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Nuh Sipihr (extracts)

Translation of Nuh sipihr

Language
English
Date
1871 CE
Translators
Henry Miers Elliot, John Dowson
Extent
21 passages, 3,267 words
Text
complete digital text
Source
archive.org · The History of India, as told by its own Historians. The Muhammadan Period. The posthumous papers of Sir H.… · Public domain (published before 1930)

Contents

Text

1

Praise of God and the Prophet, and of the author's spiritual teacher, Nizamu-d din Aulya. Panegyric on the reigning monarch, Mubarak Shah. The author tells us that he was more than sixty years old when he wrote this poem, and had already written poems on the three preceding monarchs: Kai-kubad, respecting whom he had written the Kiranu-s Sa'dain; Jalalu-d din Firoz, on whom he had written Kasidas and Masnavis; 'Alau-d din Khilji, to whom he had dedicated his Khamsa, and addressed panegyrical poems.
The accession of Kutbu-d din Mubarak Shah on Sunday, the 24th of Muharram, 716 H. (April 18th, 1316 A.D.). After remaining in Dehli for a year, he proceeded to the Dekhin for the conquest of Deogir, at the head of a large army. His first march was to Tilpat, about seven kos from Dehli, and, after a march of two months, he arrived on the borders of Deogir, where he received the submission of all the rais and ranas of those parts, except Raghu, the deputy and minister of the late Rai Ram Deo. Raghu, on learning the approach of the king, fled to the hills in open rebellion.
Khusru Khan was detached with a powerful army to repel him, and a royal tent accompanied, in order to do honour to the expedition. One of his officers, named Katlagh, the chief huntsman, seized some of Raghu's adherents, from whom it was ascertained that he had nearly 10,000 Hindu cavalry under him. Khusru Khan attacked him in a defile, and completely routed him. "The Hindus, who had pretended to independence, were either slain, captured, or put to flight. Raghu himself was most severely wounded; his body was covered with blood; his lips emitted no breath. He entered some cave in a ravine, which even a snake could scarcely penetrate. Khusru Khan, with thanks to God after his glorious victory, looked towards the royal tent and kissed the earth. He made over the charge of the army to the 'Ariz, and returned expeditiously to the seat of the throne, for his majesty had urgently summoned him. The king received him with a hundred flattering distinctions, and raised him to the highest honours. May his good fortune always so prevail, that he may bestow benefactions upon his slaves!"

The Second Sphere.

2.1

Khusru Khan is despatched for the conquest of Arangal (Warangal), in Tilang, with an army consisting partly of Hindus. "The king said, 'Turn your face to Tilang to demand jizya.'" "The royal pavilion was pitched at the end of the street, and on each side were ranged the other tents." The army advanced march by march, and the Hindus committed as many ravages as the Turks. Wherever the army marched, every inhabited spot was desolated. "Arangal had two walls, the centre of mud, the inner of stone." "When the army arrived there the Hindu inhabitants concealed themselves in the hills and jungles." "The Hindu horsemen of the rai vaunted themselves in every direction that they were as bold as lions, and the heralds, whom they call baras, surrounded them, singing their praises. The singers kept on resounding the pæans which they use in the wars of their ráís. The Brahmans, after their own fashion, offered up their prayers, accompanied by the voices of the minstrels." "The chiefs, in appearance, were valiant, but trembling in their hearts. Hindus made an attack upon Hindus, to try their respective strength. If the Turks had charged, they would have annihilated the enemy, for, from time immemorial, the Hindus have always been the prey of the Turks."

2.2

The army encamped three bow-shots from Arangal, and the Khan ascended an eminence from which he might examine the fort. "On all sides of it, for the distance of two míls, there were fountains and gardens, calculated to gratify those who are in search of pleasure. All its fruits were mangoes, plantains, and jacks; not cold apples or icy quinces. All the flowers which he saw were Hindu; the champa, keora, and jasmine. When the great Khan witnessed all this, he prayed Almighty God for assistance, and then returned to his camp." A skirmish described. "The Hindu horsemen were more than 10,000; the foot soldiers were beyond all calculation. The horsemen on our side were altogether only 300, or even less." Notwithstanding these disproportionate numbers, the Hindus were completely routed, when great booty in jewels and gold fell into the hands of the victors. "They pursued the enemy to the gate, and set everything on fire. They burnt down all those gardens and groves. That paradise of idol-worshippers became like hell. The fire-worshippers of Bud were in alarm, and flocked round their idol."

