his being an instructor
he was made a relative and a son-in-law (of kings). On the side of his
mother he was the daughter's son of Shah Isma`il Khuni (Isma`il II, the
Bloody). After the death of Shah Ni`matu-llah, his son Ghiyasu-d-din
Muhammad Mir Miran received great consideration, and the late Shah
(Tahmasp) gave to his eldest son in marriage a daughter from the royal
family. He gave the daughter of the above-mentioned Shah Isma`il to
another son of his, Khalilu-llah, to whom Mir Miran was born. The
aforesaid Mir Khalilu-llah, seven or eight years before this, had come
from Persia and waited on me at Lahore. As he belonged to a high and
saintly family, I was much interested in his affairs, and gave him a
mansab and a jagir, and honoured and cherished him. After the seat of
government was at Agra, in a short time he was attacked by bilious
[472] diarrhoea from eating too many mangoes, and in ten or twelve
days gave up his soul to the Creator. I was grieved at his going,
and ordered what he had left in cash and jewels to be sent to his
children in Persia. Meanwhile Mir Miran, who was 22 years old, became
a qalandar and dervish, and came to me at Ajmir in a way that nobody
on the road could recognize him. I soothed all the troubles of his
mind and the miseries of his inward and outward condition, and gave
him a mansab of 1,000 personal and 400 horse, and presented him with
30,000 darabs in cash. He is now in waiting and attendance on me.
On the 12th, Zafar Khan, who had been removed from the Subah of Behar,
came and waited on me, and made an offering of 100 muhrs, as well as
three elephants. On the 15th of Day I increased the mansab of Qasim
Khan, the Subahdar of Bengal, by 1,000 personal and horse, so as to
make it 4,000 personal and horse. As the diwan and bakhshi of Bengal,
Husain Beg and Tahir, had not done approved service, Mukhlis Khan,
who was one of the confidential servants of the Court, was nominated
to these duties. I conferred on him a mansab of 2,000 personal and
700 horse, and also gave him a standard. The duty of `arz-mukarrir
(reviser of petitions) I ordered to be given to Dayanat Khan. On the
25th, Friday, the weighing of my son Khurram took place. Up to the
present year, when he is 24 years old, and is married and has children,
he has never defiled himself with drinking wine. On this day, when the
assembly for his weighing was held, I said to him: "Baba, thou hast
become the father of children, and kings and kings' sons have drunk
wine. To-day, which is the day of thy being weighed, I will give thee
wine to drink, and give thee leave to drink it on feast days and at
the time of the New Year, and at all great festivals. But thou must
observe the path of moderation, for wise men do not consider it right
to drink to such an extent as to destroy the understanding, and it is
necessary that from drinking only profit should be derived." Bu `Ali
(Avicenna), who is one of the most learned of hakims and physicians,
has written this quatrain--
"Wine is a raging enemy, a prudent friend;
A little is an antidote, but much a snake's poison.
In much there is no little injury,
In a little there is much profit."
With much trouble wine was given to him. I had not drunk it till I
was 15 [473] years old, except when in the time of my infancy two
or three times my mother and wet-nurses gave it by way of infantile
remedy. They asked for a little spirit from my revered father, and
gave it me to the extent of a tola mixed with water and rosewater to
take away a cough, designating it as medicine. At the time when the
camp of my revered father had been pitched in order to put down the
disturbance of Yusufza'e Afghans at the fort of Attock, which is on
the bank of the Nilab (Indus) River, one day I had mounted to go out
to hunt. When I had moved about a good deal and the signs of weariness
had set in, a gunner of the name of Ustad Shah-quli, a wonderful gunner
out of those under my revered uncle Mirza Muhammad Hakim, said to me
that if I would take a cup of wine it would drive away the feeling of
being tired and heavy. It was in the time of my youth, and as I felt
disposed towards it I ordered Mahmud, the Ab-dar (person in charge of
drinking water, etc.), to go to the house of Hakim `Ali and bring me
an intoxicating draught. He sent me [474] the amount of one and a half
cups of yellow wine of a sweet taste in a little bottle. I drank it,
and found its quality agreeable. After that I took to drinking wine,
and increased it from day to day until wine made from grapes ceased to
intoxicate me, and I took to drinking arrack (`araq, spirits), and by
degrees during nine years my potions rose to twenty cups of doubly
distilled spirits, fourteen during the daytime and the remainder
at night. The weight of this was six Hindustani sirs or one and a
half maunds of Iran. The extent of my eating in those days was a fowl
[475] with bread and vegetables (lit. radish). [476] In that state of
matters no one had the power to forbid me, and matters went to such a
length that in the crapulous state from the excessive trembling of my
hand I could not drink from my own cup, but others had to give it me
to drink, until I sent for Hakim Humam, brother of Hakim Abu-l-fath,
who was of the most intimate with my revered father, and informed him
of my state. He, with excessive sincerity and unfeigned burning of
heart, said to me without hesitation, "Lord of the world, by the way
in which you drink spirits, God forbid it, but in six months matters
will come to such a pass that there will be no remedy for it." As his
words were said out of pure good-will, and sweet life was dear to me,
they made an impression on me, and from that day I began to lessen
my allowance and set myself to take filuniya. [477] In proportion as
I diminished my liquor, I increased the amount of filuniya.
