Part 15

On Monday, the 3rd Muharram of the 5th year, I halted at the Mandakar Garden, which is in the neighbourhood of the city. On the morning on which was the auspicious hour of entry into the city, after a watch and two gharis had passed I mounted and rode on a horse to the beginning of the inhabited part, and when I came to the immediate neighbourhood mounted on an elephant, so that the people from far and near might see, and scattering money on both sides of the road, at the hour that the astrologers had chosen, after midday had passed, entered with congratulation and happiness the royal palace. In accordance with the usual custom of the New Year I had ordered them to decorate the palace, which is like the courts of heaven. After seeing the decorations, Khwaja Jahan laid before me the offering that he had prepared. Having accepted out of the ornaments and jewels, dresses and goods, whatever I approved of, I gave the rest as a reward to him. I had ordered the clerks of the hunting department to write out (a list of) all the animals that had been killed from the time of my leaving until I re-entered the city. At this time they represented that in 56 days 1,362 animals, quadrupeds, and birds had been killed; the tigers were 7 in number; nilgaw, male and female, 70; black buck, 51; does and mountain goats and antelope (rojh), etc., 82; kulang (cranes); peacocks, surkhab, [301] and other birds, 129; fish, 1,023. On Friday, the 7th, Muqarrab Khan came from the ports of Cambay and Surat, and had the honour of waiting on me. He had brought jewels and jewelled things, and vessels of gold and silver made in Europe, and other beautiful and uncommon presents, male and female Abyssinian slaves, Arab horses, and things of all kinds that came into his mind. Thus his presents were laid before me for two and a half months, and most of them were pleasing to me. On this day Safdar Khan, who held the rank of 1,000 personal and 500 horse, had an increase of 500 personal and 200 horse, and was presented with a standard, and given leave to return to his former jagir. Standards were also given to Kishwar Khan and Faridun [302] Khan Barlas. A fighting elephant for Afzal Khan (Abu-l-fazl's son) was handed over to his son Bishutan, to take to his father. I bestowed 1,000 rupees on Khwaja Husain, a descendant of Khwaja Mu`inu-d-din Chishti, as was usual for the half-year. The Khankhanan had sent as an offering a "Yusuf and Zulaikha" in the handwriting of Mulla Mir `Ali, [303] with illustrations and in a beautiful gilt binding, worth 1,000 muhrs. This Ma`sum, his Wakil, brought and submitted. Up to the day of culmination, which is the conclusion of the New Year's feast, every day many offerings were laid before me by the Amirs and servants of the Court. Whichever of the rarities was approved of by me I accepted, and gave back what was left. On Thursday, the 13th, corresponding to the 19th Farwardin, which is the day of culmination of the sun and of gladness and pleasure, I ordered them to prepare an entertainment of different kinds of intoxicating drinks, and an order was given to the Amirs and servants of the Court that everyone might choose the kind of drink he affected. Many took wine and some mufarrih (exhilarating drinks), whilst some ate what they wished of the preparations of opium. The assembly was successfully held. Jahangir Quli Khan from Gujarat had sent as an offering a throne of silver, inlaid and painted, of a new fashion and shape, which was presented to me. A standard was also conferred on Maha Singh. In the commencement of my reign I had repeatedly given orders that no one should make eunuchs or buy or sell them, and whoever did so would be answerable as a criminal. At this time Afzal Khan sent some of these evildoers to Court from the Subah of Behar, who were continually perpetrating this vile offence. I ordered these unthinking ones (bi-`aqibatan) to be imprisoned for life.

On the night of the 12th an uncommon and strange event took place. Some Delhi singers (Qawwalan, see Jarrett, ii, 236) were singing songs in my presence, and Sayyidi [304] Shah was, by way of buffoonery, mimicking a religious dance. This verse of Amir Khusrau was the refrain (miyan-khana) of the song--

"Each nation has its right road of faith and its shrine (qibla-gahi). I've set up my shrine (qibla) on the path of him with the cocked cap."

