The Institutes of Akbar 327: 97. Sha’ham Kha’n Jalair.

327

Jalair is the name of a Chaghtai tribe.
Shahm’s father was Baba Beg, who had been under Humayun governor of Jaunpur. Baba Beg took also part in the battle of Chausa, in which Humayun was defeated by Sher Shah. The Emperor fled to Agrah, and ordered Baba Beg and other grandees to bring up the camp and the Begums. In attempting to rescue the ladies of the Harem, Baba Beg was killed by an Afghan near the imperial tent.
Shahm Khan was made an Amir by Akbar.
In the beginning of the 4th year (966), he served together with the two Jalairs mentioned below, Haji Muhammad Khan i Sistani (No. 65), Chalmah Beg (58), Kamal Khan Ghakkar, and Qiya Khan Gung (No. 33), under Khan Zaman (No. 13) in the Jaunpur District against the Afghans. The war continued till the sixth year, in which Sher Shah, son of ’Adli, Mubariz Khan, after Bairam’s death, made a final attempt to overthrow the Mughuls. In the 10th year, Sh. Kh. served against Khan Zaman.
In the 19th year, he served under Mun’im in the Bengal and Orisa wars, was present in the battle of Takaroi and pursued with Todar Mall the Afghans to Bhadrak (p. 375). After Mun’im’s death at Gaur (p. 376), the grandees put Sh. Kh. in command of the army till the Emperor should send a new commander. In the 21st year, he took part in the battle near Ag Mahall (p. 331). In the 24th year, he was Jagirdar of Hajipur (opposite Patna). After Muzaffar’s death (No. 37) in 988, before Todar Mall had arrived, he defeated and killed Sa’id i Badakhshi, one of the Bengal rebels. Subsequently, he pursued ’Arab Bahadur, whom Shahbaz Khan (p. 400) had defeated. In the 26th year, Sh. Kh. was stationed at Narhan. In this year, Ma’sum Khan i Farankhudi (No. 157) had been driven by the imperialists from Bahraich over Kalyanpur to Muhammadabad, which he plundered, and prepared to attack Jaunpur. Sh. Kh. from Narhan, Pahir Khan (No. 407) from Ghazipur, and Qasim from Jalalpur, united their contingents, and pursued Ma’sum so effectually, that he applied to M. ’Aziz Kokah, to intercede for him with the Emperor. In the 32nd year, he was made Governor of Gadha, and soon after, of Dihli. In the end of the same year, he accompanied Sultan Murad, who conducted M. Sulaiman (No. 5) to court. In the beginning of the 33rd year, he assisted Sadiq Khan (No. 43) in his expedition against Jalalah Tariki in Terah.
In the 43rd year, after a stay of fourteen years in the Panjab, Akbar made Dihli his residence. It was proved that Sh. had been oppressive, and he was therefore repri- Two years later, he served in the A’sir war, and died during the siege of that fort, Zi Hajjah, 1009.
The Tabaqat says that Shiham Khan was in 1001, a Commander of Two Thousand.
The Akbarnamah mentions two other Jalair Grandees—
1. Sultan Husain Khan Jalair. He was mentioned above, p. 384, l. 2.
2. Muhammad Khan Jalair. The Tabaqat says of him, ‘he is an old Amir, and is at present (1001) mad.’ He served under Khan Zaman in the war with Hemu. In the beginning of the 4th year, all three Jalairs served under Khan Zaman against the Afghans in the Jaunpur District.