[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Bengal, Orissa and the North-East](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east) › [Riyāẓ al-salāṭīn](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin) › [The Riyazu-s-salatin (Abdus Salam)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam) › 90 # Riyaz al-salatin 90: NIZAMAT OF IBRAHIM KHAN, AND THE ARRIVAL OF PRINCE SHAH JAHAN IN BENGAL. The Riyazu-s-salatin (Abdus Salam) 90 - **Language:** English ### NIZAMAT OF IBRAHIM KHAN, AND THE ARRIVAL OF PRINCE SHAH JAHAN IN BENGAL. ### [90.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.90.1) Ibrahim Khan Fateh Jang, in the year 1027 A.H., corresponding to the 13th year of the Emperor's accession, received the Viceroyalty of Bengal and Orissa. He appointed his nephew, Ahmad Beg Khan to be Governor of Orissa, whilst he himself resided at Jahangirnagar (Dacca), and devoted himself to the work of administration. As during his incumbency, several grave affairs came to pass, these will be briefly narrated. In the 17th year of the Emperor's accession, corresponding to 1031 A.H., news reached Emperor Jahangir to the effect that the King of Persia was aiming to wrest the fort of Qandahar. In consequence thereof, Zainul-'Abidin, the Pay-Master General of the Ahadi troops, communicated an order to Prince Shah Jahan at Burhanpur, directing the latter to march quickly to the Imperial presence with troops, artillery and elephants. The Prince marching from Burhanpur reached Mando, sent a message to the Emperor to the effect that as the rainy season had approached, he would make Mando his rainy-season quarter, and would afterwards wait on the Emperor. He also asked for pargannah Dholpur being added to his jagir, and set Daria Khan Afghan to take charge of it. ### [90.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.90.2) But before the arrival of the Prince's letter, the Emperor had negotiated the marriage of Prince Shahryar with a daughter of Nur Mahal by Sher Afghan, and at Nur Mahal's request the aforesaid Pargannah had been bestowed on Shaharyar, and Sharifu-l-Mulk, servant of Prince Shaharyar, had taken possession of the fort of Dholpur. Soon after, Daria Khan arrived and wanted to forcibly take possession of the fort. From both sides, the fire of conflict kindled. As luck would have it, an arrow hit Sharifu-l-Mulk on the eye, and blinded him. This mishap caused the Begam to be indignant; the fire of discord blazed up, and at the instance of the Begam, the expedition to Qandahar was entrusted to Prince Shahriyar, whilst Mirza Rustam Safavi was appointed 'Ataliq of the Prince and Generalissimo of his army. On hearing of the blazing of the fire of discord, Shah Jahan sent to the Emperor along with a letter Afzal Khan, son of Abul Fazl 'Allami, who after his dismissal from the Governorship of Behar, held the office of Diwan to the Prince, so that with the aid of cajolery and civility the storm of the dust of discord might be made to subside, and relations of amity and harmony between the Emperor and the Prince might not cease. Inasmuch as the Begam held absolute sway over the mind of the Emperor, Afzal Khan was refused an audience, and was ordered back without accomplishing his mission. ### [90.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.90.3) And orders were passed on the Imperial Revenue-officers directing that the Mahals in the possession of Shah Jahan, in the Sarkars of Hisar and Doab, should be transferred to Prince Shaharyar. And injunctions were issued to Prince Shah Jahan, intimating that the Subahs of the Dakhin, and Gujrat and Malwa were bestowed on him, and that he might rule over them, making his headquarters within those limits wherever he pleased, and directing that he should quickly despatch to the Emperor some troops for the expedition to Qandahar. And in the beginning of the month of Khurdad, in the 18th year of the Emperor's accession, in the year 1032 A.H. Asaf Khan, was appointed Subahdar of the Provinces of Bengal and Orissa. Since a daughter of Asaf Khan had been married to Shah Jahan, some malicious persons imputing to Asaf Khan partiality for Shah Jahan, induced the Begam to call from Kabul Mahabet Khan, who was an old enemy of Asaf Khan, and who was also ill-disposed to Shah Jahan. And the Imperial order with the Begam's message was sent for summoning Mahabet Khan. Mahabet Khan on arrival from Kabul, was honoured with an audience by the Emperor. Order was also passed to Sharif Khan, Vakil of Prince Parviz, to hasten to Court with the Prince and the Behar army. And since the Begam was anxious, owing to separation from her brother, that year on the 2nd of the month of Adar, order was given to Asaf Khan to return to Court. ### [90.