THE ELEVENTH NEW YEAR'S FEAST AFTER THE AUSPICIOUS ACCESSION.

Fifteen gharis of day had passed on Sunday, the last day of

Isfandarmuz, corresponding with the 1st Rabi`u-l-awwal (19th

March, 1616), when from the mansion of Pisces the sun cast the

ray of prosperity on the palace of Aries. At this auspicious

hour, having performed the dues of service and supplication at

the throne of Almighty God, I ascended the throne of State in the

public audience hall, the area of which was laid out with tents and

canopies (shamiyanaha), and its sides adorned with European screens,

painted gold brocades, and rare cloths. The princes, Amirs, the

chief courtiers, the ministers of State, and all the servants of the

Court performed their congratulatory salutations. As Hafiz Nad `Ali,

guyanda (singer), was one of the ancient servants, I ordered that

whatever offerings were made on the Monday by anyone in the shape of

cash or goods should be given to him by way of reward. On the 2nd

day (of Farwardin) the offerings of some of the employés were laid

before me. On the 4th day the offering of Khwaja Jahan, who had sent

them from Agra, and which consisted of several diamonds and pearls,

of jewelled things, cloth stuffs of all kinds, and an elephant,

worth altogether 50,000 rupees, was brought before me. On the 5th

day, Kunwar Karan, who had been given leave to go to his home,

returned and waited on me. He presented as offering 100 muhrs,

1,000 rupees, an elephant with fittings, and four horses. To the

mansab of Asaf Khan, which was 4,000 personal and 2,000 horse,

I on the 7th made an addition of 1,000 personal and 2,000 horse,

and honoured him with drums and a standard. On this day the offering

of Mir Jamalu-d-din Husain was laid before me; what he offered was

approved and accepted. Among the things was a jewelled dagger which

had been made under his superintendence. [488] On its hilt was a

yellow ruby [489] (yaqut-i-zard), exceeding clear and bright, in

size equal to half a hen's egg. I had never before seen so large and

beautiful a yellow ruby. Along with it were other rubies of approved

colour and old emeralds. Brokers (muqiman) valued it (the dagger)

at 50,000 rupees. I increased the mansab of the said Mir by 1,000

horse, which brought it to 5,000 personal and 3,500 horse. On the

8th I increased the mansab of Sadiq Haziq by 300 personal and horse,

and that of Iradat Khan by 300 personal and 200 horse, so as to

raise each to 1,000 personal and 500 horse. On the 9th the offering

of Khwaja Abu-l-hasan was laid before me; of jewelled ornaments and

cloth stuffs, what was of the value of 40,000 rupees was accepted,

and the remainder I made a present to him. The offering of Tatar Khan

Bakawul-begi, consisting of one ruby (la`l), one yaqut, a jewelled

takhti (signet?), two rings, and some cloths, was accepted. On the

10th three elephants which Raja Maha Singh sent from the Deccan,

and 100 and odd pieces of gold brocade, etc., which Murtaza Khan sent

from Lahore, were laid before me. On this date Dayanat Khan presented

his offering of two pearl rosaries, two rubies, six large pearls, and

one gold tray, to the value of 28,000 rupees. At the end of Thursday,

the 11th, I went to the house of I`timadu-d-daulah in order to add to

his dignity. He then presented me with his offering, and I examined it

in detail. Much of it was exceedingly rare. Of jewels there were two

pearls worth 30,000 rupees, one qutbi ruby which had been purchased for

22,000 rupees, with other pearls and rubies. Altogether the value was

110,000 rupees. These had the honour of acceptance, and of cloth, etc.,

the value of 15,000 rupees was taken. When I had finished inspecting

the offering I passed nearly one watch of the night in conviviality

and enjoyment. I ordered that cups (of wine) should be given to the

Amirs and servants. The ladies of the mahall (harem) were also with

me, and a pleasant assembly was held. After the festive assembly

was over I begged I`timadu-d-daulah to excuse me, and went to the

hall of audience. On the same day I ordered Nur-mahall Begam to be

called Nur-Jahan Begam. On the 12th the offering of I`tibar Khan was

laid before me. They had made a vessel (zarf) in the form of a fish,

jewelled with beautiful gems, exceedingly well shaped and calculated

to hold my allowance. [490] This, with other jewels and jewelled

things and cloth stuffs, the value of which was worth 56,000 rupees,

I accepted and gave back the rest. Bahadur Khan, governor of Qandahar,

had sent seven Iraq horses and nine tuquz (81?) of cloth stuffs. The

offerings of Iradat Khan and Raja Suraj Mal, son of Raja Baso,

were laid before me on the 13th. `Abdu-s-Subhan, who held a mansab

of 1,200 personal and 600 horse, was promoted to 1,500 personal and

700 horse. On the 15th the Subahdarship of the province of Thatha

was transferred from Shamshir Khan Uzbeg to Muzaffar Khan. On the

16th the offering of I`tiqad Khan, son of I`timadu-d-daulah, was

laid before me. Of this the equivalent of 32,000 rupees was taken,

and I gave back the rest to him. On the 17th the offering of Tarbiyat

Khan was inspected. Of jewels and cloth what was valued at 17,000

rupees was approved. On the 18th I went to the house of Asaf Khan,

and his offering was presented to me there. From the palace to his

house was a distance of about a kos. For half the distance he had

laid down under foot velvet woven with gold and gold brocade and plain

velvet, such that its value was represented to me as 10,000 rupees. I

passed that day until midnight at his house with the ladies. The

offerings he had prepared were laid before me in detail. Jewels,

jewelled ornaments, and things of gold and beautiful cloth stuffs,

things of the value of 114,000 rupees, four horses, and one camel

were approved of. On the 19th (Farwardin), which was the day of honour

(ruz-i-sharaf) of the sun, a grand assembly was held in the palace. In

order to observe the auspicious hour, when 2 1/2 gharis of day were

left of the aforesaid day, I seated myself on the throne. My son Baba

Khurram at this blessed hour laid before me a ruby of the purest water

and brilliancy, which they pronounced to be of the value of 80,000

rupees. I fixed his mansab, which was 15,000 personal and 8,000 horse,

at 20,000 personal and 10,000 horse. On the same day my lunar weighing

took place. I increased the mansab of I`timadu-d-daulah, which was

6,000 personal and 3,000 horse, to 7,000 personal and 5,000 horse,

and bestowed on him a tuman tugh (horse-tail standard), and ordered

his drums to be beaten after those of my son Khurram. I increased the

mansab of Tarbiyat Khan by 500 personal and horse, so as to bring

it to 3,500 personal and 1,500 horse. The mansab of I`tiqad Khan

was increased by 1,000 personal and 400 horse. Nizamu-d-din Khan was

promoted to 700 personal and 300 horse, and appointed to the Subah of

Behar. Salamu-llah, the Arab, was honoured with the title of Shaja`at

Khan, and, being dignified with a necklace of pearls, became one of the

royal [491] servants. I promoted Mir Jamalu-d-din Inju to the title

of `Azudu-d-daulah (Arm of the State). On the 21st Almighty God gave

Khusrau a son by the daughter of Muqim, son of Mihtar Fazil Rikab-dar

(stirrup-holder). To Allah-dad, the Afghan, who, accepting my service,

had separated himself from the evil-minded Ahdad and come to Court,

I gave 20,000 darabs (10,000 rupees). On the 25th came the news

of the death of Ray Manohar, who had been attached to the army of

the Deccan. Giving his son a mansab of 500 personal and 300 horse,

I bestowed upon him his father's place and property. On the 26th the

offering of Nad `Ali Maidani, consisting of nine horses, several bits

(? dahana kish [492]), and four Persian camels (wilayati), was brought

before me. On the 28th I presented Bahadur Khan, governor of Qandahar,

Mir Miran, son of Khalilu-llah, and Sayyid Bayazid, governor of Bhakar,

each with an elephant. On the 1st Urdibihisht, at the request of

`Abdu-llah Khan, I presented drums to his brother Sardar Khan. On the

3rd I gave Allah-dad Khan, the Afghan, a jewelled khapwa (dagger). On

the same day news came that Qadam, [493] one of the Afridi Afghans

who had been loyal and obedient, and to whom the rah-dari (transit

dues) of the Khaibar Pass belonged, from some slight suspicion had

withdrawn his feet from the circle of obedience and raised his head

in sedition. He had sent a force against each of the posts (thana),

and wherever he and his men went, through the carelessness of those men

(in the posts), had plundered and killed many of the people. Briefly,

in consequence of the shameful action of this senseless Afghan,

a new disturbance broke out in the hill country of Kabul. When this

news arrived I ordered Harun, brother of Qadam, and Jalal, his son,

who were at Court, to be apprehended and handed over to Asaf Khan to

be imprisoned in the fort of Gwalior. By the manifestation of the

Divine mercy and kindness and the signs of God's favour, an affair

took place at this time which is not devoid of strangeness. After the

victory over the Rana my son presented me in Ajmir with an exceedingly

beautiful and clear ruby, valued at 60,000 rupees. It occurred to me

that I ought to bind this ruby on my own arm. I much wanted two rare

pearls of good water of one form to be a fit match for this kind

of ruby. Muqarrab Khan had procured one grand pearl of the value

of 20,000 rupees, and given it to me as a New Year's offering. It

occurred to me that if I could procure a pair to it they would make a

perfect bracelet. Khurram, who from his childhood had had the honour

of waiting on my revered father, and remained in attendance on him day

and night, represented to me that he had seen a pearl in an old turban

(sar-band) of a weight and shape equal to this pearl. They produced

an old sar-pich (worn on the turban), containing a royal pearl of

the same quality, weight, and shape, not differing in weight even

by a trifle, so much so that the jewellers were astonished at the

matter. It agreed in value, shape, lustre, and brilliance; one might

say they had been shed from the same mould. Placing the two pearls

alongside of the ruby, I bound them on my arm, and placing my head

on the ground of supplication and humility, I returned thanks to the

Lord that cherished His slave, and made my tongue utter His praise--

"Who succeeds with hand and tongue?

He who performs the dues of thanks."

