The Institutes of Akbar 236: 15. Shamsuddin Muhammad Atgah Khan.

236

Son of Mir Yar Muhammad of Ghazni, a simple farmer. Shamsuddin, when about twenty years old, once dreamed that he held the moon under his arm, which dream was justified by the unparalleled luck which he owed to a little deed of kindness. Shamsuddin entered Prince Kamran’s service as a common soldier, and was present in the fatal battle of Qanauj (10th Muharram, 947). Humayun, after the defeat crossed the river ‘on an elephant,’ and dismounted on the other side, where a soldier who had escaped death in the current, stretched out his hand to assist the emperor to jump on the high bank. This soldier was Shamsuddin. Humayun attached him to his service, and subsequently appointed his wife wet nurse (anagah) to Prince Akbar at Amarkot, conferring upon her the title of Ji Ji Anagah. Shamsuddin remained with the young prince, whilst Humayun was in Persia, and received after the emperor's restoration the title of Atgah (foster father) Khan. Humayun sent him to Hisar, which Sirkar had been set aside for Prince Akbar’s maintenance.
After Akbar’s accession, Atgah Khan was despatched to Kabul to bring to India the Empress mother and the other Begums. Soon after, on the march from Mankot to Lahor, the elephant affair took place, which has been related under Bairam Khan, p. 316. He held Khushab in the Panjab as jagir, and received, after Bairam’s fall, the insignia of that chief. He was also appointed Governor of the Panjab. He defeated Bairam Khan near Jalindhar, before Akbar could come up, for which victory Akbar honored him with the title of A’zam Khan. In the sixth year, he came from Lahor to the Court, and acted as Vakil either in supersession of Mun’im Khan, or by usurpation, at which Akbar connived. Mun’im Khan and Shihab Khan (No. 26) felt much annoyed at this, and instigated Adham (vide No. 19) to kill Atgah Khan, 12th Ramazan, 969.
For Atgah Khan’s brothers vide Nos. 16, 28, 63, and for his sons, Nos. 18 and 21. The family is often called in Histories Atgah Khail, ‘the foster father battalion.’