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.90.4) In short, on being apprised of the foregoing incidents of inattention on the part of the Emperor, and of ill-will on the part of Nur Jahan Begam, Shah Jahan arranged that Qazi 'Abdul Aziz proceeding to court, should represent his wishes to the Emperor, whilst he himself would follow before the arrival of Prince Parviz and the armies from different parts of the Empire, so that the dust of discord might possibly be laid. In short, the aforesaid Qazi met the Imperial army on the banks of the river of Ludianah. Inasmuch as the Emperor's mind was enamoured of the Begam's seductions, the Qazi was refused access to the Emperor, and Mahabet Khan was ordered to imprison him. Soon after, Shah Jahan also with a large army encamped at Fatehpur, in the vicinity of Akbarabad (Agra). The Emperor marched back from Sirhind, and all the grandees and officers from different jagirs joined the Emperor, and before the Capital, Delhi, was reached, a numerous force collected. The vanguard of the Imperialists was entrusted to the command of 'Abdullah Khan, who was ordered to proceed one kroh in advance of the Imperial camp. But Shah Jahan, foreseeing the result, thought that if he engaged in fighting against such a numerous army, the result might prove disastrous. Consequently, together with the Khan Khanan and other officers, retiring by the right-side road, he marched 20 kroh northwards. ### [90.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.90.5) He left, however, Rajah Bikramajit and Darab Khan, son of the Khan Khanan, together with other officers, in front of the Imperialists, so that if the latter, under the direction of the Begam, led the pursuit, the aforesaid commanders might prevent their advance, till the discord subsided. On the 20th Jamadi-al-Awwal 1032 A.H., news of Shah Jahan's withdrawal reached the Emperor. The Begam, under the advice of Mahabet Khan, detached Asaf Khan, Khwajah Abul Hasan, 'Abdullah Khan, Lashkar Khan, Fedai Khan and Nawazish Khan, &c, with 25,000 cavalry to fight. From Shah Jahan's side, Rajah Bikramajit and Darab Khan, arraying their forces, advanced, and on both sides the fighting commenced with arrows and muskets. As 'Abdullah Khan was in intrigue with Shah Jahan, he promised that when the two forces would encounter each other, availing himself of an opportunity, he would go over to the Prince's side. Finding an opportunity now, he with the greatest expedition joined Shah Jahan's army. Rajah Bikramajit who was aware of 'Abdullah Khan's plan, with great delight went to Darab Khan, to inform the latter of 'Abdullah Khan's desertion. As luck would have it, a cannon-ball hit the Rajah on the forehead, and threw him down. From this mishap, the thread of the arrangement of Shah Jahan's army was broken. ### [90.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.90.6) Although a commander like 'Abdullah Khan, destroying the basis of the Imperial vanguard, had joined the Prince's army, Darab Khan and other commanders of Shah Jahan's army were not daring enough to hold their ground. On the Imperialists' side, the desertion of 'Abdullah Khan, and on the Prince's side, the fall of Rajah Bikramajit caused mutual confusion, and both the armies were dispirited. Towards the end of the day, both the forces withdrew to their quarters. At length, the Emperor withdrew from Akbarabad towards Ajmir, whilst Prince Shah Jahan retired towards Mando. On the 25th of the Jamadi-al-Awwal, the Emperor detached Prince Parviz with a large army to follow up Shah Jahan; and Mahabat Khan was entrusted with the command of Prince Parviz's army. When Prince Parviz with his army, crossing the defile of Chanda arrived in the Vilayet of Mando, Shah Jahan with his army sallied out of the fort of Mando, and detached Rustam Khan with a body of troops to encounter Prince Parviz. Bahau-d-din Barqandaz, one of the confidants of Rustam Khan, a servant of Shah Jahan, held treasonable correspondence with Mahabat Khan, and was waiting for an opportunity. At the time when the two armies fell into battle-array, Rustam Khan riding forward joined the Imperialists. ### [90.