The Institutes of Akbar 242: 21. Kháni A’zam Mírzá ’Azíz Kokah, son of Atgah Khán (No. 15).
The Áín i Akbari (Blochmann, Jarrett) 242
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21. Kháni A’zam Mírzá ’Azíz Kokah, son of Atgah Khán (No. 15).
242.1
His mother was Jí Jí Anagah (vide p. 321). He grew up with Akbar, who remained attached to him to the end of his life. Though often offended by his boldness, Akbar would but rarely punish him; he used to say, “Between me and ‘Azíz is a river of milk which I cannot cross.” On the removal of the Atgah Khail (p. 321, l. 1.) from the Panjáb, he retained Dípálpúr, where he was visited by Akbar in the 16th year (978) on his pilgrimage to the tomb of Shaikh Faríd i Shakkarganj at Ajhodhan (Pák Patan, or Patan i Panjáb). In the 17th year, after the conquest of Ahmadábád, Mírzá ’Azíz was appointed governor of Gujrát as far as the Mahindrí river, whilst Akbar went to conquer Súrat. Muhammad Husain Mírzá and Sháh Mírzá, joined by Sher Khán Fúládí, thereupon besieged Patan; but they were at last defeated by Mírzá ‘Azíz and Qutbuddín. ’Azíz then returned to Ahmadábád. When Akbar, on the 2nd Çafar 981, returned to Fathpúr Síkrí, Ikhtiyárulmulk, a Gujrátí noble, occupied Ídar, and then moved against ’Azíz in Ahmadábád. Muhammad Husain Mírzá also came from the Dak’hin, and after attacking Kambháyt (Cambay), they besieged Ahmadábád. ‘Azíz held himself bravely. The siege was raised by Akbar, who surprised the rebels near Patan. During the fight Muhammad Husain Mírzá and Ikhtiyár ulmulk were killed. The victory was chiefly gained by Akbar himself, who with 100 chosen men fell upon the enemy from an ambush. ‘Azíz had subsequently to fight with the sons of Ikhtiyárulmulk.
242.2
In the 20th year Akbar introduced the Dagh (Ain 7), which proved a source of great dissatisfaction among the Amirs. Mirza ‘Aziz especially shewed himself so disobedient, that Akbar was compelled to deprive him temporarily of his rank. Though restored to his honours in the 23rd year, M. ‘Aziz remained unemployed till the 25th year (988), when disturbances had broken out in Bengal and Bihar (vide Muzaffar Khan, No. 37). ’Aziz was promoted to a command of Five Thousand, got the title of A’zam Khan, and was despatched with a large army to quell the rebellion. His time was fully occupied in establishing order in Bihar. Towards the end of the 26th year, he rejoined the emperor, who had returned from Kabul to Fathpur Sikri. During ’Aziz’s absence from Bihar, the Bengal rebels had occupied Hajipur, opposite Patna; and ’Aziz, in the 27th year, was again sent to Bihar, with orders to move into Bengal. After collecting the Tuyuldars of Ilahabad, Audh, and Bihar, he occupied Garhi, the ‘key’ of Bengal. After several minor fights with the rebels under Ma’sum i Kabuli, and Majnun Khan Qaqshal, ’Aziz succeeded in gaining over the latter, which forced Ma’sum to withdraw. The imperial troops then commenced to operate against Qatlu, a Lohani Afghan, who during these disturbances had occupied Orissa and a portion of Bengal. ’Aziz, however, took ill, and handing over the command to Shahbaz Khan i Kambu, returned to his lands in Bihar.
242.3
Soon after, he joined Akbar at Ilahabad, and was transferred to Garha and Raisin (993). In the 31st year (994), M. ’Aziz was appointed to the Dak’hin; but as the operations were frustrated through the envy of Shihabuddin Ahmad (No. 26) and other grandees, ’Aziz withdrew, plundered Ilichpur in Berar, and then retreated to Gujrat, where the Khan Khanan was (Briggs, II, 267). In the 32nd year, Prince Murad married a daughter of M. ’Aziz. Towards the end of the 34th year, ’Aziz was appointed Governor of Gujrat in succession to the Khan Khanan. In the 36th year, he moved against Sultan Muzaffar, and defeated him in the following year. He then reduced Jam and other zamindars of Kachh to obedience, and conquered Somnat and sixteen other harbour towns (37th year). Junagarh also, the capital of the ruler of Surat, submitted to him (5th Zi Qa’dah 999), and Miyan Khan and Taj Khan, sons of Daulat Khan ibn i Amin Khan i Ghori, joined the Mughuls. ‘Aziz gave both of them jaigirs. He had now leisure to hunt down Sultan Muzaffar, who had taken refuge with a Zamindar of Dwarka. In a fight the latter lost his life, and Muzaffar fled to Kachh, followed by ‘Aziz. There also the Zamindars submitted, and soon after delivered Sultan Muzaffar into his hands. No sooner had he been brought to the Mirza than he asked for permission to step aside to perform a call of nature, and cut his throat with a razor.