On the 5th (Urdibihisht) 30 Iraq and Turki horses that Murtaza Khan had

sent from Lahore were brought before me, as also 63 horses, 15 camels,

male and female, a bundle of crane's (kulang) plumes, 9 `aqiri(?),

[494] 9 veined [495] fish-teeth, 9 pieces of china from Tartary,

3 guns, etc., from Khan Dauran, which he had sent from Kabul, were

accepted. Muqarrab Khan presented an offering of a small elephant

from Abyssinia which they had brought by sea in a ship. In comparison

with the elephants of Hindustan it presents some peculiarities. Its

ears are larger than the ears of the elephants of this place, and

its trunk and tail are longer. In the time of my revered father

I`timad Khan of Cujarat sent a young elephant [496] as an offering;

by degrees it grew up and was very fiery and bad-tempered. On the 7th

a jewelled dagger was given to Muzaffar Khan, governor of Thatha. On

the same day news came that a band of Afghans [497] had attacked

`Abdu-s-Subhan, brother of Khan `Alam, who was stationed at one of the

posts, and had laid siege to his post. `Abdu-s-Subhan, with certain

other mansabdars and servants who had been appointed to go with him

had behaved valiantly. But at last, in accordance with the saying--

"When gnats get wings they smite the elephant,"

those dogs overcame them, and elevated `Abdu-s-Subhan with several of

the men of the post to the dignity of martyrdom. [498] As a condolence

for this affair a gracious farman and a special dress of honour were

sent to Khan `Alam, who had been appointed ambassador to Iran (and was

still in that country). On the 14th the offering of Mukarram Khan,

son of Mu`azzam Khan, came from Bengal. It consisted of jewels and

articles procurable in that province, and was brought before me. I

increased the mansab of some of the jagirdars of Gujarat. Of these,

Sardar Khan, whose mansab was that of 1,000 personal and 500 horse, was

raised to 1,500 personal and 300 [499] horse, and had a standard given

to him as well. Sayyid Qasim, son of Sayyid Dilawar Barha, was raised

to an original and increased mansab of 800 personal and 450 horse, and

Yar Beg, nephew of Ahmad Qasim Koka, to one of 600 personal with 250

horse. On the 17th there came the news of the death of Razzaq of Merv,

the Uzbeg who belonged to the army of the Deccan. He was well skilled

in war, and one of the distinguished Amirs of Mawara'a-n-nahr. On the

21st, Allah-dad, the Afghan, was honoured with the title of Khan, and

his mansab, which was 1,000 personal and 600 horse, was raised to 2,000

personal and 1,000 horse. Three hundred thousand rupees out of the

treasury of Lahore were ordered as a reward and for expenses to Khan

Dauran, who had greatly exerted himself in the Afghan disturbance. On

the 28th, Kunwar Karan obtained leave to go home for his marriage. I

conferred on him a dress of honour, a special Iraq horse with a saddle,

an elephant, and a jewelled waist-dagger. On the 3rd of this month

(Khurdad) the news of the death of Murtaza Khan came. He was one of

the ancients of this State. My revered father had brought him up and

raised him to a position of consequence and trust. In my reign also

he obtained the grace of noteworthy service, namely the overthrow

of Khusrau. His mansab had been raised to 6,000 personal and 5,000

horse. As he was at this time Subahdar of the Panjab, he had undertaken

the capture of Kangra, to which in strength no other fort in the hill

country of that province or even in the whole inhabited world can

be compared. He had obtained leave to go on this duty. I was much

grieved in mind at this news; in truth, grief at the death of such

a loyal follower is only reasonable. As he had died after spending

his days in loyalty, I prayed to God for pardon for him. On the 4th

Khurdad the mansab of Sayyid Nizam was fixed, original and increase,

at 900 personal and 650 horse. I gave Nuru-d-din Quli the post of

entertainer to the ambassadors from all parts. On the 7th news came

of the death of Saif Khan Barha; he was a brave and ambitious young

man. He had exerted himself in an exemplary way in the battle with

Khusrau. He bade farewell to this perishable world in the Deccan

through cholera (haiza). I conferred favours on his sons. `Ali

Muhammad, who was the eldest and most upright of his children,

was given the mansab of 300 [500] personal and 400 horse, and his

(`Ali Muhammad's) brother, by name Bahadur, that of 400 personal and

200 horse. Sayyid `Ali, who was his nephew, received an increase in

rank of 500 personal and horse. On the same day Khub-Allah, son of

Shah-baz Khan Kambu, received the title of Ran-baz Khan. On the 8th

[501] the mansab of Hashim Khan, original and increase, was fixed

at 2,500 personal and 1,800 horse. On this date I bestowed 20,000

darabs (10,000 rupees) on Allah-dad Khan, the Afghan. Bikramajit,

Raja of the province of Bandhu, whose ancestors were considerable

zamindars in Hindustan, through the patronage of my fortunate son

Baba Khurram, obtained the blessing of paying his respects to me,

and his offences were pardoned. On the 9th, [502] Kalyan of Jesalmir,

to summon whom Raja Kishan Das had gone, came and waited on me. He

presented 100 muhrs and 1,000 rupees. His elder brother Rawal Bhim

was a person of distinction. When he died he left a son 2 months old,

and he too did not live long. In the time when I was prince I had taken

his daughter in marriage, and called her by the title of Malika-Jahan

[503] (queen of the world). As the ancestors of this tribe had come

of ancient loyal people, this alliance took place. Having summoned

the aforesaid Kalyan, who was the brother of Rawal Bhim, I exalted

[504] him with the tika of Raja and the title of Rawal. News came

that after the death of Murtaza Khan loyalty was shown by Raja Man,

and that, after giving encouragement to the men of the fort of Kangra

an arrangement had been made that he should bring to Court the son

of the Raja of that country, who was 29 years old. In consequence of

his great zeal in this service, I fixed his mansab, which was 1,000

personal and 800 horse, at 1,500 personal and 1,000 horse. Khwaja

Jahan was promoted from his original and increased mansab to that of

4,000 personal and 2,500 horse. On this date [505] an event occurred

such that, although I was greatly desirous of writing it down, my

hand and heart have failed me. Whenever I took my pen my state became

bewildered, and I helplessly ordered I`timadu-d-daulah to write it.

"An ancient sincere slave, I`timadu-d-daulah, by order writes in this

auspicious volume [506] that on the 11th [507] Khurdad the traces of

fever were seen in the pure daughter [508] of Shah Khurram of lofty

fortune, for whom His Majesty showed much affection as the early

fruit of the garden of auspiciousness. After three days pustules

(abila) appeared, and on the 26th of the same month, corresponding with

Wednesday, the 29th Jumada-l-awwal (15th June, 1616), in the year 1025,

the bird of her soul flew from her elemental cage and passed into the

gardens of Paradise. From this date an order was given that Char-shamba

(Wednesday) should be called Kam-shamba (or Gum-shamba). What shall

I write as to what happened to the pure personality of the shadow of

God in consequence of this heartburning event and grief-increasing

calamity? Inasmuch as it happened after this manner to that soul of

the world, what must be the condition of those other [509] servants

whose life was bound up with that pure personality? For two days

the servants were not received in audience, and an order was given

that a wall should be built in front of the house which had been

the abode of that bird of paradise, so that it might not be seen. In

addition to this he did not adorn the gate of the hall of audience

(did not come there). On the third day he went in an agitated state

to the house of the illustrious prince, and the servants had the good

fortune to pay their salutations and found fresh life. On the road,

however much the Hazrat (the Emperor) desired to control himself,

the tears flowed from the auspicious eyes, and for a long time it

was so that at the mere hearing of a word from which came a whiff

of pain, the state of the Hazrat became bewildered. He remained for

some days in the house of the prince of the inhabitants of the world,

and on Monday [510] of Tir, Divine month, he went to the house of

Asaf Khan, and turned back thence to the Chashma-i-Nur, and for

two or three days employed himself there. But as long as he was in

Ajmir he could not control himself. Whenever the word 'friendship'

reached his ear, the tears would drop from his eyes unrestrained,

and the hearts of his faithful followers were torn in pieces. When

the departure of the cortège of fortune to the Subah of the Deccan

took place, he gained a little composure."

On this date Prithi Chand, son of Ray Manohar, obtained the title of

Ray and the mansab of 500 personal and 400 horse, and a jagir in his

native place. On Saturday, the 11th, I went from the Chashma-i-Nur to

the palace at Ajmir. On the eve of Sunday, the 12th, after 37 seconds

had passed, at the time of the ascension of Sagittarius to the 27th

degree, by the calculations of the Hindu astronomers, and the 15th

degree of Capricorn, by the calculations of the Greeks, there came from

the womb of the daughter of Asaf Khan (wife of Khurram) a precious

pearl into the world of being. With joy and gladness at this great

boon the drums beat loudly, and the door of pleasure and enjoyment

was opened in the face of the people. Without delay or reflection

the name of Shah Shaja`at came to my tongue. I hope that his coming

will be auspicious and blessed to me and to his father. On the 12th

a jewelled dagger [511] and an elephant were bestowed on Rawal Kalyan

of Jesalmir. On the same day arrived the news of the death of Khawass

Khan, whose jagir was in the Sarkar of Qanauj. I gave an elephant

to Ray Kunwar, Diwan of Gujarat. On the 22nd of the same month (Tir)