I also ordered that the arrack should be diluted with wine of the grape
so that there should be two parts wine and one part arrack. Every
day I diminished the quantity I took, and in the course of seven
years I brought it down to six cups. The weight of each cupful was 18
1/4 misqals. It is now fifteen years that I have drunk at this rate,
neither more nor less. And my drinking time is the night except on the
day of Thursdays, as it is the day of the blessed accession. Also on
the eve [478] of Friday, which is the most blessed eve of the week,
and is the prelude to a blessed day (I do not drink). I drink at
the end of each day with these two [479] exceptions, for it does not
appear right that this eve (Thursday night) should be spent in neglect,
and that there should be an omission (on Friday) of returning thanks
to the True Benefactor. On the day of Thursday and on the day of
Sunday I do not eat meat. Not on Thursday, because it is the day
of my auspicious accession, and not on Sunday, because it is the
birthday of my revered father, and he greatly honoured and held dear
the day. After some time I substituted opium for filuniya. Now that
my age has arrived at 46 solar years and 4 months, I eat eight surkhs
(a red berry used as a weight) of opium when five gharis of day have
passed, and six surkhs after one watch of night.
I gave a jewelled dagger to `Abdu-llah Khan by the hand of Maqsud
`Ali. Shaikh Musa, a relation of Qasim Khan, was dignified with the
title of Khan, and promoted to the mansab of 800 personal and 400
horse, and was allowed to go to Bengal. The mansab of Zafar Khan was
increased to 500 personal and horse, and he was appointed to duty in
Bangash. On the same day Muhammad Husain, brother of Khwaja Jahan,
was given the faujdarship of the Sarkar of Hissar and dismissed, his
mansab being increased by 200 horse to raise it to 500 personal and
400 horse, with the gift of an elephant. On the 5th Bahman an elephant
was conferred on Mir Miran. When the merchant `Abdu-l-Karim left Iran
for Hindustan, my exalted brother Shah `Abbas sent me by his hand
a rosary of cornelian from Yemen and a cup of Venetian workmanship,
which was very fine and rare. On the 9th of the same month they were
laid before me. On the 18th some offerings of many kinds of jewelled
ornaments, etc., which Sultan Parwiz had sent to me, were laid before
me. On the 7th Isfandarmuz, Sadiq, nephew of I`timadu-d-daulah, who was
permanently employed as Bakhshi, was honoured with the title of Khan. I
had also conferred this title on Khwaja `Abdu-l-`Aziz. According to
what was right, I called him by the title of `Abdu-l-`Aziz Khan and
Sadiq by that of Sadiq Khan. On the 10th, Jagat Singh, son of Kunwar
Karan, who had obtained leave to go to his native country, when he
took leave was presented with 20,000 rupees, a horse, an elephant, a
dress of honour, and a special shawl. Five thousand rupees, a horse,
and a dress of honour were also given to Haridas Jhala, who was one
of the confidants of the Rana and tutor to Karan's son. By his hand
I also sent a mace of gold (shashpari) for the Rana.