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.90.7) This wretched Rustam Khan was by Shah Jahan elevated from the mansab of a Sehbasti to that of a Panjhazari, and honoured with the title of Rustam Khan and appointed Governor of Gujrat, and he enjoyed the Prince's full confidence. Now that the Prince appointing him generalissimo detached him to encounter Prince Parviz, the wretch shelving the obligations of so many years' kindness, joined Mahabet Khan. Owing to the occurrence of this mishap, Shah Jahan's army got demoralised, and all confidence between each other was lost. Many, going the high-way of infidelity, fled. On hearing of this, Shah Jahan summoned the remnant of the army to his side, crossed the river Narbada, and removed the boats to his side of the river-bank. Leaving Bairam Beg, the Pay-Master General of the Force, with a body of troops on the banks of the river, Shah Jahan himself with the Khan-i-Khanan and 'Abdullah Khan and others proceeded towards the fort of Asir and Burhanpur. Muhammad Taqi Bakshi intercepting the letter of the Khan Khanan, which the latter had secretly despatched to Mahabet Khan, produced it before Shah Jahan. On the top of the letter, this line was written: — Translation : A hundred persons with their eyes watch me, Or else I should have fled from this discomfort. Shah Jahan summoning the Khan Khanan with his son Darab Khan from his house, secretly showed him the letter. The latter failed to give any satisfactory explanation. ### [90.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.90.8) Consequently, the Khan-i-Khanan with his son was kept in surveillance close to the Prince's quarters, and then the inauspicious presage of the line (quoted above) came to pass. Mahabet Khan sending secret letters, had diverted the Khan Khanan from the path of loyalty, through the persuasions of traitors. And the Khan Khanan, by way of advice, told Shah Jahan that as the times were out of joint, following the saying : jU\> AjU jb /i a}LJ y lj jJUj (Translation : "If the times do not fall in with you, you must adjust yourself to the times ") he should arrange for an armistice, as that would be expedient and desirable in the interests of humanity. Shah Jahan deeming the extinguishing of the fire of discord to be a great achievement, called the Khan Khanan to his closet, and first reassured his mind in respect of him by making the latter swear by the Qoran. And the Khan Khanan placing his hand on the Qoran swore with vehemence that he would never play false with the Prince, nor turn disloyal, and that he would put forth his efforts to bring about the welfare of both the parties. Thus being reassured, Shah Jahan sent off the Khan Khanan, and kept Darab Khan and his sons with himself. It was also settled that the Khan Khanan should remain on this side of the river Narbada, and by means of correspondence arrange terms of peace. ### [90.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.90.9) When news of the conclusion of an armistice and of the departure of the Khan Khanan became known, the troops who had been stationed to guard the banks of the river, ceasing to be vigilant and alert, neglected to guard the ferries of the river. Of a night, at a time when these were asleep, a body of Imperialists plunging into the river with their horses, gallantly crossed over. A great hubbub arose, and from panic men's hands and feet were paralysed. Bairam Beg, ashamed of himself, went to Shah Jahan. On hearing of the treachery of the Khan Khanan and of the crossing of the river Narbada by the Imperialists, Shah Jahan deeming it inexpedient to halt any further at Burhanpur, crossed the river Tapti, in the thick of the rains, amidst a storm-wave, and marched towards Orissa, scouring the Province of Qutbu-l-Mulk. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.90](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.90) · Pramāṇa