Part 5
On one of my accession days, a hundred of the Akbari and Jahangiri servants were promoted to higher rank and jagirs. At the commencement of the Ramazan `Id, as it was the first after my accession, I came down to the `Idgah from my auspicious throne. There was a great crowd, and having performed the dues of thanksgiving and praise I returned to the palace, where according to the verse "From the table of kings favours come to beggars," I commanded a sum of money to be spent in alms and charity. Some lakhs of dams of this were entrusted to Dust Muhammad (afterwards Khwaja Jahan), who divided them amongst faqirs and those who were in want, and a lakh of dams each was given to Jamalu-d-din Husain Anju (the lexicographer), Mirza Sadr Jahan, and Mir Muhammad Riza Sabzawari to dispose of in charity in different quarters of the city. I sent 5,000 rupees to the dervishes of Shaikh Muhammad Husain Jami, and gave directions that each day one of the officers of the watch [97] should give 50,000 dams to faqirs. I sent a jewelled sword to the Khankhanan, and promoted Jamalu-d-din Anju to the rank of 3,000. The office of Sadr was entrusted to Miran Sadr Jahan, and I ordered Haji Koka, who was one of my father's foster-sisters, [98] to bring before me in the palace such women as were worthy to be presented with land and money. I promoted Zahid Khan, son of Muhammad Sadiq Khan, from the rank of 1,500 to that of 2,000.
It had been the custom [99] that when the gift of an elephant or horse was made to anyone, the naqibs and the Masters of the Horse (Mir Akhuran) took from him a sum of money as jilawana (bridle-money). I gave orders that this money should be paid by the government, so that people might be freed from the importunities and demands of that set of men.
At this time Salbahan arrived from Burhanpur and produced before me the horses and elephants of my deceased brother Daniyal. Of the elephants, one male named Mast Alast appeared to me the best, and I gave him the name of Nur Gaj. A wonderful thing showed itself in this elephant; on the sides of his ears small lumps had grown about the size of melons, and from them came fluid such as drops from an elephant in the rutting season; moreover, the top of his forehead was more prominent than in other elephants. It was a splendid and imposing animal. [100]
I gave to my son Khurram (Shah-Jahan) a rosary of jewels, with the hope that he might obtain fulfilment of all his desires, both in visible and in spiritual things.
As I had remitted in my dominions customs duties amounting to krors, I abolished also all the transit dues (sa'ir-jihat) in Kabul, which is one of the noted towns on the road to Hindustan. These brought in 1 kror and 23 lakhs of dams. From the provinces of Kabul and Qandahar large sums used to be derived every year from customs (zaka't), which were in fact the chief revenue of those places. I remitted these ancient dues, a proceeding that greatly benefited the people of Iran and Turan.
Asaf Khan's jagir in the subah of Bihar had been given to Baz Bahadur; I therefore ordered that a jagir in the Panjab should be given to him. As it was represented to me that a large sum was in arrears in his jagir, and now that the order for exchange had been given its collection would be difficult, I directed that a lakh of rupees should be given to him from the Treasury and the arrears recovered from Baz Bahadur for the royal revenues.
I promoted Sharif Amuli to the rank of 2,500, original and increase. He is a pure-hearted, lively-spirited man. Though he has no tincture of current sciences, lofty words and exalted knowledge often manifest themselves in him. In the dress of a faqir he made many journeys, and he has friendship with many saints and recites the maxims of those who profess mysticism. This is his conversation, not his practice (qali-u ast na hali). In the time of my revered father he relinquished the garments of poverty and asceticism, and attained to amirship and chiefship. His utterance is exceedingly powerful, and his conversation is remarkably eloquent and pure, although he is without Arabic. His compositions also are not devoid of verve. [101]
A garden in Agra had been left by Shah Quli Khan Mahram, and as he had no heirs I handed it over to Ruqayya Sultan Begam, the daughter of Hindal Mirza, who had been the honoured wife of my father. [102] My father had given my son Khurram into her charge, and she loved him a thousand times more than if he had been her own.
THE GREAT FEAST OF NAURUZ.
On the night of Tuesday, Zi-l-qa`da 11th, A.H. 1014 (March 11th or 12th, 1606), in the morning, which is the time of the blessing of light, his Eminence the Great Luminary passed from the constellation of the Fish to the House of Honour in the constellation of the Ram. As this was the first New Year's Day after my auspicious accession I ordered them to decorate the porticoes of the private and public halls of the palace, as in the time of my revered father, with delicate stuffs, and to adorn them handsomely. From the first day of the Nauruz to the 19th degree of the Ram (Aries), which is the day of culmination, the people gave themselves over to enjoyment and happiness. Players and singers of all bands and castes were gathered together. Dancing lulis and charmers of India whose caresses would captivate the hearts of angels kept up the excitement of the assemblies. I gave orders that whoever might wish for intoxicating drinks and exhilarating drugs should not be debarred from using them.