On the 20th of the same month, Raja Suraj Singh, son of Raja Baso,
who on account of the nearness of his dwelling-place to it had been
sent with Murtaza Khan to capture the fort of Kangra, came on my
summons and waited on me. The aforesaid Khan had entertained certain
suspicions with regard to him, and on this account, considering him
an undesirable companion, had repeatedly sent petitions to the Court,
and wrote things about him until an order was received to summon him.
On the 26th, Nizamu-d-din Khan came from Multan and waited on me. In
the end of this year news of victory and prosperity came in from all
sides of my dominions. In the first place, this was with regard to
the disturbance of Ahdad, the Afghan, who for a long time past had
been in rebellion in the hill country of Kabul, and round whom many
of the Afghans of that neighbourhood had assembled, and against whom
from the time of my revered father until now, which is the 10th year
after my accession, armies have always been employed. He by degrees was
defeated, and, falling into a wretched state, a part of his band was
dispersed and a part killed. He took refuge for some time in Charkh,
which was a place on which he relied, but Khan Dauran surrounded
it and closed the road for entry and exit. When there remained no
grass for his beasts or means of living for men in the fortress,
he at night brought down his animals from the hills and grazed them
on the skirts, and accompanied them himself, in order that he might
set an example to his men. At last this intelligence reached Khan
Dauran. He then appointed a body of his leaders and experienced
men to go into ambush on an appointed night in the neighbourhood of
Charkh. That band went and hid itself at night in places of refuge,
and Khan Dauran rode on the same day in that direction. When those
ill-fated ones brought out their cattle and let them loose to graze,
and the ill-conditioned Ahdad himself passed by the places of ambush
with his own band, suddenly a dust rose in front of him. When they
enquired it became known that it was Khan Dauran. In a state of
bewilderment he endeavoured to turn back, and the scouts announced
to the aforesaid Khan that it was Ahdad. The Khan gave his horse the
reins and went at Ahdad; the men who were in ambush also blocked the
road and attacked him. The fight lasted till midday in consequence of
the broken nature of the ground and the thickness of the jungle; at
last defeat fell on the Afghans and they betook themselves to the hill:
about 300 fighting men went to hell and 100 were taken prisoners. Ahdad
could not regain the stronghold and hold on there. Necessarily he
turned his face towards Qandahar. The victorious troops entering
Charkh, burnt all the places and houses of those ill-fortuned ones,
and destroyed and rooted them up from their foundations.
Another [480] piece of news was the defeat of the ill-starred `Ambar
and the destruction of his unfortunate army. Briefly, a band of the
influential leaders and a body of Bargis (Mahrattas), who are a hardy
lot and who are the centre of resistance in that country, becoming
angry with `Ambar, showed an intention to be loyal, and begging for
quarter from Shah-nawaz Khan, who was in Balapur with an army of royal
troops, agreed to interview the said Khan, and being satisfied, Adam
Khan, Yaqut Khan, and other leaders, and the Bargis Jado [481] Ray
and Bapu Katiya, came and interviewed him. Shah-nawaz Khan gave each
of them a horse, an elephant, money, and dress of honour, according
to their quality and condition, made them hot in duty and loyalty,
and marching from Balapur started against the rebel `Ambar in their
company. On the road they fell in with an army of the Dakhanis, whose
leaders were Mahalldar, [482] Danish (Atash?), Dilawar, Bijli, Firuz,
and others, and routed it.