I added 500 personal and horse to the mansab of Raja Maha Singh, so

as to make it one of 4,000 personal and 3,000 horse. The mansab of

`Ali Khan Tatari, who before this had been exalted with the title of

Nusrat Khan, was fixed at 2,000 personal and 500 horse, and a standard

was also conferred on him. With a view to the accomplishment of certain

purposes, I had made a vow that they should place a gold railing with

lattice-work at [512] the enlightened tomb of the revered Khwaja. On

the 27th of this month it was completed, and I ordered them to take

and affix it. It had been made at a cost of 110,000 rupees. As the

command and leading of the victorious army of the Deccan had not been

carried out to my satisfaction by my son Sultan Parwiz, it occurred

to me to recall him, and send Baba Khurram as the advanced guard of

the victorious army, inasmuch as the signs of rectitude and knowledge

of affairs were evident in him, and that I myself would follow him,

so that this important matter would be carried through in one and the

same campaign. With this object a farman had already been sent in the

name of Parwiz ordering him to start for the Subah of Allahabad, which

is in the centre of my dominions. Whilst I was engaged in the campaign,

he would be entrusted with the guarding and administration of that

region. On the 29th of the same month a letter came from Bihari Das,

the news-writer of Burhanpur, that the prince on the 20th had left

the city safely and well and gone towards the aforesaid Subah. On the

1st Amurdad I bestowed a jewelled turban on Mirza Raja Bhao Singh. An

elephant was conferred on the shrine of Kushtigir. On the 18th, Lashkar

Khan had sent four ambling (rahwar) horses, and they were brought

before me. Mir Mughal was appointed to the faujdarship of the Sarkar

of Sambal in the place of Sayyid `Abdu-l-Waris, who had obtained the

governorship of the Subah of Qanauj in the place of Khawass Khan. His

mansab, in view of that duty, was fixed at 500 personal and horse. On

the 21st the offering of Rawal Kalyan of Jesalmir was laid before me;

it was 3,000 muhrs, 9 horses, 25 camels, and 1 elephant. The mansab

of Qizil-bash Khan was fixed original and increase, at 1,200 personal

and 1,000 horse. On the 23rd, Shaja`at Khan obtained leave to go to

his jagir that he might arrange the affairs of his servants and his

territory, and present himself at the time agreed upon. In this year,

[513] or rather in the 10th year after my accession, a great pestilence

appeared in some places in Hindustan. The commencement of this calamity

was in the parganahs of the Panjab, and by degrees the contagion spread

to the city of Lahore. Many of the people, Musulmans and Hindus,

died through this. After this it spread to Sirhind and the Du'ab,

until it reached Delhi and the surrounding parganahs and villages,

and desolated them. At this day it had greatly diminished. It became

known from men of great age and from old histories that this disease

had never shown itself in this country [514] (before). Physicians

and learned men were questioned as to its cause. Some said that it

came because there had been drought for two years in succession and

little rain fell: others said it was on account of the corruption

of the air which occurred through the drought and scarcity. Some

attributed it to other causes. Wisdom is of Allah, and we must submit

to Allah's decrees!

"What does a slave who bows not his neck to the order?"

On 5th Shahriwar 5,000 rupees towards her expenses were sent to the

mother of Mir Miran, the daughter of Shah Isma`il II, by merchants

who were proceeding to the province of Iraq. On the 6th a letter came

from `Abid Khan, [515] bakhshi and news-writer of Ahmadabad, to the

purport that `Abdu-llah Khan Bahadur Firuz-jang had quarrelled with him

because he had recorded among (current) events certain affairs that

had been unpleasing to him, and had sent a body of men against him,

and had insulted him by carrying him away to his house, and had done

this and that to him. This matter appeared serious to me, and I was

desirous at once to cast him out of favour and ruin him. At last it

occurred to me to send Dayanat Khan to Ahmadabad to enquire into this

matter on the spot from disinterested people to see if it had actually

occurred and if so, to bring `Abdu-llah Khan with him to the Court,

leaving the charge and administration of Ahmadabad to Sardar Khan,

his brother. Before Dayanat Khan started, the news reached Firuz-jang,

and he in a state of great perturbation confessed himself an offender

and started for the Court on foot. Dayanat Khan met him on the road,

and seeing him in a strange condition, as he had wounded his feet

with walking, he put him on horseback, and taking him with him came

to wait on me. Muqarrab Khan, who is one of the old servants of the

Court, from the time when I was a prince had continually wanted the

Subah of Gujarat. It thus occurred to me that, as this kind of action

on the part of `Abdu-llah Khan had come about, I might fulfil the

hope of an ancient servant and send him to Ahmadabad in the place

of the aforesaid Khan. A fortunate hour was chosen in these days,

and I appointed him to be ruler of the Subah. On the 10th the mansab

of Bahadur Khan, governor of Qandahar, which was 4,000 personal and

3,000 horse, was increased by 500 personal.

Shauqi, the mandolin player, is the wonder of the age. He also sings

Hindi and Persian songs in a manner that clears the rust from all

hearts. I delighted him with the title of Anand Khan: Anand in the

Hindi language means pleasure and ease.

Mangoes [516] used not to be in season in the country of Hindustan

after the month of Tir (June-July), (but) Muqarrab Khan had established

gardens in the parganah of Kairana, [517] which is the native place of

his ancestors, and looked after the mangoes there in such a manner as

to prolong the season for more than two months, and sent them every

day fresh into the special fruit store-house. As this was altogether

an unusual thing to be accomplished, it has been recorded here. On

the 8th a beautiful Iraq horse of the name of La`l Bi-baha (priceless

ruby) was sent for Parwiz by the hand of Sharif, one of his attendants.

I had ordered quick-handed stone-cutters to carve full-sized

figures of the Rana and his son Karan out of marble. On this day

they were completed and submitted to me. I ordered them to be

taken to Agra and placed in the garden [518] below the jharoka

(exhibition-window). On the 26th the meeting for my solar weighing

was held in the usual manner. The first weight came to 6,514 tulcha

of gold. I was weighed twelve times against different things; the

second weighing was against quicksilver, the third against silk,

the fourth against various perfumes, such as ambergris and musk,

down to sandalwood, `ud, ban, and so on, until twelve weighings were

completed. Of animals, according to the number of years that I had

passed, a sheep, a goat, [519] and a fowl (for each year) were given

to fakirs and dervishes. This rule has been observed from the time of

my revered father up to the present day in this enduring State. They

divide after the weighing all these things among the fakirs and those

in need to the value of about 100,000 rupees.

This day a ruby which Mahabat Khan had purchased at Burhanpur for

65,000 rupees from `Abdu-llah Khan Firuz-jang was laid before me, and

was approved of. It is a ruby of beautiful form. The special mansab

of Khan A`zam was fixed at 7,000 personal, and an order was passed

that the diwani establishment should pay an equivalent to that in a

tankhwah jagir. At the request of I`timadu-d-daulah, what had been

deducted from the mansab of Dayanat on account of former proceedings

was allowed to remain as before. `Azudu-d-daulah, who had obtained

the Subah of Malwa in jagir, took his leave, and was dignified with

the gift of a horse and a dress of honour. The mansab of Rawal

Kalyan of Jesalmir was fixed at 2,000 personal and 1,000 horse,

and it was ordered that that province (Jesalmir) should be given

him as tankhwah. As the (auspicious) hour of his departure was on

that same day, he took leave to depart for his province well pleased

and exalted with the gift of a horse, an elephant, a jewelled sword,

a jewelled khapwa (dagger), a robe of honour, and a special Kashmir

shawl. On the 31st Muqarrab Khan took leave to go to Ahmadabad, and

his mansab, which was 5,000 personal and 2,500 horse, was fixed at

5,000 personal and horse, and he was honoured with a dress of honour,

a nadiri (a kind of dress), a takma [520] of pearls, whilst two horses

from my private stable, a special elephant, and a jewelled sword

were also bestowed on him. He went off to the aforesaid Subah with

delight and in a state of happiness. On the 11th of Mihr, Jagat Singh,

son of Kunwar Karan, came from his native place and waited on me. On

the 16th, Mirza `Ali Beg Akbarshahi came from the province of Oudh,

which had been given him in jagir, and waited on me. He presented as

offerings 1,000 rupees, and he produced before me an elephant which

one of the zamindars of that province possessed, and which he had been

ordered to take from him. On the 21st the offering of Qutbu-l-mulk,

the ruler of Golcondah, consisting of some jewelled ornaments, was

inspected by me. The mansab of Sayyid Qasim Barha was fixed, original

and increase, at 1,000 personal and 600 horse. On the eve of Friday,

the 22nd, Mirza `Ali Beg, whose age had passed 75 years, gave up the

deposit of his life. Great [521] services had been performed by him

for this State. His mansab rose by degrees to 4,000. He was one of the

distinguished heroes of this family (jawanan-i in ulus) [522] and of a

noble disposition. He left neither son nor other descendants. He had

the poetic temperament. As his inevitable destiny had been fulfilled

[523] on the day on which he went to pay his devotions at the venerated

mausoleum of Khwaja Mu`inu-d-din, I ordered them to bury him in the

same blessed place.

At the time when I gave leave to the ambassadors of `Adil Khan

of Bijapur, I had requested that if in that province there were a

wrestler, or a celebrated swordsman, they should tell `Adil Khan

to send him to me. After some time, when the ambassadors returned,

they brought a Mughal, by name Shir `Ali, who was born at Bijapur,

and was a wrestler by profession and had great experience in the art,

together with certain sword-players. The performances of the latter

were indifferent, but I put Shir `Ali to wrestle with the wrestlers

and athletes who were in attendance on me, and they could none of

them compete with him. One thousand rupees, a dress of honour, and

an elephant were conferred on him; he was exceedingly well made,

well shaped, and powerful. I retained him in my own service, and

entitled him "the athlete of the capital." A jagir and mansab were

given him and great favours bestowed on him. On the 24th, Dayanat Khan,

who had been appointed to bring `Abdu-llah Khan Bahadur Firuz-jang,

brought him and waited on me, and presented as an offering 100

muhrs. On the same date Ram Das, the son of Raja Raj Singh, one of

the Rajput Amirs who had died on duty in the Deccan, was promoted

to a mansab of 1,000 personal and 500 horse. As `Abdu-llah Khan had

been guilty of faults, he made Baba Khurram his intercessor, and on

the 26th, in order to please him, I ordered the former to pay his

respects to me. He waited upon me with a face of complete shame,

and presented as offerings 100 muhrs and 1,000 rupees. Before the

coming of `Adil Khan's ambassadors I had made up my mind that, having

sent Baba Khurram with the vanguard, I should myself proceed to the

Deccan and carry out this important affair, which for some reasons

had been put off. For this reason I had given an order that except

the prince no one should represent to me the affairs of the rulers of

the Deccan. On this day the prince brought the ambassadors and laid

their representation before me. After the death of Murtaza Khan,

Raja Man and many of the auxiliary Sardars had come to Court. On

this day, at the request of I`timadu-d-daulah, I appointed Raja Man

as the leader in the attack on the fort of Kangra. I appointed all

the men to accompany him, and according to the condition and rank of

each made him happy with a present--a horse, an elephant, a robe of

honour, or money--and gave them leave. After some days I conferred on

`Abdu-llah Khan, at the request of Baba Khurram, a jewelled dagger,

as he was exceedingly broken-hearted and grieved in mind, and an order

was passed that his mansab should continue as it was before, and that

he should remain in attendance on my son among those appointed for duty

in the Deccan. On the 3rd Aban I ordered the mansab of Wazir Khan, who

was in attendance on Baba Parwiz, to be, original and increase, 2,000

personal and 1,000 horse. On the 4th, Khusrau, who was in the charge,

for safe keeping, of Anira'i Singh-dalan, for certain considerations

was handed over to Asaf Khan. I presented him with a special shawl. On

the 7th (Aban), corresponding with the 17th Shawwal (28th October,

1616), a person of the name of Muhammad Riza Beg, whom the ruler

of Persia had sent as his representative, paid his respects. After

performing the dues of prostration and salutation (kurnish, sijda,

taslim), he laid before me the letter he had brought. It was decided

that he should produce before me the horses and other presents he

had brought with him. The written and verbal messages sent were full

of friendship, brotherhood, and sincerity. I gave the ambassador on

that same day a jewelled tiara (taj) and a dress of honour. As in the

letter much friendliness and affection were displayed, an exact copy

is recorded in the Jahangir-nama. [524]