I asked what was the real meaning of the (last) hemistich. Mulla `Ali Ahmad, [305] the seal engraver, who in his own craft was one of the first of the age, and had the title of Khalifa, and was an old servant, and with whose father I had learned when I was little, came forward and said, "I have heard from my father that one day Shaikh Nizamu-d-din Auliya had put his cap on the side of his head, and was sitting on a terraced roof by the bank of the Jumna and watching the devotions [306] of the Hindus. Just then Amir Khusrau appeared, and the Shaikh turned to him and said, 'Do you see this crowd,' and then he recited this line:--

'Each race has its right road of faith and its shrine' (qibla-gahi).

The Amir, without hesitating, respectfully did homage to the Shaikh, and addressing him said--

'I've set up my shrine in the direction of him with the cocked cap.'" [307]

The aforesaid Mulla, when these words were uttered, and the last words of the second hemistich passed over his tongue, became senseless and fell down. Conceiving a great fear from his falling down, I went to his head. Most of those who were present doubted whether he had not had an epileptic fit. The physicians who were present distractedly made inquiry and felt his pulse and brought medicine. However much they beat their hands and feet and exerted themselves, he did not come to. Immediately he fell he had delivered his soul to the Creator. As his body was quite warm, they thought that possibly some life might be left in him. After a short time it became evident that the thing was all over and he was dead. They carried him away dead to his own house. I had never seen this kind of death, and sent money to his sons for his shroud and burial, and the next morning they sent him to Delhi and buried him in the burial-place of his ancestors.

On Friday, the 21st, Kishwar Khan, who held the rank of 1,500, was promoted to 2,000 personal and horse, and, having been presented with an Iraq horse out of my private stable, a robe of honour and a private elephant, named Bakht-jit, [308] and the Faujdarship of the country of Uch, was dismissed with a view to the punishment of the rebels of that region. Bayazid Mankali, having been honoured with a robe and a horse, was sent off together with his brothers in the company of Kishwar Khan. An elephant from my private stud, by name `Alam-guman, was entrusted to Habibu-llah for Raja Man Singh and sent. A special horse was sent to Bengal for Kesho Das Maru, [309] and a female elephant was now given to `Arab Khan, the jagirdar of Jalalabad. At this time Iftikhar Khan had sent an offering of a rare elephant from Bengal. As I approved of it, it was entered among my private elephants. I raised the rank of Ahmad [310] Beg Khan, who had been nominated to the command of the army of Bangash on account of his good service and that of his sons, from his original rank of 2,000 personal and 1,500 horse by 500 more personal. I sent a gold throne [311] of jewelled work for Parwiz, and a sarpich, which was of rubies and pearls, and made at a cost of 2,000 rupees, was sent for Khan Jahan by the hand of Habib, son of Sarbarah Khan, to Burhanpur. At this time it became known that Kaukab, son of Qamar Khan, had become intimate with a Sanyasi, and by degrees his words, which were all blasphemous and impious, made an impression on that foolish fellow. He had made `Abdu-l-Latif, son of Naqib Khan, and Sharif, his cousins, partners in that error. When this affair was discovered, with only a slight frightening they revealed certain circumstances with regard to themselves, the relation of which would be extremely disgusting. Considering their punishment advisable, I imprisoned Kaukab [312] and Sharif after giving them a whipping, and ordered `Abdu-l-Latif a hundred lashes in my presence. This special chastisement (was given) for the purpose of carrying out the Divine law in order that other ignorant persons might not be disposed towards the same actions. On Monday, the 24th, Mu`azzam Khan was despatched to Delhi to punish the rebels and disaffected of that neighbourhood. Two thousand rupees were given to Shaja`at Khan Dakhani. I had ordered Shaikh Husain Darshani to proceed with certain firmans to Bengal and presents to each of the Amirs of that Subah. I now gave him his orders and despatched him. With an eye on his actions and his approved services, I promoted Islam Khan to the rank of 5,000 personal and horse, and bestowed on him a special dress of honour. I gave a special dress of honour also to Kishwar Khan, and presented Raja Kalyan with an Iraq horse, and similarly to the other Amirs there were given robes of honour or horses. Faridun Barlas, who held the rank of 1,500 personal and 1,300 horse, I promoted to 2,000 personal and 1,500 horse.

