Muntakhab al-tawarikh 59.1
Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 59.1
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59.1.1
Marching by forced marches from Sambal in the year 937 H. (1530 A.D.), with the concurrence of Amir Nizamu-d-din who was the agent and prime minister of the Government ascended the throne. The following chronogram was invented to record the date: Verse. Muhammad Humayun of auspicious fortune, Who is the best of kings by virtue of his merit, The year in which he ascended the kingly throne Was distinguished by the words Khairu-l-Mulk. Moreover, inasmuch as at the time of his accession he made present of trays filled with gold another chronogram was invented in the words Kashti-i-Zar (Tray of gold). After disposing of all matters of importance he led an army against the fortress of Kalinjar, and after quelling the insurrection of Sultan 'Alam ibn-i-Sultan Sikandar Lodi who had raised a revolt in Jaunpur, returned to Agra and made a great feast at which entertainment twelve thousand people were distinguished by the bestowal of robes of honour. Verse. A king will have the upper hand of his enemies When his army is happy and contented; But if he withholds their just reward from his soldiery, They in turn will withhold their hands from the sword. In those days Muhammad Zaman Mirza ibn-i-Badi'u-z-Zaman Mirza ibn-i-Sultan Husain Mirza, who had hostile intentions was captured. Sending him to the fortress of Baiana, orders were given for his eyes to be put out.
59.1.2
The pupil of his eye remained uninjured however, and shortly after, he escaped from prison and fled for refuge to Sultan Bahadur of Gujrat. It is said that at the time when Muhammad Zaman Mirza joined Sultan Bahadur, the latter was engaged in besieging Chitor, and the weather was exceedingly hot. Muhammad Zaman was seized with a pain at the heart, for the cure of which the physicians declared gulqand (confection of roses) to be indispensable. Muhammad Zaman Mirza begged Sultan Bahadur to send him a piece of this gulqand. He accordingly summoned his sharbatdar (preparer of beverages), and enquired how much gulqand there had been brought with the camp; he replied that there must be more than twenty cart loads. The whole of this he sent to the camp of Muhammad Zaman Mirza and apologetically explained that this amount had been estimated as the probable requirements of the army, if it were not sufficient he begged to be excused. It eventually transpired that the juice of the gulqand used to be extracted for his use, and that for this reason there were so many carts accompanying him. Muhammad Sultan Mirza, with his two sons Ulugh Mirza and Shah Mirza, proceeded to Qanauj and laid the foundations of revolt, and when the king, now deceased, wrote and despatched to Sultan Bahadur letters summoning Muhammad Zaman Mirza, Sultan Bahadur sent back a discourteous reply; he accordingly determined upon the conquest of Gujrat.
59.1.3
Bahadur, having collected an army to reduce the fortress of Chitor and oppose Rana Sanka, engaged him in battle, and besieged him. Tatar Khan Lodi being despatched by him, came and gained possession of the fortress of Baiana, extending his depredations as far as Agra; and, after a fierce conflict with Mirza Hindal, in which he attacked with three thousand men, was put to the sword with all his following. While Sultan Bahadur was besieging Chitor for the second time, Muhammad Humayun Padshah moved against him from Agra, and in this same year Mirza Kamran, proceeding by forced marches from Lahor to Qandahar, defeated Sam Mirza, the brother of Shah Tahmasp, who was besieging Khwaja Kalan Beg, and the following hemistich gives the date Zada Padshah Kamran Sam ra (King Kamran defeated Sam) Maulana Bekasi also writes the following Verse At that time when the crown and the golden goblet stands in sight, When amid the joy and feasting is seen the form of the dragon and the chasing of the cup, I enquired from wisdom, why hast thou cast down in our midst the gold scattering crown, like a crimson tulip? She answered, the heaven, by way of assigning a date to this encounter, has cast down the golden crown, in consequence of the defeat of the army of Sam.
59.1.4
Muhammad Humayun Padshah, considering that it would be disgraceful to go up against Sultan Bahadur and engage his attention while he was engaged in the siege of Chitor halted at Sarangpur. Sultan Bahadur meanwhile forcibly reduced the fort of Chitor, after which he engaged in war with Padishah (Humayun) for a space of two months in the neighbourhood of Mandsur, a dependency of Malwa, but owing to the fact that no supplies of grain could reach the camp of Bahadur, man and beast died from starvation, and Bahadur with five of his most trusty Amirs left the royal tent by the rear door and fled towards Mandsur. The following verse commemorates the date of this event: — Humayun Shah-i-Ghazi, who has thousands of slaves in his palace like Jamshid, When he came victorious towards Gujrat, returned in triumph, the glory of the sons of Timur. Since Bahadur fell humbled and abject, The date thereof was “The disgrace of Bahadur.”
