Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

Muntakhab al-tawarikh 54: SULTAN SIKANDAR IBN I SULTAN BAHLOL

Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 54

Language
English

SULTAN SIKANDAR IBN I SULTAN BAHLOL

54.1

Who was known by the name of Nizam Khan, upon hearing the tidings of his father's decease, came in haste from Dihli to the township of Jalali, entered the camp and despatched the corpse of his father to Dihli. On Friday, the seventeenth of the year above mentioned, he ascended the throne in the palace of Sultan Firoz, which is situated on the banks of the Black water, with the concurrence of Khan-i-Jahan ibn-i-Khan-i-Jahan, and Khan-i-Farmali, and all the Amirs, and was addressed by the title of Sultan Sikandar. It is said that at the time of leaving Dihli, he went to Shaikh Sama'u-d-Din Kanbu, the spiritual guide of Shaikh Jamali, who was one of the greatest among the Ulama Shaikhs of his time, on pretence of taking an omen, for this reason that he feared lest the Shaikh might favour the claims of the other brothers, so making his customary daily walk a pretext, he enquired the meaning of the expression As'adak Allah from the Shaikh. 314. When he answered, It means may God Most High make you fortunate, he besought him saying, Kindly let this expression fall three several times from your auspicious lips; the Shaikh did so, then he arose and said I have gained my request, then he besought the Shaikh to assist him, and set out to go to the army, and after that his rule was firmly established, he left Dihli, and marched towards Rapri and Itawa to conquer the country, and spent seven months there.

54.2

He also sent Ismail Khan Luhani with overtures of peace to King Barbak Shah at Jaunpur, while he proceeded in person against ‘Isa Khan Governor of Patiali, and ‘Isa Khan confronted and fought with him and was wounded, and after tendering his submission succumbed to his wounds. Rai Ganesh, the Raja of Patiali who was friendly to Barbak Shah, came in and had an interview with the Sultan who confirmed him in the Government of Patiali. Barbak Shah coming from Jaunpur to Qanauj, the parties met and an engagement took place between them. Mubarak Khan Luhani, who was with the army of Barbak Shah, was taken prisoner in this battle, Barbak Shah fled to Badaon, Sultan Sikandar besieged that fortress, and Barbak Shah being reduced to extremities sought an interview with the Sultan, who reassured and encouraged him, and took him along with him to Jaunpur, restoring him to his former position upon the throne of the Sharqi kings, except that he divided certain parganas of these territories among his own Amirs, detailing armies for each place and appointing trusted officers of his own following to assist Bartook Kalpi from 'Azam Humayun the son of Khwaja Bayazid. From thence he came to Jaturah, and from that place to Gwaliar, sending Khwaja Muhammad Farmuli with a special robe of honour on an embassy to Raja Man, who in turn sent his brother's son to pay his respects to the Sultan and to offer his submission. This nephew of his accordingly accompanied the Sultan as far as Biana.

54.3

Sultan Sharq the Governor of Baiana, the son of Sultan Ahmad Jilwani the Rival, came and visited him, and was desirous of handing over the key of the fort to the agents of the Sultan; however he changed his mind, and on arrival at Baiana strengthened the defences of the fort. The Sultan proceeded to Agra where Haibat Khan Jilwani, a subordinate of Sultan Sharf fortified himself in the fort of Agra. The Sultan left certain of his Amirs in Agra and proceeded to Baiana and in the year 897 H. (1491 A.D.) Sultan Sharq fell into straits and sued for quarter, surrendering the fortress of Baiana to the Sultan; that province was then conferred upon Khan-i-Khanan Farmuli. In the same year the tribe of Bachgotis in the Jaunpur territory had assembled to the number of a hundred thousand cavalry and infantry, and were raising a disturbance. The Sultan proceeded thither and Barbak Shah came in and offered his allegiance.

54.4

Leaving there, he proceeded to occupy himself with a hunting expedition to the borders of Awadh (Oudh), and again returned to Jaunpur, and arrived at the fortress of Janhai, and engaged in battle with the Amirs of Sultan Husain Sharqi who held it, and having defeated them, without waiting to completely invest the fortress came to Patna, and having come to Aril, which is near Ilahabas (otherwise called Prayag), laid waste that district, and proceeding by way of Karra and Manikpur hastened to Dalmau, and from thence came to Shamsabad, and remaining there six months went to Sambhal [whence he again returned to Shamsabad]. And after the rainy season in the year 900 H. (1494 A.D.) he set out with the object of chastising the rebels of Patna, and great slaughter took place and many prisoners were taken; from thence he proceeded to Jaunpur. In this expedition very many horses were lost, hardly one in ten remaining alive the zemindars of Patna and others wrote and informed Sultan Husain Sharqi of the loss of the horses, and of the scarcity of supplies in Sultan Sikandar’s army, and invited him (to advance). Sultan Husain collected an army, and marched from Behar with a hundred elephants against Sultan Sikandar, who for his part crossed the Ganges by the ford of Kantit and came to Chenar and from thence to Banaras. Sultan Husain had arrived within seventeen krohs of Banaras when Sultan Sikandar marched against him rapidly.