On Sunday, the 18th Shawwal, corresponding to the 8th Aban, [525] the

camp equipage of my son Baba Khurram left Ajmir for the purpose of the

conquest of the provinces of the Deccan, and it was decided that my

son aforesaid should start by way of advanced guard, followed by the

glorious standards (of Jahangir). On Monday, the 19th, corresponding

with the 9th Aban, when three gharis of day had passed, the auspicious

palace moved in the same direction in the like manner. On the 10th

the mansab of Raja Suraj Mal, who had been appointed to accompany

the prince, was made up, original and increase, to 2,000 personal

and horse. On the night of the 19th Aban, after my usual custom,

I was in the ghusul-khana. Some of the Amirs and attendants, and by

chance Muhammad Riza Beg, the ambassador of the ruler of Persia, were

present. When six gharis had passed, an owl came and sat on top of

a high terrace roof belonging to the palace, and was hardly visible,

so that many men failed to distinguish it. I sent for a gun and took

aim and fired in the direction that they pointed out to me. The gun,

like the decree of heaven, fell on that ill-omened bird and blew it to

pieces. A shout arose from those who were present, and involuntarily

they opened their lips in applause and praise. On the same night I

talked with the ambassador of my brother Shah `Abbas, and at last the

conversation turned on the slaying of Safi Mirza, his (the Shah's)

eldest son. I asked him because this was a difficulty in my mind. He

represented that if his slaughter had not been carried out at that time

he would certainly have attempted the Shah's life. As this intention

became manifest from his behaviour, the Shah was beforehand with him

and ordered him to be killed. On the same day the mansab of Mirza

Hasan, son of Mirza Rustam, was fixed, original and increase, at 1,000

personal and 300 horse. The mansab of Mu`tamad Khan, [526] who had been

appointed to the post of paymaster of the army with Baba Khurram, was

settled at 1,000 personal and 250 horse. The time for the leave-taking

of Baba Khurram had been fixed as Friday, the 20th (Aban). At the end

of this day he paraded before me the pick of his men armed and ready

in the public hall of audience. Of the distinguished favours bestowed

on the aforesaid son one was the title of Shah, which was made a part

of his name. I ordered that thereafter he should be styled Shah Sultan

Khurram. I presented him with a robe of honour, a jewelled charqab,

the fringe and collar of which were decorated with pearls, an Iraq

horse with a jewelled saddle, a Turki horse, a special elephant called

Bansi-badan, [527] a carriage, according to the English fashion, [528]

for him to sit and travel about in, a jewelled sword with a special

pardala (sword-belt) that had been taken at the conquest of the fort of

Ahmadnagar and was very celebrated, and a jewelled dagger. He started

with great keenness. My trust in Almighty God is that in this service

he may gain renown (lit. become red-faced). On each of the Amirs

and mansabdars, according to his quality and degree, a horse and an

elephant were conferred. Loosening a private sword from my own waist,

I gave it to `Abdu-llah Khan Firuz-jang. As Dayanat Khan had been

appointed to accompany the prince, I gave the duty of `arz-mukarrir

(reviser of petitions) to Khwaja Qasim Qilij Khan. Previously [529]

to this a band of thieves had carried off a certain sum of money from

the royal treasury in the kotwali chabutara (Police Office). After

some days seven men of that band, with their leader, of the name of

Nawal, were caught, and a portion of that money was recovered. It

occurred to me that as they had been guilty of such boldness I ought

to punish them severely. Each was punished in exemplary fashion,

and I ordered Nawal, the leader of them all, to be thrown under the

feet of an elephant. He petitioned that if I would give the order he

would fight the elephant. I ordered it to be so. They produced a very

furious elephant. I bade them put a dagger into his hand and bring him

in front of the elephant. The elephant several times threw him down,

and each time that violent and fearless man, although he witnessed the

punishments of his comrades, got up again and bravely and with a stout

heart struck the elephant's trunk with the dagger, so that the animal

refrained from attacking him. When I had witnessed this pluck and

manliness, I ordered them to inquire into his history. After a short

time, according to his evil nature and low disposition, he ran away

in his longing for his own place and abode. This annoyed me greatly,

and I ordered the jagirdars of that neighbourhood to hunt him up and

apprehend him. By chance he was caught a second time, and this time

I ordered that ungrateful and unappreciative one to be hanged. The

saying of Shaikh Muslihu-d-din Sa`di accords with his case--

"In the end a wolf's cub becomes a wolf,

Although he be brought up with man."

On Tuesday, [530] the 1st Zi-l-qa`da (10th November, 1616),

corresponding with the 21st Aban, after two watches and five gharis

of the day had passed, in good condition and with a right purpose

I mounted the Frank carriage, which had four horses attached

to it, and left the city of Ajmir. I ordered many of the Amirs

to accompany me in carriages, and at about sunset alighted at a

halting-place about 1 3/4 kos distant, in the village of Deo Ray

(Dorai?). [531] It is the custom of the people of India that if

the movement of kings or great men for the conquest of a country

is towards the east they should ride a tusked elephant, and if the

movement is towards the west on a horse of one colour; if towards

the north in a palanquin or a litter (singhasan), and if towards

the south, that is, in the direction of the Deccan (as on this

occasion), on a rath, which is a kind of cart (araba) or bahal

(two-wheeled car). I had stayed at Ajmir for five days less than

three years. [532] They consider the city of Ajmir, which is the

place of the blessed tomb of the revered Khwaja Mu`inu-d-din, to

be in the second clime. Its air is nearly equable. The capital

of Agra is to the east of it; on the north are the townships

(district) of Delhi, and on the south the Subah of Gujarat. On

the west lie Multan and Dealpur. The soil of this province

is all sandy; water is found with difficulty in the land, and

the reliance for cultivation is on moist [533] soil and on the

rainfall. The cold season is very equable, and the hot season

is milder than in Agra. From this subah in time of war 86,000

[534] horse and 304,000 Rajput foot are provided. There are

two large lakes in this city; they call one of these the Bisal

[535] and the other the Anasagar. The Bisal tank is in ruins

and its embankment is broken. At this time I ordered it to be

repaired. The Anasagar at the time that the royal standards were

there was always full of water and waves. This tal is 1 1/2

kos and 5 tanab (lit. tent-ropes) (in circumference?). Whilst

at Ajmir I visited nine times the mausoleum of the revered

Khwaja, and fifteen times went to look at the Pushkar lake;

to the Chashma-i-Nur I went thirty-eight times. I went out to

hunt tigers, etc., fifty times. I killed 15 tigers, 1 cheetah,

1 black-ear (lynx), 53 nilgaw, 33 gazelle (gawazn), 90 antelope,

80 boars, and 340 water-fowl. I encamped seven times at Deo Ray

(Deo Rani) (Dorai?). At this halt 5 nilgaw and 12 water-fowl were

killed. Marching on the 29th from Deo Ray, my camp was pitched at

the village of Dasawali, 2 kos and 1 1/2 quarters distant from Deo

Ray. On this day I gave an elephant to Mu`tamad Khan. I stayed

the next day at this village. On this day a nilgaw was killed,

and I sent two of my falcons to my son Khurram. I marched from

this village on the 3rd Azar, and pitched at the village of

Badhal (Mawal?), 2 1/4 kos distant. On the road six water-fowl,

etc., were killed. On the 4th, having gone 1 1/2 kos, Ramsar,

[536] which belongs to Nur-Jahan Begam, became the place for the

alighting of honour and glory. A halt was made at this place for

eight days. In the place of Khidmat-gar Khan I here appointed

Hidayatu-llah mir-tuzak (master of ceremonies). On the 5th day

7 antelope, 1 kulang (crane), and 15 fish were killed. The next

day Jagat Singh, son of Kunwar Karan, received a horse and a

robe of honour and took leave for his native place. A horse was

also given to Kesho Das Lala and an elephant to Allah-dad Khan

Afghan. On the same day I killed a gazelle, 3 antelope, 7 fish,

and 2 water-fowl. On that day was heard the news of the death

of Raja Syam Singh, who belonged to the army of Bangash. On

the 7th day 3 antelope, 5 water-fowl, and a qashqaldagh [537]

