The Institutes of Akbar 389: 161. Naqib Khan, son of Mir ’Abdullatif of Qazwin.
The Áín i Akbari (Blochmann, Jarrett) 389
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161. Naqib Khan, son of Mir ’Abdullatif of Qazwin.
389.1
Naqib Khan is the title of Mir Ghiasuddin ’Ali. His family belongs to the Saifi Sayyids of Qazwin, who were known in Iran for their Sunni tendencies. His grandfather Mir Yahya was ‘a well known theologian and philosopher, who had acquired such extraordinary proficiency in the knowledge of history, that he was acquainted with the date of every event which had occurred from the establishment of the Muhammadan religion to his own time.’ ‘In the opening of his career, Mir Yahya was patronized by Shah Tahmasp i Safawi, who called him Yahya Ma’sum,’ and was treated by the king with such distinction, that his enemies, envious of his good fortune, endeavoured to poison his patron’s mind against him, by representing that he and his son, Mir ’Abdullatif, were the leading men among the Sunnis of Qazwin. They at last prevailed so far as to induce the king, when he was on the borders of Azarbaijan, to order Mir Yahya and his son, together with their families, to be imprisoned at Isfahan. At that time, his second son, ’Ala-uddaulah was in Azarbaijan, and sent off a special messenger to convey this intelligence to his father. Mir Yahya being too old and infirm to fly, accompanied the king's messenger to Isfahan, and died there, after one year and nine months, in A. H. 962, at the age of 77 years.’
389.2
‘Mir ‘Abdullatif, however, immediately on receipt of his brother’s communication, fled to Gilan, and afterwards at the invitation of the emperor Humayun went to Hindustan, and arrived at Court with his family just after Akbar had ascended the throne. By him he was received with great kindness and consideration, and appointed in the second year of his reign as his preceptor. At that time Akbar knew not how to read and write, but shortly afterwards he was able to repeat some odes of Hafiz. The Mir was a man of great eloquence and of excellent disposition, and so moderate in his religious sentiments, that each party used to revile him for his indifference.’ ‘When Bairam Khan had incurred the displeasure of the emperor and had left Agrah and proceeded to Alwar, with the intention, as it was supposed, of exciting a rebellion in the Panjab, the emperor sent the Mir to him, to dissuade him from such an open breach of fidelity to his sovereign.’ Elliot, Index, l. c. Mir ‘Abdullatif died at Sikri on the 5th Rajab, 981, and was buried at Ajmir near the Dargah of Mir Sayyid Husain Khing-Suwar. ‘Abdullatif had several sons. The following are mentioned—1. Naqib Khan; 2. Qamar Khan; 3. Mir Muhammad Sharif. The last was killed in 984 at Fathpur by a fall from his horse while playing hockey with the emperor (Bad. II., 230). For Qamar Khan, vide No. 243.
389.3
Naqib Khan arrived with his father in India, when Akbar after his accession was still in the Panjab (Akbarn. II., 23), and soon became a personal friend of the emperor (II., 281). In the 10th year, he conveyed Akbar's pardon to Khan Zaman, for whom Mun’im Khan had interceded (II., 281). In the 18th year, N. accompanied the emperor on the forced march to Patan and Ahmadabad (p. 438, note), and in the following year to Patna. In the end of the 21st year, he took part in the expedition to Idar (III., 165), and was sent in the following year to Malwah or Gujrat, after the appointment of Shihab to the latter province. After the outbreak of the Military Revolt in Bengal, N. with his brother Qamar Khan served under Todar Mall and Cadiq Khan in Bihar against Ma’cum i Kabuli (III., 273). In the 26th year, he received the title of Naqib Khan. Though during the reign of Akbar, he did not rise above the rank of a Hazárí, he possessed great influence at Court. He was Akbar’s reader, and superintended the translations from Sanscrit into Persian, mentioned on p. 104. Several portions of the Táríkh i Alfí also (p. 106) are written by him.
389.4
Naqíb had an uncle of the name of Qází ‘Ísá, who had come from Írán to Akbar’s Court, where he died in 980. His son was Sháh Ghází Khán (vide No. 155). Akbar married the latter to Sakínah Bánú Begum, sister of Mírzá Muhammad Hakím (Akbar’s half-brother); and as Naqíb Khán, in the 38th year, reported that Qází ‘Ísá had expressed a dying wish to present his daughter to Akbar, the emperor married her. Thus two of Naqíb’s cousins married into the imperial family. On the accession of Jahángír, N. was made a Commander of 1500 (Tuzuk, p. 12). He died in the 9th year of J.’s reign (beginning of 1023) at Ajmír, and was buried at the side of his wife within the enclosure of Mu’ín i Chishtí’s tomb (Tuzuk, p. 129). His wife was a daughter of Mír Mahmúd, Munshí ulmamálik, who had been for twenty-five years in Akbar’s service (Badáoní III., 321). Naqíb’s son, ’Abdullatíf, was distinguished for his acquirements. He was married to a daughter of M. Yúsuf Khán (No. 35), and died insane. Naqíb Khán, like his grandfather, excelled in history. It is said that he knew the seven volumes of the Rauzatussafá by heart. Jahángír, in his Memoirs, praises him for his remarkable memory, and Badáoní, who was Naqíb’s school fellow and friend, says that no man in Arabia or Persia was as proficient in history as Naqíb. Once on being asked how many pigeons there were in a particular flock then flying, he responded instantly, without making a mistake of even one.