54.5

In the midst of his march Salbahan the Raja of Patna, who was a trusty zemindar, left Sultan Husain and joined Sultan Sikandar. Sultan Husain drew up in line of battle, but suffered defeat and retired towards Patna. Sultan Sikandar left the camp, and pursued him with a hundred thousand light cavalry; while thus engaged he learned that Sultan Husain had gone to Bihar. After nine days Sultan Sikandar arrived, and joining his camp set out for Bihar. Sultan Husain, leaving his deputy in Bihar, could not remain there, but proceeded to Khul Gauw one of the dependencies of Lakhnauti, and Bihar fell into the hands of Sikandar’s troops. Thence the Sultan proceeded to Tirhut and conquered it. And in the year 901 H. (1495 A. D.) Khan-i-Jahan Lodi died, and Ahmad Khan his eldest son was styled A'zam Khan Humayun. The Sultan returned from Tirhut, and went to pay a visit to the tomb of Qutbu-l-Mashaikh-i-l-'Izam Shaikh Sharfu-d-Din Muniri, may God sanctify his resting-place, and came to From thence he set out on an expedition against Sultan 'Alau-d-Din, king of Bangala, and in the vicinity of Bihar, the son of Sultan 'Alau-d-Din, whose name was named, in obedience to his father’s orders came out to overthrow Sultan (Sikandar), and prepared to oppose him, but they retraced their steps, each one contenting himself with his own territories, and consenting to make peace. In this year great scarcity and dearth occurred in the camp of the Sultan;

54.6

orders were promulgated remitting the customary tribute of grain in all provinces, in fact they were entirely abolished. From thence he came to the township of Saran, and divided that district among his own followers in perpetuity, and came by way of Mahligarh to Jaunpur, and having spent six months there proceeded to Panna. And in the year 901 H. (1495 A.D.) he invaded the territory of Panna, as far as Bandhugarh, which is a famous fortress, plundering and taking prisoners, but being unable to take the fortress on account of its strength, went to Jaunpur where he remained. In the meanwhile a quarrel had arisen among some of his Amirs during a game of chaugan, and at last it ended in an open fight, and the Sultan becoming suspicious of the Amirs, gave orders that some armed and trusty guards should attend him every night, which was accordingly done. The majority of the disaffected and disappointed Amirs urged Fath Khan the son of Sultan Buhlul to seize the empire. He in his simplicity communicated this secret to his mother, and also to Shaikh Tahir, and a party who were among the confidants of the Sultan, at the same time giving them a memorandum containing the names of those confederate Amirs. The party above mentioned diverted him from that insane idea with friendly admonition.

54.7

To prove their own innocence of complicity in that treasonable design, they took that memorandum to Sultan Sikandar, who devised some specious pretext for scattering in different directions all those Amirs who had shewn partiality for the Prince Fath Khan. And in the year 905 H. (1499 A.D.) he proceeded to Sambal, and resided there for four years employed in affairs of State, and used to spend his time either in luxurious living, or in hunting expeditions.

54.8

And in the year 906 H. (1500 A.D.) Asghar the Governor of Dihli began to commit malpractices. The Sultan accordingly sent orders from Sambal to Khawass Khan the Governor of Machhiwara, to seize Asghar and send him (into his presence); but Asghar anticipating this had gone humbly to Sambal where he suffered imprisonment; and Khawass Khan received the Governorship of Dihli. In this year also Khan-i-Khanan Farmuli the Governor of Baiana died, and the Government of that place was for some time entrusted to Ahmad and Suleiman the two sons (? grandsons) of Khan-i-Khanan. After a time they entered the Sultan's service at Sambal, and the Government of the fortress (of Biana) was made over to Khawas Khan, while Safdar Khan was appointed to the charge of Agra, which was one of the dependencies of Biana. Khawas Khan with the assistance of 'Alam Khan Governor of Miwat, and Khan Khanan Luhani proceeded to attempt the capture of Dholpur. The Rai of that place came out to oppose them, and heavy fighting ensued in which many Muslims attained martyrdom The Sultan leaving Sambal came with all haste to Dholpur, and Rai Manik Deo, Raja of Dholpur, not being able to hold out, evacuated the fort and went to Gwaliar They plundered and pillaged the district around Dholpur The Sultan having remained a month in those parts left to reduce Gwaliar, and leaving Adam Lodi there crossed the river Chambal, and encamped for two months on the banks of the river Mendaki.