(coot) were killed. On Thursday and the eve of Friday, as Ramsar

belongs to the jagir of Nur-Jahan, a feast and entertainment were

prepared. Jewels, jewelled ornaments, fine cloths, sewn tapestry,

and every kind of jewellery were presented as offerings. At night

on all sides and in the middle of the lake, which is very broad,

lamps were displayed. An excellent entertainment was arranged. In

the end of the said Thursday, having also sent for the Amirs, I

ordered cups for most [538] of the servants. On my journeys by land

some boats are always taken along with the victorious camp; the

boatmen convey them on carts. On the day after this entertainment

I went to fish in these boats, and in a short time 208 large fish

came into one net. Half of these were of the species of raku. At

night I divided them among the servants in my own presence. On the

13th Azar I marched from Ramsar, and hunting for 4 kos along the

road, the camp was pitched at the village of Baloda. [539] Here

I stayed for two days. On the 16th, moving 3 1/4 kos, I alighted

at the village of Nihal. [540] On the 18th the march was one of

2 1/4 kos. On this day I gave an elephant to Muhammad Riza Beg,

ambassador of the ruler of Persia. The village of Jonsa became

the halting-place of the tents of greatness and prosperity. On

the 20th I marched to the halting-place of Deogaon; I hunted along

the road for a distance of 3 kos. I stayed at this place for two

days, and at the end of the day went out to hunt. At this stage a

strange affair was witnessed. Before the royal standards arrived

at this halting-place, an eunuch went to the bank of a large tank

there is in the village, and caught two young saras, which are a

kind of crane; at night, when we stopped at this halting-place,

two large saras appeared making loud cries near the ghusul-khana

(parlour), which they had placed on the edge of the tank, as if

somebody were exercising oppression on them. They fearlessly began

their cries and came forward. It occurred to me that certainly

some kind of wrong had been done to them, and probably their

young had been taken. After enquiry was made the eunuch who had

taken the young saras brought them before me. When the saras

heard the cries of these young ones, they without control threw

themselves upon them, and suspecting that they had had no food,

each of the two saras placed food in the mouths of the young ones,

and made much lamentation. Taking the two young ones between them,

and stretching out their wings and fondling them, they went off

to their nest. Marching on the 23rd 3 3/4 kos, I alighted at the

village of Bahasu (Bhalu?). Here there was a halt of two days,

and each day I rode to hunt. On the 26th the royal standards moved

and the halt was outside of the village of Kakal. A halt was made

after traversing 2 kos. On the 27th the mansab of Badi`u-z-zaman,

son of Mirza Shahrukh, original and increased, was fixed at

1,500 personal and 750 horse. Marching on the 29th 2 3/4 kos,

a halt was made at the village of Lasa, near parganah Boda. [541]

This day corresponded with the festival of Qurban (19th December,

1616). I ordered them to observe the ordinances of that day. From

the date on which I left Ajmir up to the end of the aforesaid

month, viz. the 30th Azar, 67 nilgaw, antelope, etc., and 37

water-fowl etc., had been killed. A march was made from Lasa on

the 2nd Day, and I marched and hunted for 3 kos 10 jarib, and

halted in the neighbourhood of the village of Kanra. On the 4th

a march of 3 1/4 kos was made to the village of Surath. Marching

4 1/2 kos on the 6th, a halt was made near the village of Barora

(Bardara?). On the 7th, when there was a halt, 50 water-fowl

and 14 qashqaldagh (coot) were killed. The next day was a halt

as well. On this day 27 water-fowl became a prey. On the 9th

a march of 4 1/8 kos was made. Hunting and overthrowing prey,

I alighted at the halting-place of Khush Tal. At this stage a

report came from Mu`tamad Khan that when the territory of the Rana

became the halting-place of Shah Khurram, though there had been

no agreement to this effect (i.e. to the Rana's meeting him),

the fame and dignity of the victorious army had introduced a

commotion into the pillars of his patience and firmness, and he

had come and paid his respects to him when he halted at Dudpur,

[542] which was on the border of his jagir, and observing all the

dues and ceremonies of service he had neglected not the smallest

portion of them. Shah Khurram had paid him every attention,

and pleased him with the gift of a dress of honour, a charqab,

a jewelled sword, a jewelled khapwa, Persian and Turki horses,

and an elephant, and dismissed him with every honour. He had also

favoured his sons and relations with dresses of honour, and out

of his offering, which consisted of five elephants, twenty-seven

horses, and a tray full of jewels and jewelled ornaments, had

taken three horses and given back the remainder. It was settled

that his son Karan should attend on the stirrup of Baba Khurram

in this expedition with 1,500 horse. On the 10th the sons of

Raja Maha Singh came from their jagir and native place (Amber)

and waited on me in the neighbourhood of Rantambhor, making an

offering of three elephants and nine horses. Each one of them,

according to his condition, received an increase of mansab. As

the neighbourhood of the said fort became a halting-place for the

royal standards, I released some of the prisoners who were confined

in that fort. At this place I halted for two days and each day

went to hunt. Thirty-eight water-fowl and qashqaldagh (coot) were

taken. On the 12th I marched, and after going 4 kos halted at the

village of Koyala. On the road I killed fourteen water-fowl and

an antelope. On the 14th, having traversed 3 3/4 kos, I halted in

the neighbourhood of the village of Ektora, [543] killing on the

road a blue bull, twelve herons (karwanak), etc. On the same day

Agha Fazil, who had been appointed deputy for I`timadu-d-daulah at

Lahore, was dignified with the title of Fazil Khan. At this stage

they had erected the royal lodging (daulat-khana) on the bank of a

tank, which was exceedingly bright and pleasant. On account of the

pleasantness of the place I halted two days there, and at the end

of each went to hunt water-fowl. To this place the younger son of

Mahabat Khan, by name Bahra-war, came from the fort of Rantambhor,

which is his father's jagir, to pay his respects to me. He had

brought two elephants, both of which were included in my private

stud. I promoted Safi, son of Amanat Khan, to the title of Khan,

and, increasing his mansab, made him bakhshi and news-writer of

the Subah of Gujarat. Having travelled 4 1/2 kos on the 17th,

I halted at the village of Lasaya. [544] During the halt I killed

one water-fowl and twenty-three sand-grouse (durraj). As I had sent

for Lashkar Khan to Court on account of the disagreement that had

occurred between him and Khan Dauran, I at this place appointed

`Abid Khan, [545] bakhshi and news-writer, in his stead. On the

19th, having made a march of 2 1/4 kos, an encampment was made

in the neighbourhood of the village of Kuraka (Koran?), [546]

which is situated on the bank of the Chambal. On account of the

excellence of the place and the pleasantness of its air and water,

a halt took place here for three days. Every day I sat in a boat

and went to hunt water-fowl and to wander over the river. On the

22nd [547] there was a march, and having traversed 4 1/2 kos,

shooting on the road, the victorious camp was pitched at the

villages of Sultanpur and Chila Mala (Chilamila?). On this day

of halt I bestowed on Miran Sadr Jahan 5,000 rupees, and gave him

leave to proceed to the place assigned to him as his jagir. Another

1,000 rupees were given to Shaikh Pir. On the 25th I marched and

hunted for 3 1/2 kos and encamped at the village of Basur. [548]

According to fixed rules one halt and one march took place, and

on the 27th I marched and hunted 4 1/8 kos and encamped at the

village of Charduha (Varadha?). Two days halt took place here. In

this month of Day 416 animals were killed, namely, 97 sand-grouse

(durraj), 192 qashqaldagh, 1 saras, 7 herons, 118 water-fowl, and

1 hare. On the 1st Bahman, corresponding with the 12th Muharram,

1026 (20th January, 1617), seating myself in boats with the ladies,

I went forward one stage. When one ghari of day remained I arrived

at the village of Rupahera, the halting-place, the distance being 4

kos and 15 jarib. I shot five sand-grouse. On the same day I sent

by the hands of Kaikana winter dresses of honour to twenty-one

Amirs on duty in the Deccan, and ordered him to take 10,000 [549]

rupees from those Amirs as a thanksgiving for the dresses of

honour. This halting-place had much verdure and pleasantness. On

the 3rd a march took place. As on the previous day, I embarked in

a boat, and after traversing 2 1/8 kos the village of Kakha-das

(Kakhavas?) [550] became the encamping place of the victorious

camp. As I came hunting on the way, a sand-grouse fell flying into a

thicket. After much search it was marked, and I ordered one of the

beaters to surround the thicket and catch it, and went towards it

myself. Meanwhile another sand-grouse rose, and this I made a falcon

seize. Soon afterwards the beater came and laid the sand-grouse before

me. I ordered them to satisfy the falcon with this sand-grouse, and to

keep the one we had caught, as it was a young bird. (But) before the

order reached him the head huntsman fed the falcon with the sand-grouse

(the second one, viz. that which the falcon had caught). After a while

the beater represented to me that if he did not kill the sand-grouse

it would die (and then could not be eaten as not properly killed). I

ordered him to kill it if that was the case. As he laid his sword on

its throat, it with a slight movement freed itself from the sword and

flew away. After I had left the boat and mounted my horse, suddenly

a sparrow (kunjishk) by the force of the wind struck the head of an

arrow that one of the beaters who was in my retinue had in his hand,

and immediately fell down and died. I was amazed and bewildered at

the tricks of destiny; on one side it preserved the sand-grouse,

whose time had not arrived, in a short time from three such dangers,

and on the other hand made captive in the hand of destruction on the

arrow of fate the sparrow whose hour of death had come--

"The world-sword may move from its place,

But it will cut no vein till God wills."

Dresses of honour for the winter had also been sent by the hand of

Qara, the yasawul (usher), to the Amirs at Kabul. I halted at this

place on account of the pleasantness of the spot and the excellence

of the air. On this day there came the news of the death of Nad `Ali

Khan Maidani at Kabul. I honoured his sons with mansabs, and at the

request of Ibrahim Khan Firuz-jang [551] increased the mansab of Rawat

Shankar by 500 personal and 1,000 horse. On the 6th there was a march,

and going for 4 1/8 kos by the pass known as Ghate Chanda, the royal

camp was pitched at the village of Amhar (Amjar?). This valley is very

green and pleasant and good trees are seen in it. Up to this stage,

which is the limit of the country of the Subah of Ajmir, 84 kos had

been traversed. It was also a pleasant stage. Nur-Jahan Begam here

shot with a gun a qarisha(?), the like of which for size and beauty of

colour had never been seen. I ordered them to weigh it, and it came to

19 tolas and 5 mashas. The aforesaid village is the commencement of the

Subah of Malwa, which is in the second clime. The length [552] of this

Subah from the extremity of the province of Garha to the province of

Banswala (Banswara?) is 245 kos, and its breadth from the parganah of

Chanderi to the parganah of Nandarbar is 230 kos. On the east is the

province of Bandho, and on the north the fort of Narwar, on the south

the province of Baglana, and on the west the Subahs of Gujarat and

Ajmir. Malwa is a large province abounding in water and of a pleasant

climate. There are five rivers in it in addition to streams, canals,

and springs, namely, the Godavari, [553] Bhima, Kalisindh, Nira, and

Narbada. Its climate is nearly equable. The land of this province is

low, but part of it is high. In the district of Dhar, which is one of

the noted places of Malwa, the vine gives grapes twice in the year,

in the beginning of Pisces and the beginning of Leo, but the grapes

of Pisces are the sweeter. Its husbandmen and artificers are not

without arms. The revenue of the province is 24,700,000 dams. When

needful there are obtained from it about 9,300 [554] horse and four

lakhs, 70,300 foot-soldiers, with 100 elephants. On the 8th, moving

on 3 1/2 kos, an encampment was made near Khairabad. On the road

14 sand-grouse and 3 herons were killed, and having traversed and

shot over 3 kos the camp was pitched at the village of Sidhara. On

the 11th, while there was a halt, I mounted at the end of the day to

hunt, and killed a blue bull. On the 12th, after traversing 4 1/4 kos,

a halt was made at the village of Bachhayari. On that day Rana Amar

Singh had sent some baskets of figs. In truth it is a fine fruit, and

I had never seen such delicious figs in India. But one must eat only a

few of them; it does harm to eat many. On the 14th there was a march;