2.3

In the morning Khusrú Khan attacked the outer wall, and obtained possession of part of it, when the Hindus sallied from the inner fortress in order to repel the Musulmans. The Khan ordered many of his horsemen to dismount, and made such a vigorous onset that he seized the principal bastion of the outer fortress, which was crowded with Hindus, many of whom were slain, and many taken prisoners; among the latter was Antíl Mahta, the commander of the Rái's forces.

2.4

Next morning, the Khan advanced to the ditch and besieged the inner fortress. He ordered Khwája Hájí, the 'A'riz, "to distribute the army to the proper posts, to dig the trenches, and spring a mine, the length of which was equal to 150 yards at that time." When the rái witnessed these bold advances, he became alarmed, and "sent wise messengers with expressions of his submission and duty to the powerful one, saying, 'If I have wealth, or elephants, or country, it is mine only through the protection of the king. I will give all my wealth, my gold, my elephants, if I am allowed to escape with my life.' When the great Khan heard that message, he thanked Almighty God for his victory." The Khan replied: "The Khalífa who sent me to this country ordered me to demand three conditions from the Hindus: First, that they should make profession of our faith, in order that its saving tidings may be proclaimed throughout the world; second, that, in the event of refusal, a capitation tax should be levied; the third is, if compliance with these demands be refused, to place their heads under the sword. It is my recommendation that the rái come forth and place his face upon the ground, in front of the royal pavilion."

2.5

The rái, in apprehension of his life, refused to leave the fort, but sent jewels, clothes, sandal, gold, horses, elephants, and other valuables to the Khan, by way of jizya. There were one hundred elephants and twelve thousand horses. The rapacious Khan, however, was not satisfied with all this, but sent a message to intimate that what had been sent was but "a leaf in the garden of the rái's wealth;" he therefore enjoined him to send everything in his possession, or to prepare for war. The rái solemnly affirmed that he had nothing left of all his former wealth, "As I am rái and have a regard for my own fair name, I would not tell a lie, which would not obtain credence." To this the Khan replied that if the rái were speaking truth, he could have no objection to submit to an ordeal. "He should thrust his hand into hot oil, and if he sustain no injury from the heat, no suspicion will exist against him." To this the rái would not consent, but on the demand of the Khan, made over some of his relations as hostages, and wrote a letter, saying, "If any concealed treasure should hereafter be discovered, the fault will be with me, and I am responsible. This written promise soon arrived from Arangal, and it was stamped with the seal of Mahádeo."

2.6

The Khan then received from the rái, five districts (mauza') of his country ('ahd), an annual tribute of "more than a hundred strong elephants, as large as demons, 12,000 horses, and gold and jewels and gems beyond compute. The rái assented to the whole, with heart and soul, and wrote an engagement to this effect and confirmed it." He then made a long speech, entreating the consideration of the king, in the course of which he observes, that "the relation between Turk and Hindu is that of a lion and antelope, and the Turks, whenever they please, can seize, buy, or sell any Hindu." The Khan relinquished all the ceded and conquered territory, except "Badrkot, a fort as high as heaven, which the Khan had an object in demanding."

2.7

The rái then ascended the rampart of the fort of Arangal, and turning his face towards the royal pavilion, he bowed to the earth. "Thus did he for three days, out of respect to the pale of religion; he turned towards the pavilion, and kissed the earth. He then again, tremblingly, addressed the commander in these words: 'I hold from the late Sultan several emblems of military pomp and dignity. What order is there respecting them? shall I continue to use them, or return them to you?' The Khan replied, 'As these were bestowed on you by the late Sultan, why should the reigning one wish to take them back from you? But it is right to pay due respect to his majesty, by sending the canopy (durbásh) and standard to the royal pavilion, in order that the former may be replaced by a new one, as the beams of the former sun no longer shine.'" The rái accordingly returned the insignia, which were lowered before the empty pavilion of the king, and were then returned to the rái, with the standard unfurled, and a new canopy. Khusrú Khan, after this ceremony, returned in triumph to the king, by whom he had been summoned in haste. But before his arrival, Mubarak Sháh had departed from Deogír, towards Dehlí, in the month of Jumada-l ákhir, 718 H. (August 5th, 1318 A.D.).