On the night of Monday, the 1st Safar, through the carelessness of the servants, a great fire occurred in the house of Khwaja Abu-l-hasan, and before they became aware of it and the fire could be put out many of his properties were burnt. In order to afford consolation to the mind of the Khwaja and to make up for the loss he had sustained, I gave him 40,000 rupees. On Saif Khan Barha, who had been cherished and brought up by me, I bestowed a standard. I increased the rank of Mu`izzu-l-mulk, who had been appointed to the Diwanship of Kabul, from his original of 1,000 personal and 225 horse by 200 personal and 275 horse, and dismissed him. The next day I sent a phul-katara (dagger) studded with valuable jewels to Burhanpur to Khan Jahan.

A widow woman complained that Muqarrab Khan had taken her daughter by force in the port of Cambay, and after some while, during which he had kept her in his own house, when she enquired for the girl had said that she had died by an unavoidable death. I ordered an enquiry to be made into the affair. After much search I discovered that one of his attendants had been guilty of this outrage, and had him put to death, and reduced Muqarrab Khan's mansab by one half, and made an allowance to the woman who had been thus injured.

As on Sunday, the 7th of the month, a qiran-i-nahsin (an unlucky conjunction) had occurred, I gave alms of gold and silver and other metals, and different kinds of cereals, to faqirs and indigent people to be divided in most parts of the dominion. On the night of Monday, the 8th, having sent for Shaikh Husain Sirhindi and Shaikh Mustafa, who were celebrated for the adoption of the ways of dervishdom and the state of poverty, a party was held, and by degrees the assembly engaged warmly in sama` and wajd (dervish dancing and ecstasy). Hilarity and frenzy were not wanting. After the meeting was over I gave money to each and gave him leave. As Mirza Ghazi Beg Tarkhan repeatedly made representations with regard to provisions for Qandahar and the monthly pay of the musketeers of the said fort, I ordered 200,000 rupees to be sent there from the treasury of Lahore. [313]

On the 19th Urdibihisht, in the fifth year of my reign, corresponding with the 4th Safar, there occurred a strange affair at Patna, which is the seat of government of the province of Behar. Afzal Khan, the governor of the Subah, went off to the jagir to which he had just been appointed, and which was at a distance of 60 kos from Patna, and handed over the fort and the city to the charge of Shaikh Banarasi and Ghiyas Zain-khani, the Diwan of the Subah, and to a number of other mansabdars. With the idea that there were no enemies in that region he did not satisfy himself as he should have with regard to the protection of the fort and city. By chance, at that time an unknown man of the name of Qutb belonging to the people of Uch, who was a mischievous and seditious fellow, came to the province of Ujjainiyya, [314] which is in the neighbourhood of Patna, with the look of a dervish and the clothes of a beggar, and having made acquaintance with men of that part, who were always seditious, represented to them that he was Khusrau, who had escaped from prison and conveyed himself there; saying that if they would accompany and assist him, after the affair had been completed they would be the ministers of his State. In short, deceiving those simpletons with foolish words he brought them over to him and persuaded them that he was Khusrau. He showed those deceived ones the parts about his eyes, where at some time he had produced scars, of which the marks were still apparent, and told them that in the prison they had fastened cups (katori) on them and those were the marks. [315] Through these falsehoods and deceit a number of foot- and horsemen had collected round him, and had obtained information that Afzal Khan was not at Patna. Considering this a great opportunity, they made a raid, and when two or three hours of the day had passed on Sunday came to the city, and being hindered by nothing went for the fort. Shaikh Banarasi, who was in the fort, obtaining news of this, went in a disturbed state to the gate of the fort. The enemy, who came on with speed, did not give him time to close the gate of the fort. Together with Ghiyas, he betook himself to the side of the river by a wicket gate, and procuring a boat proposed to go to Afzal Khan. Those rebels came with ease into the fort and took possession of Afzal Khan's property and the royal treasury; and some of those wretched creatures who wait on events, who were in the city and its neighbourhood, joined them. This news reached Afzal Khan at Gorakhpur (Kharakpur), [316] and Shaikh Banarasi and Ghiyas also came to him there by way of the river. Letters came from the city that this wretch, who called himself Khusrau, was in reality not Khusrau. Afzal Khan, placing his trust on the grace and mercy of Allah, and through my good fortune, started without delay against those rebels. In five days he reached the neighbourhood of Patna. When the news of Afzal Khan's coming reached those scoundrels, they entrusted the fort to one of those whom they had confidence in, and the horse and foot arraying themselves went out for four kos to meet Afzal Khan. A fight took place on the bank of the river Pun Pun, and after a slight skirmish the array of those ill-fated ones was broken and they became scattered. In great bewilderment a second time that wretch was coming into the fort with a few men. Afzal Khan followed him, and did not allow them to close the gate of the fort. Going to Afzal Khan's house in a state of confusion, they fortified the house and remained there for three watches, and fought. They wounded about thirty people with arrows. After his companions had gone to jahannam (hell) he himself became helpless, and asked for quarter, and waited upon Afzal Khan. In order to put a stop to this affair, Afzal Khan executed him on the same day, and imprisoned some of his companions who had fallen alive into his hand. These items of news one after another reached the royal ear. I summoned to Agra Shaikh Banarasi and Ghiyas Zain-khani and the other mansabdars who had made default in holding the fort and protecting the city, and ordered their hair and beards to be cut off, and that they should be clothed in women's clothes, seated on asses, and paraded round the city of Agra and in the bazars, as a warning and example to others.