having traversed 4 1/8 kos, I encamped at the village of Balbali. Raja

Janba who is an influential zamindar in these regions, had sent two

elephants as an offering, and they were brought before me. At the

same stage they brought many melons grown in Kariz near Herat. Khan

`Alam had also sent 50 camels. In former years they had never brought

melons in such abundance. On one tray they brought many kinds of

fruit--Kariz melons, melons from Badakhshan and Kabul, grapes from

Samarkand [555] and Badakhshan, apples from Samarkand, Kashmir, Kabul,

and from Jalalabad, which is a dependency of Kabul, and pineapples,

a fruit that comes from the European ports, plants of which have been

set in Agra. Every year some thousands are gathered in the gardens

there which appertain to the private domains (khalisa-i-sharifa) [556];

kaula, [557] which are similar in form to an orange, but smaller and

better in flavour. They grow very well in the Subah of Bengal. In what

language can one give thanks for such favours? My revered father had

a great liking for fruit, especially for melons, pomegranates, and

grapes. During his time the Kariz melons, which are the finest kind,

and pomegranates from Yezd, which are celebrated throughout the world

and Samarkand grapes had not been brought to Hindustan. Whenever I

see these fruits they cause me great regret. Would that such fruit

had come in those days, so that he might have enjoyed them!

On the 15th, which was a halting day, news came of the death of Mir

`Ali, son of Faridun Khan Barlas, who was one of the trusted amir-zadas

(descended from amirs) of this family (the Timurides). On the 16th

a march took place. Having traversed 4 1/8 kos, the camp of heavenly

dignity was pitched near the village of Giri. On the road the scouts

brought news that there was a lion in this neighbourhood. I went

to hunt him and finished him with one shot. As the braveness of

the lion (shir babar) has been established, I wished to look at his

intestines. After they were extracted, it appeared that in a manner

contrary to other animals, whose gall-bladder is outside their livers,

the gall-bladder of the lion is within his liver(?). It occurred to me

that the courage of the lion may be from this cause. On the 18th, after

traversing 2 3/4 kos, the village of Amriya was our halting-place. On

the 19th, which was a halt, I went out to hunt. After going 2 kos,

a village came to view exceedingly sweet and pleasant. Nearly 100

mango-trees were seen in one garden; I had seldom seen mango-trees

so large and green and pleasant. In the same garden I saw a bar-tree

(a banyan), exceedingly large. I ordered them to measure its length,

breadth, and height in yards (gaz). Its height from the surface to the

highest branch (sar-shakh) was 74 cubits (zira`). The circumference

of its trunk was 44 1/2 cubits and its breadth [558] 175 1/2 measured

by the gaz. This has been recorded as it is very unusual. On the 20th

was a march, and on the road a blue bull was shot with a gun. On the

21st, which was a halt, I went out to hunt at the end of the day. After

returning, I came to the house of I`timadu-d-daulah for the festival

of Khwaja Khizr, whom they call Khizri; I remained there till a watch

of the night had passed, and then feeling inclined for food I went

back to the royal quarters. On this day I honoured I`timadu-d-daulah

as an intimate friend by directing the ladies of the harem not to

veil their faces from him. By this favour I bestowed everlasting

honour on him. On the 22nd an order was given to march, and after

3 1/8 kos were traversed the camp was pitched at the village of

Bulghari (Nawalkheri?). On the road two blue bulls were killed. On

the 23rd day of Tir, which was a halt, I killed a blue bull with a

gun. On the 24th, traversing 5 kos, the village of Qasim-khera was

the halting-place. On the road a white animal [559] was killed, which

resembled the kutah paya (hog-deer); it had four horns, two of which

were opposite the extremities of its eyes, and two finger-breadths in

height, and the two other horns four finger-breadths towards the nape

of the neck. These were four finger-breadths in height. The people of

India call this animal dudhadharit (dudhariya?). The male has four

horns and the female none. It was said that this kind of antelope

has no gall-bladder, but when they looked at its intestines the

gall-bladder was apparent, and it became clear that this report has

no foundation. On the 25th, which was a halt, at the end of the day I

rode out to hunt and killed a female nilgaw with my gun. Balju, nephew

of Qilij Khan, who held the mansab of 1,000 personal and 850 horse,

and had a jagir in Oudh, I promoted to 2,000 personal and 1,200 horse,

dignified him with the title of Qilij Khan, and appointed him to the

Subah of Bengal. On the 26th a march took place, and after traversing

4 3/4 kos a halt was made at the village of Dih Qaziyan, which is in

the neighbourhood of Ujjain. A number of mango-trees in this place

had blossomed. They had pitched the tents on the bank of a lake, and

had prepared an enchanting place. Pahar, son of Ghaznin [560] Khan,

was capitally punished at this stage. Cherishing this unlucky one

after the death of his father, I had given him the fort and province

of Jalaur, which was the place of his ancestors. As he was of tender

years, his mother used to forbid him certain evil practices. That

eternally black-faced one with some of his companions one night came

into the house and killed his own full mother with his own hand. This

news reached me and I ordered them to bring him. After his crime was

proved against him, I ordered them to put him to death (kih ba biyasa

rasanidand). At this halting-place a tamarind [561]-tree came to view,

the form and habit of which were somewhat strange. The original tree

had one trunk; when it had grown to 6 gaz, it turned into two branches,

one of which was 10 and the other 9 1/2 gaz. The distance between

the two branches was 4 1/2 gaz. From the ground to the place where

the branches and leaves came to an end(?), there were on the side of

the large branch 16 gaz, and on the other branch 15 1/2 gaz. From

the place whence the branches and green leaves began(?) to the top

(trunk?) of the tree was 2 1/2 gaz, and the circumference was 2 3/4

gaz. I ordered them to make a chabutara (platform) round it of the

height of 3 gaz. As the trunk was very straight and well-shaped, I told

my artists to depict it in the illustrations to the Jahangir-nama. A

march was made on the 27th. After traversing 2 1/8 kos, a halt was

made at the village of Hinduwal [562]; on the road a blue bull was

killed. On the 28th, after traversing 2 kos, the village of Kaliyadaha

became the halting-place. Kaliyadaha is a building which was made

by Nasiru-d-din, son of Ghiyasu-d-din, son of Sultan Mahmud Khalji,

who was ruler of Malwa. In the time of his rule he had made it in the

neighbourhood of Ujjain, which is one of the most celebrated cities

in the Subah of Malwa. They say that the heat overcame him so much

that he passed his time in the water. He made this building in the

middle of the river, and divided its waters into canals, and brought

the water on all sides, as well as inside and outside, of the house,

and made large and small reservoirs suited to the place. It is a

very pleasant and enjoyable place, and one of the noted habitations

of Hindustan. Before it was decided to halt at this place I sent

architects and ordered them to clean up the place again. On account of

its pleasantness I remained in this place for three days. At the same

place Shaja`at Khan came from his jagir and waited on me. Ujjain is

one of the old cities, and is one of the seven established places of

worship of the Hindus. Raja Bikramajit, who introduced the observation

of the heavens and stars into Hindustan, lived in this city and

province. From the time of his observations until now, which is the

1026th Hijra year (1617 A.D.) and the 11th year from my accession,

1,675 [563] years have passed. The deductions of the astronomers of

India are all based on his observations. This city is on the bank of

the River Sipra. The belief [564] of the Hindus is that once in some

year at an uncertain time the water of this river turns into milk. In

the reign of my revered father, at the time when he had sent Abu-l-fazl

to set in order the affairs of my brother Shah Murad, he sent a report

from that city that a large body of Hindus and Musulmans had borne

testimony that some days previously at night this river had become

milk, so that people who took water from it that night found in the

morning their pots full of milk. [565] As this obtained currency it

has been recorded, but my intelligence will in no way agree to it. The

real truth of this affair is known to Allah. On the 2nd Isfandarmuz

I embarked in a boat from Kaliyadaha, and went to the next stage. I

had frequently heard that an austere Sanyasi [566] of the name of

Jadrup many years ago retired from the city of Ujjain to a corner of

the desert and employed himself in the worship of the true God. I had

a great desire for his acquaintance, and when I was at the capital

of Agra I was desirous of sending for and seeing him. In the end,

thinking of the trouble it would give him, I did not send for him. When

I arrived in the neighbourhood of the city I alighted from the boat

and went 1/8 kos on foot to see him. The place he had chosen to live

in was a hole on the side of a hill which had been dug out and a door

made. At the entrance there is an opening in the shape of a mihrab,

[567] which is in length (? height) 1 gaz and in breadth 10 gira,

(knots, each 1/16 of a gaz), and the distance from this door to a hole

which is his real abode is 2 gaz and 5 knots in length and in breadth

11 1/4 knots. The height from the ground to the roof is 1 gaz and 3

knots. The hole whence is the entrance to the abode is in length 5 1/2

knots and its breadth 3 1/2 knots. A person of weak body (thin?) can

only enter it with a hundred difficulties. The length and breadth

of the hole are such. It has no mat and no straw. In this narrow and

dark hole he passes his time in solitude. In the cold days of winter,

though he is quite naked, with the exception of a piece of rag that

he has in front and behind, he never lights a fire. The Mulla of Rum

(Jalalu-d-din) has put into rhyme the language of a dervish--

"By day our clothes are the sun,

By night our mattress and blanket the moon's rays."