"With broken arms and loosened loins,
No strength in their feet, no sense in their heads." [483]
They reached the camp of that ill-starred one, and he from excessive
pride determined to fight with the victorious troops. Having collected
those rebels who were with him and `Adil Khan's army and that of
Qutbu-l-mulk together, and preparing their artillery, he started
to meet the royal troops until a space of not more than 5 or 6 kos
remained between. On Sunday, the 25th Bahman, the armies of light and
darkness approached each other and the scouts became visible. Three
watches of day had passed when cannon and rocket firing began. In
the end Darab Khan, who was in command of the vanguard, with other
leaders and zealous men such as Raja Bir Singh Deo, Ray Chand,
`Ali Khan the Tatar, Jahangir Quli Beg Turkman, and other lions of
the forest of bravery, drew their swords and charged the vanguard
of the enemy. Performing the dues of manliness and bravery, they
scattered this army like the Banatu-n-na`sh ('Daughters of the Bier,'
i.e. the Great Bear); and not stopping there they attacked the enemy's
centre. Turning on the army opposed to them, such a hand-to-hand
struggle took place that the onlookers remained bewildered. For nearly
two gharis this combat went on. Heaps of the dead lay there, and the
ill-starred `Ambar, unable to offer further opposition, turned his
face to flight. If darkness [484] and gloom had not come on at the
cry of those black-fortuned ones, not one of them would have found
the road to the valley of safety. The crocodiles of the river of
conflict followed the fugitives for 2 or 3 kos. When horses and men
could move no more and the defeated were scattered, they drew rein
and returned to their places. The whole of the enemy's artillery,
with 300 laden camels that carried rockets, war elephants, Arab and
Persian horses, weapons and armour beyond reckoning, fell into the
hands of the servants of the State, and there was no counting the
slain and the fallen. A great many of the leaders fell alive into their
hands. The next day the victorious troops, marching from the place of
victory, proceeded to Karki, which was the nest of those owlish ones,
and seeing no trace of them they encamped there, and obtained news
that they during that night and day had fallen miserably in different
places. For some days the victorious army, delayed at Karki, levelled
with the dark earth the buildings and houses of the enemy, and burnt
that populous place. In consequence of the occurrence of certain
events, to describe which in detail would take too long here, they
returned from that place and descended by the Rohan Khanda Pass. In
reward for this service I ordered increases to be made in the mansabs
of a number who had shown zeal and bravery.
The third piece of news was the conquest of the province of Khokhara
[485] and the acquisition of the diamond mines, which were taken by
the excellent exertions of Ibrahim Khan. This province is one of the
dependencies of the Subah of Behar and Patna. There is a river there
from which they procure diamonds. At the season when there is little
water, there are pools and water-holes, and it has become known by
experience to those who are employed in this work that above every
water-hole in which there are diamonds, there are crowds of flying
animals of the nature of gnats, and which in the language of India
they call jhinga(?). [486] Keeping the bed of the stream in sight as
far as it is accessible, they make a collection of stones (sangchin)
round the water-holes. After this they empty the water-holes with
spades and shovels to the extent of a yard or 1 1/2 yards and dig
up the area. They find among the stones and sand large and small
diamonds [487] and bring them out. It occasionally happens that they
find a piece of diamond worth 100,000 rupees. Briefly, this province
and this river were in possession of a Hindu Zamindar of the name
of Durjan Sal, and although the governors of the Subah frequently
sent armies against him and went there themselves, in consequence
of the difficult roads and thickness of the jungles they contented
themselves with taking two or three diamonds and left him in his former
condition. When the aforesaid Subah was transferred from Zafar Khan,
and Ibrahim Khan was appointed in his place, at the time of his taking
leave I ordered him to go and take the province out of the possession
of that unknown and insignificant individual. As soon as he arrived
in the province of Behar he assembled a force and went against that
Zamindar. According to former custom he sent some of his men with a
promise to give some diamonds and some elephants, but the Khan did
not agree to this and entered impetuously into the province. Before
the fellow could collect his men he found guides and invaded it. Just
when the zamindar received this news, the hills and vales that are his
abode were beleaguered. Ibrahim sent men about to find him and they got
hold of him in a cave with several women, one of whom was his mother,
while others were also his father's wives. They arrested him, and also
one of his brothers. They searched and took from them the diamonds
they had with them. Twenty-three male and female elephants also fell
into Ibrahim's hands. In reward for this service the mansab of Ibrahim
Khan original and increase, was made up to 4,000 personal and horse,
and he was exalted with the title of Fath-jang. Orders were also given
for an increase in the mansabs of those who accompanied him on this
service and had shown bravery. That province is now in possession of
the imperial servants of the State. They carry on work in the bed of
the stream, and bring to Court whatever diamonds are found. A large
diamond, the value of which has been estimated at 50,000 rupees,
has lately been brought from there. If a little pains are taken,
it is probable that good diamonds will be found and be placed in
the jewel-room.