"Cupbearer! brighten my cup with the light of wine; Sing, minstrel, for the world has ordered itself as I desire." [103]
In my father's time it had become established that one of the great nobles should prepare an entertainment on each of the 17 or 18 days of the festival, and should present His Majesty the king with choice gifts of all kinds of jewels and jewelled things, precious stuffs, and elephants and horses, and should invite him to take the trouble to come to his assembly. By way of exalting his servants, he would deign to be present, and having looked at the presents would take what he approved of and bestow the remainder on the giver of the entertainment. As my mind was inclined to the comfort and ease of the army and subjects, I this year let them off their gifts with the exception of a few from my immediate retainers, which I accepted in order to gratify them. In those same days many servants of the State obtained higher rank. Amongst them I raised Dilawar Khan Afghan to 1,500, and I raised Raja Baso, who was a landholder of the hill country of the Panjab, and who from the time I was prince till now has kept the way of service and sincerity towards me and held the rank of 1,500, to 3,500. Shah Beg Khan, the governor of Qandahar, I promoted to 5,000, and Ray Ray Singh, a Rajput noble, obtained the same rank. I gave 12,000 rupees for expenses to Rana Shankar.
At the beginning of my reign, a son of that Muzaffar Gujarati who claimed to be descended from the rulers of that country lifted up the head of disturbance and attacked and plundered the environs of the city of Ahmadabad. Some sardars such as Pim [104] Bahadur Uzbeg and Ray `Ali Bhati, who were amongst the distinguished and brave men there, became martyrs in that outbreak. At length Raja Bikramajit and many mansabdars were provided by me with 6,000 or 7,000 horse, and appointed to assist the army of Gujarat. It was decided that when things had quieted down, by the driving off of those seditious people, Raja Bikramajit should be Subahdar of Gujarat. Qilij Khan, who had been previously nominated to this office, should come to Court. After the arrival of the royal troops the thread of the rebels' union was severed; they took refuge in different jungles, and the country was reduced to order. The news of this victory reached the ear of my state and dignity in the most acceptable of hours (New Year time).
About this time there came a representation from my son Parwiz that the Rana had left thana Mandal, which is about 30 [105] or 40 kos from Ajmir, and had run away, and that a force had been appointed to pursue him; and that it was to be hoped the good fortune of Jahangir would cause him to become non-existent.
On the last day of the feast of the New Year, many servants of the State were honoured with favours and increase of rank. Pishrau Khan was an old retainer and had come from Persia (wilayat) with Humayun; indeed, he was one of the men whom Shah Tahmasp had sent with Humayun. His name was Mihtar Sa`adat. As under my father he was superintendent (darogha) and head (mihtar) of the farrash-khana (store department), and had no equal in this service, he had given him the title of Pishrau Khan (the active Khan). Though he was a subordinate(?) servant and had an artificer's disposition (qalaqchi mashrab), I looked to his claims of service and gave him the rank of 2,000. [106]
THE FLIGHT OF KHUSRAU IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRST YEAR OF MY REIGN.
Futile [107] ideas had entered the mind of Khusrau in consequence of his youth and the pride youths have, and the lack of experience and the lack of foresight of worthless companions, especially at the time of my revered father's illness. Some of these short-sighted ones, through the multitude of their crimes and offences, had become hopeless of pardon and indulgence, and imagined that by making Khusrau a tool they might conduct the affairs of State through him. They overlooked the truth that acts of sovereignty and world rule are not things to be arranged by the worthless endeavours of defective intellects. The just Creator bestows them on him whom he considers fit for this glorious and exalted duty, and on such a person doth He fit the robe of honour.
"He who is seized of Fortune cannot be deprived of it; Throne and diadem are not things of purchase; It is not right to wrest crown and dominion From the head which God, the Crown-cherisher, has indicated."
As the futile imaginations of the seditious and short-sighted had no result but disgrace and regret, the affairs of the kingdom were confirmed in the hands of this suppliant at the throne of Allah. I invariably found Khusrau preoccupied and distracted. However much, in favour and affection for him, I wished to drive from his mind some of his fears and alarms, nothing was gained until, at last, by the advice of those whose fortune was reversed, on the night of Sunday, Zi-l-hijja 8th, of the year mentioned (April 6th, 1605), when two gharis had passed, he made a pretence [108] of going to visit the tomb of His Majesty (Akbar), and went off with 350 horsemen, who were his adherents, from within the fort of Agra. Shortly after, one of the lamp attendants who was acquainted with the Waziru-l-mulk gave him the news of Khusrau's flight. The Vizier took him to the Amiru-l-umara, who, as the news seemed true, came in a distracted state of mind to the door of the private apartments and said to one of the eunuchs, "Take in my request and say that I have a necessary representation to make, and let the king honour me by coming out." As such an affair had not entered my thoughts I supposed that news had come from the Deccan or Gujarat. When I came out and heard what the news was, I asked, "What must be done? Shall I mount myself, or shall I send Khurram?" The Amiru-l-umara submitted that he would go if I ordered it. "Let it be so," I said. Afterwards he said, "If he will not turn back on my advice, and takes up arms, what must be done?" Then I said, "If he will go in no way on the right road, do not consider a crime anything that results from your action. Kingship regards neither son nor son-in-law. No one is a relation to a king."
