The Institutes of Akbar 286: 58. Khá’n ’A’lam Chalmah Beg, son of Hamdam who was Mírzá Kámrán’s foster brother.

286

Chalmah Beg was Humáyún’s Sufarchí, or table attendant. Mírzá Kámrán had, in 960, been blinded, and at the Indus asked for permission to go to Makkah.
Before he left, Humayun, accompanied by some of his courtiers; paid him a visit, when the unfortunate prince, after greeting his brother, quoted the verse— got gt 5G IS 43 gee? Ble AS osle Sy) cfeayys 2,5 alls ‘The fold of the poor man’s turban touches the heaven, when a king like thee casts his shadow upon his head.’
And immediately afterwards he said the following verse extempore— cin > 5, cele 598 F ene cho cle omy dg yO 35 51 pale 2 ‘Whatever I receive at thy hands is kindness, be it the arrow of oppression or the dagger of cruelty.’
Humayun felt uncomfortable and tried to console him. He gave next day orders that any of Kamran’s old friends might accompany him free to Makkah; but as no one came forward, he turned to Chalmah Beg, and said, “Will you go with him, or stay with me?” Chalmah Beg, though he knew that Humayun was much attached to him, replied that he thought he should accompany the Prince in the ‘gloomy days of need and the darkness of his solitude.’ The Emperor approved of his resolution, and made liberal provisions for Kamran and his companion.
After Kamran’s death, Chalmah Beg returned to India, and was favorably received by Akbar, who made him a Commander of 3000, bestowing upon him the title of Khan ’Alam. He served under the emperor against the Mirzas in Gujrat, and was present in the fight at Sarnal (p. 330, No. 27).
In the 19th year, when Akbar moved against Daud in Patna, Khan ’A‘lam commanded a corps, and passing up the river in boats towards the mouth of the G’handak, effected a landing, though continually exposed to the volleys of the enemies. Akbar praised him much for his daring. In the same year he was attached to Mun’im’s corps. In the battle of Takaroi (p. 375), he commanded the harawal (van). He charged the Afghans, and allowing his corps to advance too far, he was soon hard pressed upon and gave way, when Mun’im sent him an angry order to fall back. But before his corps could be brought again into order, Gujar Khan, Daud’s best general, attacked the Imperialists with his line of elephants, which he had rendered fierce looking by means of black qutasas (Yak tails) and skins of wild beasts attached to them. The horses of the Imperialists got frightened, nothing could make them stand, and their ranks were utterly broken. Kh. ’A.’s horse got a sword cut, and reared, throwing him on the ground. He sprang up, and mounted it again, but was immediately thrown over by an elephant, and killed by the Afghans who rushed from all sides upon him (20th Zi Qa’dah, 982).
It is said that before the battle he had presentiment of his death, and begged of his friends not to forget to tell the Emperor that he had willingly sacrificed his life.
Kh. ’A. was a poet and wrote under the Takhallus of Hamdami (in allusion to the name of his father).
A brother of his, Muzaffar, is mentioned below (No. 301) among the Commanders of Three Hundred, where for pbel, in my Text edition, p. 229, read pes.