54.9

By reason of the badness of the climate of that place sickness broke out among the population and a pestilence arose The Raja of Gwaliar also came and made overtures of peace, and delivered up Sa'id and Babu and Rai Ganesh, who had deserted from the army of the Sultan and had taken refuge in that fort, and also sent his eldest son to do homage to the Sultan, who sent him back after bestowing upon him a horse and robe of honour, returning himself to Agra. At the time of his return he restored the fort of Dholpur also to Binayik Deo, and having spent the rainy season in Agra, after the rising of Canopus in the year 910 H. (1504 A.D.), marched to reduce the fortress of Mandrayal, which he took without fighting from the Raja of Mandrayal, who sued for peace; he also destroyed all the idol-temples and churches of the place, and, as he returned, rebuilt anew the fortress of Dholpur, then came to Agra and gave his Amirs permission to proceed to their several jaegirs. [And in this year Mir Saiyyid Muhammad of Jaunpur, may God sanctify his holy resting place, who was one of the chief of the great walis and had even laid claim to be the Mahdi, in answer to the call of Him who has the true claim to us all answered, Here am I, while returning from Makkah the sacred city towards Hindustan, at the town of Farah where he was buried. Qazi Husain Zargar of Qandahar, God's mercy be on him] whom, as well as the Mir himself I had the honour of visiting, wrote the following chronogram:

54.10

He said, Go and enquire from the Shaikh.’ Shaikh Mubarak also invented a chronogram in the words [Maza Mahdi, The Mahdi has departed]. On the third of the month of Safar in the year 911 H. (6th July, 1505 A.D.) so violent an earthquake occurred over the whole of Hindustan that the hills began to tremble, while strong and lofty buildings fell to atoms, and the earth in places was cleft and rents appeared, while they assert that villages and trees left their places, and men supposed that the day of resurrection had arrived. We learn from the and other histories, that this earthquake was not confined to Hindustan, but that on the same day in Persia also a similar earthquake occurred, and the word was invented as a chronogram to record the date of it. In nine hundred and eleven the city of Agra became the goal of several successive earthquakes And whereas her buildings were excessively lofty, that which had been their highest points became the lowest. From the time of Adam to the present time no such earthquake has ever been known. And in the year 912 H. (1506 A.D.), after the rising of Canopus, he marched against the fortress of Untgarh, and laid siege to it, and many of his men joyfully embraced martyrdom, after that he took the fort and gave the infidels as food to the sword; those who escaped the sword fed the flames of the fire of johar with their wives and children. He then cast down the idol temples, and built there a lofty mosque.

54.11

In the year 913 H. (1507 A.D.), after the rising of Canopus he proceeded with the object of reducing the fortress of Narwar. Whilst en route he fell in with the elephants and cavalry and infantry of Jalal Khan Lodi, whom he had sent on in advance to clear the way, and whom he had appointed to reduce Narwar. Becoming suspicious of him, he set about overthrowing him, and made some pretext for dispersing his forces, and taking him prisoner sent him to the fortress of Sakkar; he then took Narwar, the garrison having capitulated. And in the year 914 H. (1508 A.D.) he constructed other forts round Narwar to increase its strength, and bestowing In this year also Suleiman, the son of Khan-i-Khanan Farmuli, was dismissed from the service of the Sultan, on the grounds that he had been appointed to perform a service at Utgir, and in the direction of Supar, and had refused: the pargana of Indri Karnal was given him as Madad-i-ma'ash (rent-free land), with orders to go and remain there. In this year Bahjat Khan of Malwa transferred Chanderi to Sultan Sikandar on account of the weakness of Sultan Mahmud of Malwa, and read the Khutbah in his name in those districts. Accordingly proclamations conveying tidings of this victory were written to all parts of the Kingdom;

54.12

and Muhammad Khan, the grandson of Sultan Nasiru-d-Din of Malwa, was taken prisoner, and Chanderi was (nominally) placed under his authority, but Amirs were appointed to supervise him so that they might be aware of all his movements, control his actions, and administer his jagir, then the Sultan proceeded on a hunting excursion towards Baiana, and paid his respects to the various learned and holy men of those districts, who were at that time famous for their miracles and wonder-working, especially Saiyyid Ni'amatu-llah and Shaikh 'Abdullah Husaini, who was one of those famous for revelations and miracle-working, with whom he used to consort frequently. Shahzada Daulat Khan, Governor of the fortress of Rantambhor, in the service of Sultan Mahmud of Malwa, availing himself of the intermediary aid of ‘Ali Khan of Nagor, who was in charge of the province of Siwi Supur, came and had an interview with the Sultan, and agreed to give up to him the key of the fortress. It so chanced that the ‘Ali Khan who has been spoken of above, once more practised his hypocrisy, and came out from the fort to oppose him. The Sultan pretended not to notice this, and treated Daulat Khan as though he were his own son, bestowing upon him a special robe of honour, with several horses and elephants, and proceeded towards the fort of Phatikar, and from thence proceeding by way of the township of Bahlol, he returned thence to Agra.

54.13

Here he was seized with an illness, and took the journey to the next world on Sunday the seventeenth of Zul Q‘adah 923 H. (Jan. 1518 A.D.). The words Jannat-i-firdaus nazala (The gardens of Paradise came down) furnish the date of his death, the duration of his reign was twenty-eight years and five months. Verse. Sikandar, the emperor of the seven kingdoms continued not. No one continues, seeing that Sikandar himself did not continue. Sultan Sikandar used to associate frequently with poets and was himself also a man of taste, and would occasionally compose verses after the ancient Hindustani models, under the pseudonym of Gulrukh, accordingly he felt great pleasure in the companionship of Shaikh Jamali. The following verses are the product of the genius of the Sultan, and are written with the utmost regard to poetical form.

Linked texts (1)