He bathes twice a day in a piece of water near his abode, and once

a day goes into the city of Ujjain, and nowhere but to the houses

of three brahmins whom he has selected out of seven, who have wives

and children and whom he believes to have religious feelings and

contentment. He takes by way of alms five mouthfuls of food out

of what they have prepared for their own eating, which he swallows

without chewing, in order that he may not enjoy their flavour; always

provided that no misfortune has happened to their three houses, that

there has been no birth, and there be no menstruous woman in the

house. This is his method of living, just as it is now written. He

does not desire to associate with men, but as he has obtained great

notoriety people go to see him. He is not devoid of knowledge, for

he has thoroughly mastered the science of the Vedanta, which is the

science of Sufism. I conversed with him for six gharis; he spoke well,

so much so as to make a great impression on me. My society also suited

him. At the time when my revered father conquered the fort of Asir,

in the province of Khandesh, and was returning to Agra, he saw him

in the very same place, and always remembered him well.

The learned of India have established four modes of life for the caste

of brahmins, which is the most honoured of the castes of Hindus,

and have divided their lives into four periods. These four periods

they call the four asram. [568] The boy who is born in a brahmin's

house they do not call brahmin till he is 7 years old, and take no

trouble on the subject. After he has arrived at the age of 8 years,

they have a meeting and collect the brahmins together. They make

a cord of munj grass, which they call munji, in length 2 1/4 gaz,

and having caused prayers and incantations to be repeated over it,

and having had it made into three strands, which they call sih tan, by

one in whom they have confidence, they fasten it on his waist. Having

woven a zunnar (girdle or thread) out of the loose threads, they hang

it over his right [569] shoulder. Having given into his hand a stick of

the length of a little over 1 gaz to defend himself with from hurtful

things and a copper vessel for drinking-water, they hand him over to

a learned brahmin that he may remain in his house for twelve years,

and employ himself in reading the Vedas, which they believe in as

God's book. From this day forward they call him a brahmin. During this

time it is necessary that he should altogether abstain from bodily

pleasures. When midday is passed he goes as a beggar to the houses

of other brahmins, and bringing what is given him to his preceptor,

eats it with his permission. For clothing, with the exception of a

loin cloth (lungi) of cotton to cover his private parts, and 2 or

3 more gaz of cotton which he throws over his back, he has nothing

else. This state is called brahmacharya, that is, being busied with

the Divine books. After this period has passed, with the leave of

his preceptor and his father, he marries, and is allowed to enjoy

all the pleasures of his five senses until the time when he has a

son who shall have attained the age of 16 years. If he does not have

a son, he passes his days till he is 48 in the social life. During

this time they call him a grihast, that is, householder. After that

time, separating himself from relatives, connections, strangers,

and friends, and giving up all things of enjoyment and pleasure,

he retires to a place of solitude from the place of attachment to

sociality (ta`alluq-i-abad-i-kasrat), and passes his days in the

jungle. They call this condition banprasta, [570] that is, abode in

the jungle. As it is a maxim of the Hindus that no good deed can be

thoroughly performed by men in the social state without the partnership

of the presence of a wife, whom they have styled the half of a man,

and as a portion of the ceremonies and worshippings is yet before

him (has to be accomplished), he takes his wife with him into the

jungle. If she should be pregnant, he puts off his going until she

bear a child and it arrive at the age of 5 years. Then he entrusts

the child to his eldest son or other relation, and carries out his

intention. In the same way, if his wife be menstruous, he puts off

going until she is purified. After this he has no connection with

her, and does not defile himself with communication with her, and at

night he sleeps apart. [571] He passes twelve years in this place,

and lives on vegetables which may have sprung up of themselves

in the desert and jungle. He keeps his zunnar by him and worships

fire. He does not waste his time in looking after his nails or the

hair of his head, or in trimming his beard and moustaches. When he

completes this period in the manner related, he returns to his own

house, and having commended his wife to his children and brothers

and sons-in-law, goes to pay his respects to his spiritual guide,

and burns by throwing into the fire in his presence whatever he has

in the way of a zunnar, the hair of his head, etc., and says to him:

"Whatever attachment (ta`alluq) I may have had, even to abstinence

and worshipping and will, I have rooted up out of my heart." Then he

closes the road to his heart and to his desires and is always employed

in contemplation of God, and knows no one except the True Cause of

Being (God). If he speak of science it is the science of Vedanta,

the purport of which Baba Fighani has versified in this couplet--

"There's one lamp in this house, by whose rays

Wherever I look there is an assembly."

They call this state sarvabiyas, [572] that is, giving up all. They

call him who possesses it sarvabiyasi.

After interviewing Jadrup I mounted an elephant and passed through the

town of Ujjain, and as I went scattered to the right and left small

coins to the value of 3,500 rupees, and proceeding 1 3/4 kos alighted

at Da'ud-khera, the place where the royal camp was pitched. On the

3rd day, which was a halting day, I went, from desire for association

with him, after midday, to see Jadrup, and for six gharis enjoyed

myself in his company. On this day also he uttered good words,

and it was near evening when I entered my palace. On the 4th day

I journeyed 3 1/4 kos and halted at the village of Jarao [573] in

the Paraniya garden. This is also a very pleasant halting-place,

full of trees. On the 6th there was a march; after proceeding for

4 3/4 kos I halted on the bank of the lake of Debalpur Bheriya. On

account of the pleasantness of the place and the delights of the lake,

I halted at this stage for four days, and at the end of each day,

embarking in a boat, employed myself in shooting ducks (murghabi)

and other aquatic animals. At this halting-place they brought fakhri

grapes from Ahmadnagar. Although they are not as large as the Kabul

fakhri grapes, they do not yield to them in sweetness.

At the request of my son Baba Khurram the mansab of Badi`u-z-zaman,

son of Mirza Shahrukh, was fixed at 1,500 personal and 1,000 horse. On

the 11th I marched, and after proceeding for 3 1/4 kos halted in

the parganah Daulatabad. On the 12th, which was a halt, I rode out

to hunt. In the village of Shaikhupur, which belonged to the said

parganah, I saw a very large and bulky banyan-tree, measuring round

its trunk 18 1/2 gaz, and in height from the root to the top of the

branches 128 1/4 cubits. The branches spread a shade for 203 1/2

cubits. The length of a branch, on which they have represented the

tusks of an elephant, was 40 gaz. At the time when my revered father

passed by this, he had made an impression of his hand by way of a

mark at the height of 3 3/4 gaz from the ground. I ordered them also

to make the mark of my hand 8 gaz above another root. In order that

these two hand-marks might not be effaced in the course of time, they

were carved on a piece of marble and fastened on to the trunk of the

tree. I ordered them to place a chabutara and platform round the tree.

As at the time when I was prince I had promised Mir Ziya'u-din

Qazwini, who was one of the Saifi Sayyids, and whom during my reign

I have honoured with the title of Mustafa Khan, to give the parganah

of Maldah, which is a famous parganah in Bengal, to him and his

descendants [574] in al tamgha (perpetual royal grant), this great

gift was bestowed in his honour at this halting-place. On the 13th a

march took place. Going separately from this camp to look round the

country and hunt with some of the ladies and intimates and servants, I

proceeded to the village of Hasilpur, and whilst the camp was pitched

in the neighbourhood of Nalcha (Balchha?) I halted at the village

of Sangor. What shall be written of the beauty and sweetness of this

village? There were many mango-trees, and its lands were altogether

green and delightful. On account of its greenness and pleasantness

I halted here for three days. I gave this village to Kamal Khan,

the huntsman, in place of Kesho Das Maru. An order was passed that

they should hereafter call it Kamalpur. At this same halting-place

occurred the night of Shivrat (Shivratri). Many Jogis collected. The

ceremonies of this night were duly observed, and I met the learned

of this body in social intercourse. In these days I shot three blue

bulls. The news of the killing of Raja Man reached me at this place. I

had appointed him to head the army that had been sent against the fort

of Kangra. When he arrived at Lahore he heard that Sangram, one of the

zamindars of the hill-country of the Panjab, had attacked his place

and taken possession of part of his province. Considering it of the

first importance to drive him out, he went against him. As Sangram

had not the power to oppose him, he left the country of which he had

taken possession and took refuge in difficult hills and places. Raja

Man pursued him there, and in his great pride, not looking to the

means by which he himself could advance and retreat, came up to him

with a small force. When Sangram saw that he had no way to flee by,

in accordance with this couplet--

"In time of need when no (way of) flight is left,

The hand seizes the edge of the sharp sword." [575]

A fight took place, and according to what was decreed, a bullet

struck Raja Man and he delivered his soul to the Creator thereof. His

men were defeated and a great number of them killed. The remainder,

wounded, abandoned their horses and arms, and with a hundred alarms

escaped half-dead.