At this time representations succeeded each other from Parwiz and the Amirs appointed to the Deccan and those who were well-wishers of the State, that `Adil Khan Bijapuri prayed that they would send to him Mir Jamalu-d-din Husain Inju, on whose words and acts all the rulers of the Deccan had great reliance, that he might associate himself with them and dispel the fear in their minds, and the affairs of that place might be arranged as it might seem proper to `Adil Khan, who had chosen the way of loyalty and service. In any case, he might drive out of their minds the fear that was in them, and soothing them might give him hopes of the royal favour. In order to obtain this end, on the 16th of the same month I despatched the above-mentioned Mir, giving him a present of 10,000 rupees. I increased the former rank of Qasim Khan, which was 1,000 personal and 500 horse, by 500 personal and horse, in order that he might go to the support of his brother Islam Khan in Bengal. At the same time, in order to punish Bikramajit, Zamindar of the province Bandhu, [317] who had withdrawn his foot from the circle of obedience and service, I appointed Maha Singh, grandson of Raja Man Singh, to proceed to put down the disaffection in that region and at the same time administer the estate of the jagir of the Raja, which was in that neighbourhood.

On the 20th of the month I gave an elephant to Shaja`at Khan Dakhani. As the governor of Jalalabad had written and represented the ruinous state of the fort of that place, I ordered what might be required for the repair of the said fort to be taken from the treasury of Lahore. Iftikhar Khan had done approved service in Bengal. On the request of the governor of that Subah I increased his original rank, which was 1,500, by 500. On the 28th a representation came from `Abdu-llah Khan Firuz-jang, containing recommendations in favour of some of the zealous servants who had been sent with him to subdue the rebel Rana. As Ghaznin Khan Jalwari had shown the greatest zeal of all in this service, I increased by 500 personal and 400 horse his former rank, which was 1,500 personal and 300 horse. In the same manner each one of those persons was promoted according to his services.

Daulat Khan, who had been sent to Allahabad to bring the throne of black stone, came on Wednesday, the 4th of the month of Mihr (15th September, 1610), and had an audience and brought the stone safe and sound. In truth it was a wonderful slab, very black and shining. Many say it is of a species of touchstone; in length it was one-eighth less than four cubits, and in breadth 2 1/2 cubits and one tasu, [318] whilst its thickness may be three tasu. I ordered stone-cutters to carve suitable couplets on the sides of it. They had attached feet to it of the same kind of stone. I often sat on that throne.