When I had said these words and other things, and had dismissed him, it occurred to me that Khusrau was very much annoyed with him, and that in consequence of the dignity and nearness (to me) which he (the Amir) enjoyed, he was an object of envy to his equals and contemporaries. [109] Perhaps they might devise treachery and destroy him. I therefore ordered Mu`izzu-l-mulk to recall him, and selecting in his place Shaikh Farid Bakhshi-begi commanded him to start off at once, and to take with him the mansabdars and ahadis who were on guard. Ihtimam Khan the kotwal was made scout and intelligence officer. I determined, God willing, to start off myself when it was day. Mu`izzu-l-mulk brought back the Amiru-l-umara.
About this time, Ahmad Beg Khan and Dust Muhammad Khan had been sent off to Kabul, [110] and had got as far as Sikandra, which was on Khusrau's route. On his arrival they came out of their tents with some of their people, and returned and waited on me with the news that Khusrau had taken the Panjab road and was hastening on. It occurred to me that he might change his route and go somewhere else. As his maternal uncle, Man Singh, was in Bengal, it occurred to many of the servants of the State that he might go in that direction. I sent out on every side, and ascertained that he was making for the Panjab. Meantime day dawned, and in reliance on the grace and favour of God Almighty, and with clear resolve, I mounted, withheld by nothing and no one.
"In truth, he who is pursued by sorrow. Knows not how the road is or how he may travel it. This he knows, that horror drives him on: He knows not with whom he goes nor whom he leaves behind."
When I reached the venerable mausoleum of my revered father, which is three kos from the city, I begged for aid to my courage from the spirit of that honoured one. About this time they captured and brought in [111] Mirza Hasan, son of Mirza Shahrukh, who had proposed to accompany Khusrau. He could not deny it when I questioned him, and I ordered them to tie his hands and mount him on an elephant. [112] This was the first good omen manifested through the kindness and blessing of that venerable one. At midday, as it had become exceedingly hot, having rested awhile under the shade of a tree, I said to the Khan A`zam that we, with all our composure, were in such a state that we had not taken till now our regular allowance of opium, which it was the practice to take the first thing in the morning, and no one had reminded us of the omission. We might imagine from this what was now the condition of that graceless one (Khusrau). [113]
My trouble was this, that my son without any cause or reason should become an opponent and an enemy. If I should make no endeavour to capture him, the fractious or rebellious would have an instrument, or else he would take his own way and go for an asylum to the Uzbegs or the Persians, and contempt would fall upon my government. On this account, having made a special point of capturing him, I went on after a short rest two or three kos beyond pargana Mathura, which is 20 kos from Agra, and I alighted at one of the villages of that pargana where there is a tank.
When Khusrau arrived at Mathura, he met Husain Beg Badakhshi, who was of those who had received favours from my revered father and was coming from Kabul to wait on me. As it is the temperament of the Badakhshis to be seditious and turbulent, Khusrau regarded [114] this meeting as a godsend, and made Husain Beg the captain and guide of 200 or 300 Badakhshan Aimaqs, who were with him.
Anyone whom they met, they plundered of horses and goods. Merchants and conveyers of goods were plundered by these rascals, and wheresoever they went men's wives and children were not safe from the calamity of these wretches. With his own eyes Khusrau was witnessing the oppression practised in the hereditary dominions of his ancestors, and after being a witness of the improper deeds of these rascals he a thousand times every moment wished death for himself. Finally, he had no remedy but to temporize with and support those dogs. If good luck and fortune had assisted him in his affairs, he would have made repentance and regret his voucher, and come without any deceit to wait on me. God, who knows the world of secrets, knows that I should have passed over his offences entirely and shown him such favour and affection that to the extent of a hair's point no estrangement or fear would have remained upon his mind. Inasmuch as during the lifetime of the late king (Akbar) an intention of joining in the sedition of some of the rebels had manifested itself in his mind, and he knew that this had come to my knowledge, he placed no reliance on my kindness and affection. His mother, while I was prince, in grief at his ways and behaviour and the misconduct of her brother Madho Singh, [115] killed herself by swallowing opium (tiryaq). [116] What shall I write of her excellences and goodness? She had perfect intelligence, and her devotion to me was such that she would have sacrificed a thousand sons and brothers for one hair of mine. She constantly wrote to Khusrau and urged him to be sincere and affectionate to me. When she saw that it was of no use and that it was unknown how far he would be led away, she from the indignation and high spirit which are inherent in the Rajput character determined upon death. Her mind was several times disturbed, for such feelings were hereditary, and her ancestors and her brothers had occasionally showed signs of madness, but after a time had recovered. At a time when I had gone hunting, on Zi-l-hijja 26th, 1013 [117] (May 6th, 1605), she in her agitation swallowed a quantity of opium, and quickly passed away. It was as if she had foreseen this behaviour of her unworthy son.