On the 17th I marched from Sangor, and after proceeding 3 kos came

again to the village of Hasilpur. On the road a blue bull was

killed. This village is one of the noted places in the Subah of

Malwa. It has many vines and mango-trees without number. It has

streams flowing on all sides of it. At the time I arrived there

were grapes contrary to the season in which they are in the Wilayat

(Persia or Afghanistan). They were so cheap and plentiful that the

lowest and meanest could get as much as they desired. The poppy had

flowered and showed varied colours. In brief, there are few villages

so pleasant. For three days more I halted in this village. Three

blue bulls were killed with my gun. From Hasilpur on the 21st in two

marches I rejoined the big camp. On the road a blue bull was killed. On

Sunday, the 22nd, marching from the neighbourhood of Nalcha (Balchha?),

I pitched at a lake that is at the foot of the fort of Mandu. On that

day the huntsmen brought news that they had marked down a tiger within

3 kos. Although it was Sunday, and on these two days, viz. Sunday and

Thursday, I do not shoot, it occurred to me that as it is a noxious

animal it ought to be done away with. I proceeded towards him, and when

I arrived at the place it was sitting under the shade of a tree. Seeing

its mouth, which was half open, from the back of the elephant, I fired

my gun. By chance it entered its mouth and found a place in its throat

and brain, and its affair was finished with that one shot. After this

the people who were with me, although they looked for the place where

the tiger was wounded, could not find it, for on none of its limbs was

there any sign of a gunshot wound. At last I ordered them to look in

its mouth. From this it was evident that the bullet had entered its

mouth and that it had been killed thereby. Mirza Rustam had killed

a male wolf and brought it. I wished to see whether its gall-bladder

was in its liver like that of the tiger, or like other animals outside

its liver. After examination it was clear that the gall-bladder was

also inside the liver. On Monday, the 23rd, when one watch had passed

in a fortunate ascension and a benign hour, I mounted an elephant

and approached the fort of Mandu. When a watch and three gharis of

day had passed, I entered the houses which they had prepared for

the royal accommodation. I scattered 1,500 rupees on the way. From

Ajmir to Mandu, 159 kos, in the space of four months and two days,

in forty-six marches and seventy-eight halts, had been traversed. In

these forty-six marches our halts were made on the banks of tanks or

streams or large rivers in pleasant places which were full of trees

and poppy-fields in flower, and no day passed that I did not hunt

while halting or travelling. Riding on horseback or on an elephant I

came along the whole way looking about and hunting, and none of the

difficulties of travelling were experienced; one might say that there

was a change from one garden to another. In these huntings there were

always present with me Asaf Khan, Mirza Rustam, Mir Miran, Anira'i,

Hidayatu-llah, Raja Sarang Deo, Sayyid Kasu, and Khawass Khan. As

before the arrival of the royal standards in these regions I had sent

`Abdu-l-Karim, the architect, to look to the repair of the buildings of

the old rulers in Mandu, he during the time the camp halted at Ajmir

had repaired some of the old buildings that were capable of repair,

and had altogether rebuilt some places. In short, he had made ready

a house the like of which for pleasantness and sweetness has probably

not been made anywhere else. Nearly 300,000 rupees, or 2,000 Persian

tumans, were expended on this. There should be such grand buildings

in all great cities as might be fit for royal accommodation. This

fort is on the top of a hill 10 kos in circumference; in the rainy

season there is no place with the fine air and pleasantness of this

fort. At nights, in the season of the qalbu-l-asad (Cor leonis of

Regulus, the star a of Leo), it is so cold that one cannot do without

a coverlet, and by day there is no need for a fan (bad-zan). They say

[576] that before the time of Raja Bikramajit there was a Raja of the

name of Jai Singh Deo. In his time a man had gone into the fields to

bring grass. While he was cutting it, the sickle he had in his hand

appeared to be of the colour of gold. When he saw that his sickle had

been transmuted, he took it to a blacksmith of the name of Madan [577]

to be repaired. The blacksmith knew the sickle had been turned into

gold. It had before this been heard that there was in this country

the alchemist's stone (sang-i-paras), by contact with which iron and

copper became gold. He immediately took the grass-cutter with him to

that place and procured the stone. After this he brought to the Raja

of the time this priceless jewel. The Raja by means of this stone made

gold, and spent part of it on the buildings of this fort and completed

them in the space of twelve years. At the desire of that blacksmith he

caused them to cut into the shape of an anvil most of the stones that

were to be built into the wall of the fort. At the end of his life,

when his heart had given up the world, he held an assembly on the bank

of the Narbada, which is an object of worship among the Hindus, and,

assembling brahmins, made presents to each of cash and jewels. When

the turn of a brahmin came who had long been associated with him,

he gave this stone into his hand. He from ignorance became angry and

threw the priceless jewel into the river. After he came to know the

true state of the affair he was a captive to perpetual sorrow. However

much he searched, no trace of it was found. These things are not

written in a book; they have been heard, but my intelligence in no

way accepts this story. It appears to me to be all delusion. Mandu

[578] is one of the famous Sarkars of the Subah of Malwa. Its revenue

is 1,390,000 dams. It was for a long time the capital of the kings

of this country. There are many buildings and traces of former kings

in it, and up till now it has not fallen into ruin.

On the 24th I rode to go round and see the buildings of the old kings,

and went first to the Jami` mosque, which is one built by Sultan

Hushang Ghuri. A very lofty building came to view, all of cut stone,

and although 180 years have passed since the time of its building,

it is as if the builder had just withdrawn his hand from it. After

this I went to the building containing the tombs of the Khalji

rulers. The grave of Nasiru-d-din, son of Sultan Ghiyasu-d-din,

whose face is blackened for ever, was also there. It is well known

that that wretch advanced himself by the murder of his own father,

Ghiyasu-d-din, who was in his 80th year. Twice he gave him poison,

and he twice expelled it by means of a zahr-muhra (poison antidote,

bezoar) he had on his arm. The third time he mixed poison in a cup

of sherbet and gave it to his father with his own hand, saying he

must drink it. As his father understood what efforts he was making

in this matter, he loosened the zahr-muhra from his arm and threw it

before him, and then turning his face in humility and supplication

towards the throne of the Creator, who requires no supplication,

said: "O Lord, my age has arrived at 80 years, and I have passed this

time in prosperity and happiness such as has been attained to by no

king. Now as this is my last time, I hope that Thou wilt not seize

Nasir for my murder, and that reckoning my death as a thing decreed

Thou wilt not avenge it." After he had spoken these words, he drank

off that poisoned cup of sherbet at a gulp and delivered his soul

to the Creator. The meaning of his preamble was that he had passed

the time of his reign in enjoyment such as has not been attained to

by any of the kings. When in his 48th year he came to the throne,

he said to his intimates and those near him, "In the service of my

revered father I have passed thirty years in warfare and have committed

no fault in my activity as a soldier; now that my turn to reign has

arrived, I have no intention to conquer countries, but desire to pass

the remainder of my life in ease and enjoyment." They say that he

had collected 15,000 women in his harem. He had a whole city of them,

and had made it up of all castes, kinds, and descriptions--artificers,

magistrates, qazis, kotwals, and whatever else is necessary for the

administration of a town. Wherever he heard of a virgin possessed of

beauty, he would not desist (lit. did not sit down from his feet)

until he possessed her. He taught the girls all kinds of arts and

crafts, and was much inclined to hunt. He had made a deer park and

collected all kinds of animals in it. He often used to hunt in it with

his women. In brief, in the period of thirty-two years of his reign,

as he had determined, he went against no enemy, and passed this time

in ease and enjoyment. In the same way no one invaded his country. It

is reported that when Shir Khan, the Afghan, in the time of his rule,

came to the tomb of Nasiru-d-din, he, in spite of his brutish nature,

on account of Nasiru-d-din's shameful conduct, ordered the head of the

tomb to be beaten with sticks. Also when I went to his tomb I gave it

several kicks, and ordered the servants in attendance on me to kick the

tomb. Not satisfied with this, I ordered the tomb to be broken open and

his impure remains to be thrown into the fire. Then it occurred to me

that since fire is Light, it was a pity for the Light of Allah to be

polluted with burning his filthy body; also, lest there should be any

diminution of torture for him in another state from being thus burnt,

I ordered them to throw his crumbled bones, together with his decayed

limbs, into the Narbada. During his lifetime he always passed his days

in the water in consequence of the heat that had acquired a mastery

over his temperament. It is well known that in a state of drunkenness

he once threw himself into one of the basins at Kaliyadaha, which was

very deep. Some of the attendants in the harem exerted themselves and

caught his hair in their hands and drew him out of the water. After he

had come to his senses they told him that this thing had happened. When

he had heard that they had pulled him out by the hair of his head,

he became exceedingly angry, and ordered the hands of the attendants

to be cut off. Another time, when an affair of this kind took place,

no one had the boldness to pull him out and he was drowned. By chance,

after 110 years had passed since his death, it came to pass that his

decayed limbs also became mingled with the water.

On the 28th, as a reward for the buildings of Mandu having been

completed through his excellent exertions, I promoted `Abdu-l-Karim

to the rank of 800 personal and 400 horse, and dignified him with

the title of Ma`mur Khan (the architect-Khan). On the same day

that the royal standards entered the fort of Mandu, my son of lofty

fortune, Sultan Khurram, with the victorious army, entered the city

of Burhanpur, which is the seat of the governor of the province

of Khandesh.

After some days, representations came from Afzal Khan and the Ray

Rayan, to whom at the time of leaving Ajmir my son had given leave

to accompany the ambassador to `Adil Khan, reporting that when the

news of our coming reached `Adil Khan he came out for 7 kos to meet

the order and the litter of the prince, and performed the duties of

salutation and respect which are customary at Court. He did not omit

a hair's point of such ceremonies. At the same interview he professed

the greatest loyalty, and promised that he would restore all those

provinces that `Ambar of dark fate had taken from the victorious State,

and agreed to send to the Court with all reverence a fitting offering

with his ambassadors. After saying this he brought the ambassadors

in all dignity to the place that had been prepared for them. On the

same day he sent some one to `Ambar with a message of the matters

it was necessary to acquaint him with. I heard this news from the

reports of Afzal Khan and the Ray Rayan.

From Ajmir up to Monday, the 23rd of the aforesaid [579] month,

during four months, 2 tigers, 27 blue bulls, 6 chital (spotted deer),

60 deer, 23 hares and foxes, and 1,200 water-fowl and other animals

had been killed. On these nights I told the story of my former hunting

expeditions and the liking I had for this occupation to those standing

at the foot of the throne of the Caliphate. It occurred to me that I

might make up the account of my game from the commencement of my years

of discretion up to the present time. I accordingly gave orders to the

news-writers, the hunt-accountants and huntsmen, and others employed

in this service to make enquiries and tell me of all the animals that

had been killed in hunting. It was shown that from the commencement

of my 12th year, which was in 988 (1580), up to the end of this year,

which is the 11th year after my accession and my 50th lunar year,

28,532 head of game had been taken in my presence. Of these, 17,167

animals I killed myself with my gun or otherwise, viz.: Quadrupeds,

3,203; viz., tigers, 86; bears, cheetahs, foxes, otters (udbilao),

and hyænas, 9; blue bulls, 889; mhaka, a species of antelope, in

size equal to a blue bull, 35 head; of antelope, male and female,

chikara, chital, mountain goats, etc., 1,670 [580]; rams (quj) and

red deer, 215; wolves, 64; wild buffaloes, 36; pigs, 90; rang, 26;

mountain sheep, 22; arghali, 32; wild asses, 6; hares, 23. Birds,

13,964; viz., pigeons, 10,348; lagarjhagar (a species of hawk), 3;

eagles, 2; qaliwaj (ghaliwaj, kite), 23; owls (chughd), 39; qautan

(goldfinch?), 12; kites (mush-khwur, mice-eaters), 5; sparrows, 41;

doves, 25; owls (bum), 30; ducks, geese, cranes, etc., 150; crows,

3,276. Aquatic animals, 10 magar machha, that is, crocodiles [581]

(nahang).