2.8

"When Mubarak Sháh arrived at Dehlí, he gave orders for the building of a Jámi' Masjid, by the most skilful architects, and when that was completed, he gave orders for completing the city and fort of Dehlí, which his father, 'Aláu-d dín, had left in an unfinished state.

The Third Sphere. · Praises of Hindustan. — Its Climate. — Animals. — Learning and Languages.

3.1

"This is a well-known fact, that the language spoken by conquerors who have established themselves, when it has been disseminated amongst people, great and small, has become the common language of the country. Just as in Baghdad, where originally but little Persian was spoken, when the Khalifa's dynasty was overthrown, the Parsis established themselves in it. Thenceforward, everything that was Arab, became subject to Parsi rules, and the herd acquired respect for the language of the shepherds. The city, which was called Baghdad in Arabic, became converted in its first syllable into Baghchadad. Turki became just as prevalent, when the Turks conquered the country, and the language of the chiefs bore fruit in a new soil."

3.2

"Hind has observed the same rule in respect to language. In olden time it was Hindui. When the tribes, great and small, became intermixed, every one, bad and good, learnt Parsi, and all the other languages which existed never moved from their bounds. As God had taught them all, it is not proper to call them all bad. With the exception of Arabic, which, in consequence of the Kuran being written in it, is the most excellent and eloquent of languages, all the tongues differ from one another, and each one has some peculiar merit of its own. This one exclaims, 'My wine is better than all others.' Every one loses himself in his own cup, and no one admits that his own wine is vinegar. In short, it would be useless to enter into further discussion respecting Parsi, Turki, and Arabic." "As I was born in Hind, I may be allowed to say a word respecting its languages. There is at this time in every province a language peculiar to itself, and not borrowed from any other — Sindi, Lahori, Kashmiri, the language of Dugar, Dhur Samundar, Tilang, Gujarat, Ma'bar, Gaur, Bengal, Oudh, Dehli and its environs. These are all languages of Hind, which from ancient times have been applied in every way to the common purposes of life.

3.3

"But there is another language more select than the others, which all the Brahmans use. Its name from of old is Sahaskrit, and the common people know nothing of it. A Brahman knows it, but Brahmani women do not understand a word of it. It bears a resemblance to Arabic in some respects, in its permutations of letters, its grammar, its conjugations, and polish. They have four books in that language, which they are constantly in the habit of repeating. Their name is Bed. They contain stories of their gods, but little advantage can be derived from their perusal. Whatever other stories and fables they have, is contained in kabits, parwânas, and nâmahs. The language possesses rules for composition and eloquence. The language is very precious, inferior to Arabic, but superior to Dari; and though the latter is certainly sweet and melodious, yet even in that respect this language does not yield to it." Mention of some of the powers of sorcery and enchantment possessed by the inhabitants of India. "First of all, they can bring a dead man to life. If a man has been bitten by a snake and is rendered speechless, they can resuscitate him after even six months. They put him on a river which flows towards the East, and he speeds on his voyage as swift as lightning. When he arrives on the borders of Kâmru, an experienced witch instils life into him."