My first marriage and that at the commencement of my adolescence was with her. After Khusrau's birth I gave her the title of Shah Begam. When she could not endure the bad conduct of her son and brother towards me she became disgusted with life and died, thereby escaping the present grief and sorrow. In consequence of her death, from the attachment I had for her, I passed some days without any kind of pleasure in life or existence, and for four days, which amount to 32 watches, I took nothing in the shape of food or drink. When this tale was told to my revered father, a letter of condolence of excessive kindness and affection reached this devoted disciple, and he sent me a robe of honour and the auspicious turban tied just as he had taken it off his head. This favour threw water on the flame of my grief and afforded complete quiet and repose to my unquietude and disturbance. My intention in relating these circumstances is to point out that no evil fortune is greater than when a son, through the impropriety of his conduct and his unapproved methods of behaviour, causes the death of his mother and becomes contumacious and rebellious to his father, without cause or reason, but simply through his own imaginations and futile ideas, and chooses to avoid the blessing of waiting upon him. Inasmuch as the Almighty Avenger lays a proper punishment on each action, of necessity his condition finally came to this, that he was caught under the worst circumstances, and falling from a position of trust became captive to perpetual incarceration.
"When the man of sense behaves as if drunk, He puts his foot in a snare, his head in a noose."
To sum up, on Tuesday, Zi-l-hijja 10th, I alighted at the station of Hodal. [118] Shaikh Farid Bakhshi and a band of valiant men were chosen to pursue Khusrau and became the vanguard of the victorious army. I sent back Dust Muhammad, who was in attendance on me, on account of his previous service and his white beard, to take charge of the fort of Agra and of the zanana and the treasuries. When leaving Agra, I had placed the city in the charge of I`timadu-d-daula and Waziru-l-mulk. I now said to Dust Muhammad, "As we are going to the Panjab, and that province is in the diwani of I`timadu-d-daula, you will despatch him to us, and will imprison and keep watch over the sons [119] of Mirza Muhammad Hakim who are in Agra; as when such proceedings manifest themselves in the son of one's loins what may one expect from nephews and cousins?" After the dispatch of Dust Muhammad, Mu`izzu-l-mulk became bakhshi.
On Wednesday I alighted at Palwal, and on Thursday at Faridabad; on Friday, the 13th, I reached Delhi. From the dust of the road (i.e. immediately) I hastened to the venerated tomb of Humayun, and there besought help in my purpose, and with my own hand distributed money to poor persons and dervishes. Thence turning to the shrine of the venerable saint Shaikh Nizamu-d-din Auliya, I performed the dues of pilgrimage. After this I gave a portion [120] of money to Jamalu-d-din Husain Anju and another portion to Hakim Muzaffar that they might divide it amongst the poor and dervishes. On Saturday the 14th I stayed in Saray Narela. [121] This rest-house (saray) Khusrau had burned as he went.
The rank of Aqa Mulla, brother of Asaf Khan, who had been exalted by becoming my servant, was fixed in original and increase at 1,000 with 300 horse. He was in close attendance during this journey. Considering that some of the Aimaqs attached to the royal army were in league with Khusrau, and fearing that consequently some fraud or sedition might enter their minds, 2,000 rupees were given to their leaders to distribute amongst their men and make them hopeful of the Jahangiri favour. I gave money to Shaikh Fazlu-llah and Raja Dhirdhar to distribute to faqirs and brahmans on the road. I gave orders that to Rana Shankar in Ajmir should be given 30,000 rupees by way of assistance for his expenditure.
On Monday, the 16th, I reached the pargana of Panipat. [122] This station and place used to be very propitious to my gracious father and honoured ancestors, and two great victories had been gained in it. One was the defeat of Ibrahim Lodi, which was won by the might of the victorious hosts of His Majesty Firdus-makani. The story of this has been written in the histories of the time. The second victory was over the wicked Hemu, and was manifested from the world of fortune in the beginning of the reign of my revered father, as has been described by me in detail.