242.4
In the 39th year Akbar recalled M. ‘Aziz, as he had not been at Court for several years; ‘but the Mirza dreading the religious innovations at Court,’ marched against Diu under the pretext of conquering it. He made, however, peace with the ‘Firingi’ and embarked for Hijaz at Balawal, a harbour town near Somnat. accompanied by his six younger sons (Khurram, Anwar, ‘Abdullah, ‘Abdullatif, Murtaza, ’Abdulghafur), six daughters, and about one hundred attendants. Akbar felt sorry for his sudden departure, and with his usual magnanimity, promoted the two eldest sons of the Mirza (M. Shamsi and M. Shadman). M. ’Aziz spent a great deal of money in Makkah; in fact he was so ‘fleeced,’ that his attachment to Islam was much cooled down; and being assured of Akbar’s good wishes for his welfare, he embarked for India, landed again at Balawal, and joined Akbar in the beginning of 1003. He now became a member of the ‘Divine Faith’ (vide p. 208, l. 4,) was appointed Governor of Bihar, was made Vakil in 1004, and received Multan as Jagir. In the 45th year (1008) he accompanied Akbar to Asir. His mother died about the same time, and Akbar himself assisted in carrying the coffin. Through the mediation of the Mirza, Bahadur Khan, ruler of Khandes, ceded Asir to Akbar towards the end of the same year. Soon after, Prince Khusrau married one of ’Aziz’s daughters.
242.5
At Akbar’s death, Man Singh and M. ’Aziz were anxious to proclaim Khusrau successor; but the attempt failed, as Shaikh Farid i Bukhari and others had proclaimed Jahangir before Akbar had closed his eyes. Man Singh left the Fort of Agrah with Khusrau, in order to go to Bengal. ’Aziz wished to accompany him, sent his whole family to the Rajah, and superintended the burial of the deceased monarch. He countenanced Khusrau’s rebellion, and escaped capital punishment through the intercession of several courtiers, and of Salimah Sultan Begum and other princesses of Akbar’s Harem. Not long after, Khwajah Abul Hasan laid before Jahangir a letter written some years ago by ‘Aziz to Rajah ‘Ali Khan of Khandes, in which ‘Aziz had ridiculed Akbar in very strong language. Jahangir gave ’Aziz the letter and asked him to read it, before the whole Court, which he did without the slightest hesitation, thus incurring the blame of all the courtiers present. Jahangir deprived him of his honours and lands, and imprisoned him.
242.6
In the 3rd year of Jahangir’s reign (1017), M. ’Aziz was restored to his rank, and appointed (nominally) to the command of Gujrat, his eldest son, Jahangir Quli Khan, being his naib. In the 5th year, when matters did not go on well in the Dak’hin, he was sent there with 10,000 men. In the 8th year (1022), Jahangir went to Ajmir, and appointed, at the request of ‘Aziz, Shahjahan to the command of the Dak’hin forces, whilst he was to remain as adviser. But Shahjahan did not like M. Aziz on account of his partiality for Khusrau, and Mahabat Khan was despatched from Court to accompany ’Aziz from Udaipur to Agrah. In the 9th year, ‘Aziz was again imprisoned, and put under the charge of Asaf Khan in the Fort of Gwaliar (Tuzuk, p. 127). He was set free a year later, and soon after restored to his rank. In the 18th year, he was appointed Ataliq to Prince Dawar Bakhsh, who had been made Governor of Gujrat. M. Aziz died in the 19th year (1033) at Ahmadabad. ’Aziz was remarkable for ease of address, intelligence, and his knowledge of history. He also wrote poems. Historians quote the following aphorism from his ‘pithy’ sayings. ‘A man should marry four wives—a Persian woman to have somebody to talk to; a Khurasani woman, for his housework; a Hindu woman, for nursing his children; and a woman from Mawarannahr, to have some one to whip as a warning for the other three’. Vide Iqbalnamah, p. 230. Kokah means ‘foster brother,’ and is the same as the Turkish Kükaltásh or Kükaltash.
242.7
Mírzá ’Azíz’s sons. 1. Mírzá Shamsí (No. 163). He has been mentioned above. During the reign of Jahángír he rose to importance, and received the title of Jahángír Qulí Khán. 2. Mírzá Shádmán (No. 233). He received the title of Shád Khán, Tuzuk, p. 99. 3. Mírzá Khurrum (No. 177). He was made by Akbar governor of Júnágarh in Gujrát, received the title of Kámil Khán under Jahángír, and accompanied Prince Khurram (Sháhjahán) to the Dak’hin. 4. Mírzá ’Abdullah (No. 257) received under Jahángír the title of Sardár Khán. He accompanied his father to Fort Gwáliár. 5. Mírzá Anwar (No. 206) was married to a daughter of Zain Khán Kokah (No. 34). All of them were promoted to commanderships of Five and Two Thousands. ’Azíz’s other sons have been mentioned above. A sister of M. ’Azíz, Máh Bánú, was married to ’Abdurrahím Khán Khánán. (No. 29.)