59.1.5
Muhammad Humayun Padshah pursued him, and the Mughal soldiers came upon Bahadur one night while he was asleep, and were near taking him prisoner, but he made his escape with five or six horsemen towards Gujrat. Sultan ‘Alam Lodi, however, fell into their hands and they cut off his feet. The army of Humayun Padshah pursued Bahadur by rapid marches and laid waste Ahmadabad. Bahadur leaving Ahmadabad went to Kanbhayat, and from there to the port of Dip, and at that time the fortress of Junpanir was also taken after a little by the Padshah, and treasure beyond computation fell into his hands. The year in which this happened may be learned from the following verse— Wisdom sought for the date of the victory of Shah Humayun and discovered this, “It was the ninth of the month of Safar”. Then Bahadur, in concert with the Zamindars of the country of Sorath, collected a force and proceeded towards Ahmadabad. Mirza 'Askari who, after the return of Humayun Padshah towards the East, remained at Ahmadabad with the intention of having the Khutbah read in his own name, in which project he had the support of Amir Hindu Beg, however, he could not carry out his plan, and after slight opposition left for Junpanir, the governor of which place, Tardi Beg, having entrenched himself, sent letters to the court conveying the tidings of the revolt of Mirza 'Askari.
59.1.6
But at the time when Humayun had left Mandu on his way to Agra Mirza 'Askari met him on the road and gave in his submission, and Bahadur took Junpanir from Tardi Beg without the necessity of fighting. [And in this year Shaikh Jamali Kambawi of Dihli left this transitory world for the kingdom of eternity. A chronogram has been invented to commemorate this in the words Khusru-i-Hind buda (he was the Khusru of Hindostan).] In this year also Shah Tahmasp came up against Qandahar from 'Iraq to take vengeance on Sam Mirza, and Khwaja Kalan Beg leaving the city empty, and leaving the Diwankhana (Hall of audience) locked up just as it was, adorned with its splendid carpets, its magnificent furniture, and all the appurtenances of the audience chamber, came out to invite Shah Tahmasp to alight at that pleasantly prepared resting place, which he did, and gave Khwaja Kalan Beg great praise for his conduct, saying, that is a good servant whom Kamran Mirza possesses. Shah Tahmasp left Qandahar in charge of Badagh Khan, one of his own Amirs, and returned to ‘Iraq. Mirza Kamran at this same juncture, proceeded by forced marches from Lahor, and arriving at Qandahar took possession of it. Muhammad Zaman Mirza, whom Bahadur had despatched after his defeat to inflict injury upon Hindustan, took advantage of the absence of Mirza Kamran to invest Lahor; but, when he heard tidings of the return of Humayun Padshah to Gujrat, retraced his steps.
59.1.7
At the expiry of one year from the accession of Humayun Padshah in Agra, Shir Khan Afghan Sur, in the absence of Humayun, collected a large force, and took possession of the country of Gour, Bihar, and Jaunpur, and also the fortress of Chinar. Humayun Padshah encamped before the fort of Chinar, with the intention of opposing Shir Khan, on the fourteenth of the month of Safar in the year 943 H., and besieged Jalal Khan, son of Shir Khan, who eventually obtained the title of Islam Shah. In a short time by the exertions of Rumi Khan the Artillerist, (on whose name Sultan Bahadur had written and despatched the following enigma:— It were a pity to take the name of that dog on one’s lips Place a stake (mikh) in his life (jan) and read his name). The climate of Bangala proved so extremely suitable to Humayun, that he changed the name of Gaur to Jannatabad (The realm of Paradise), and having halted there for (two or) three months returned. In the meanwhile Shir Khan’s affair was assuming large proportions, and his following was increasing. He wrote a letter to Humayun, saying, ‘all these Afghans are the servants and retainers of His Majesty the King, and beg to be granted jaegirs, if the king will think about a jaegir for them, then it will be well, but if not, hunger will drive them to open revolt. Up to the present time I have kept them in check, but now they no longer obey me, and the proverb is well-known. The hungry man will throw himself upon the sword.
59.1.8
For the rest whatever the king says is law.’ Humayun, when he grasped the contents of the letter, saw clearly what its object was, and seeing that the opportunity had passed by, and considering the bareness of equipment and inefficiency of his army, which had recently been doubled, many horses and camels having died, while the remainder were so jaded and emaciated that they were of no use whatever, he set about devising some remedial measures. Mirza Hindal, who had accompanied the king as far as Mongir, was despatched to Agra to put down the rebellion of Muhammad Sultan Mirza, Ulugh Mirza, and Shah Mirza, who had fled and had done great mischief in the Dihli country, and were now returning. Muhammad Zaman Mirza, after that Sultan Bahadur was drowned in the sea owing to the treachery of the Firangis, could not accomplish anything, and again sought refuge with Humayun.