3.4

"Another mode is this, and the power is possessed by the Brahmans as a secret; namely, that they can bring a man to life after his head has been cut off. I will tell you another story, if you will not be alarmed at it, that a demon gets into one's head and drinks as much wine as satisfies him, and whatever he utters in this state, is sure to become true. Another is, that through their art they can procure longevity by diminishing the daily number of their expirations of breath. A Jogi who could restrain his breath in this way lived in an idol to an age of more than three hundred and fifty years." "Another process is, that they can tell future events by the breath of their nostrils, according as the right or left orifice is more or less open. They can also inflate another's body by their own breath. In the hills on the borders of Kashmir there are many such people. Another is, that they know how to convert themselves into wolves, dogs, and cats. They can also extract by their power the blood from one's body and infuse it again. They can also, even while moving, affect a man, whether old or young, with bodily disease. They can also make a body float from shore to shore. They can also fly like fowls in the air, however improbable it may seem. They can also, by putting antimony on their eyes, make themselves invisible at pleasure. Those only can believe all this who have seen it with their own eyes."

3.5

"Though this be all sorcery and incantation, yet there is one marvel which you must acknowledge to be fact, that is, that a woman in her senses will burn herself on the funeral pile of her husband, and that a man will burn himself for his idol or for his master. Though this be not legitimate in Islam, yet see what a great achievement it is! If this practice were lawful amongst us, pious devotees might surrender their lives to the air." When Khusru Khan was returning to the king after the defeat of Raghi, he received intelligence on the road that Rana Harpal had rebelled, and taken up a position in the hills at the head of a powerful army. The Khan went in pursuit of him, and was vigorously attacked two or three times by the rebel, who, in the end being desperately wounded, was taken captive, and his army put to flight. He was brought, bound hand and foot, before the king, who gave orders that he should be put to death; after which his body was delivered to his attendants to be burnt. "When his way had been taken towards hell by the sword, the king gave his body to the other hellites, that this great infidel and little Satan might become one of its chief ornaments of their kingdom. The hellites who had accompanied him out of regard and had fought by his side, also afforded food to the flames of the infernal regions. Those hellites did not desire that he should be burnt by himself alone, so they accompanied him into the flames, and hell was gratified by that sacrifice."

3.6

In the beginning of the month of Rajab, 718 H., the king, on his return towards Dehli from Deogir, crossed the Nerbadda in a boat. "Nerbadda is a river which flows very rapidly, and is so deep that it cannot be fathomed. Swifter than an arrow, and about two bow-shots broad from shore to shore, even an expert swimmer dare not attempt to cross it." On the day of the passage of the river, the captured elephants arrived in the royal camp from Telingana.

4

Admonitions and precepts for kings, chiefs, soldiers, and the common people.
"I have heard a story that, in Dehli, about five or six hundred years ago, there was a great rái, called Anangpál. At the entrance of his palace he had placed two lions, sculptured in stone. He fixed a bell by the side of the two lions, in order that those who sought justice might strike it, upon which the rái would order them to be summoned, would listen to their complaints, and render justice. One day, a crow came and sat on the bell and struck it; when the rái asked who the complainant was. It is a fact, not unknown, that bold crows will pick meat from between the teeth of lions. As stone lions cannot hunt for their prey, where could the crow obtain its usual sustenance? As the rái was satisfied that the crow justly complained of hunger, having come to sit by his stone lions, he gave orders that some goats and sheep should be killed, on which the crow might feed himself for some days."

5

The king's fondness of hunting.—His preserves.—Praise of the seasons of Hindústán.—Dialogue between the king's bow and arrow.

6

Birth of Prince Sultán Muhammad on the 23rd of Rabí'u-l awwal, 718 H. (June 25th, 1318 a.d.).—The king distributes gold and jewels among the nobles after seeing the child.—Its education.

7

Encomium upon spring and new year's day; on flowers and birds.—The king's public audience, and the honours and robes bestowed by him upon the nobles, especially upon Khusrú Khán.

8

The king's skill in the game of chaugán.—Dialogue between the bat and the ball.

9

The poet exalts his own merits, and boastingly says that though at that time, in all 'Ajam and Írán, the two poets of chief celebrity were Shaikh Sa'di Shirazi and Hakim Humam Tabrizi, yet he excelled them both; because, whatever might be the merit of their verses, they possessed not the same multifarious accomplishments as himself.
He tells us that he was sixty-five years of age, and becoming infirm, when he concluded this poem on the 30th of Jumada-s sani, 718 H. (August 24th, 1318 A.D.), and that it contains 4,509 lines.