Muntakhab al-tawarikh 60: SHIR KHAN IBN I HASAN SUR
Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 60
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SHIR KHAN IBN I HASAN SUR
60.1
Whose name was Farid and his title Shir Khan, ascended the throne of empire under the above title, which he assumed. The chronogram Kharabi-i-Mulk-i-Dilli was invented to record that year. Inasmuch as he, by favourable circumstances and his own cleverness and bravery, rose from the rank of Beg to royal dignity, it is essential to give a brief account of his career. The father of Hasan Sur, Ibrahim by name, in the time of Sultan Buhlul, came to Hindustan from Roh, by which is meant Afghanistan, entered the service of Sultan Buhlul, and was stationed in the vicinity of Hissar Firuza and Narnul. After his death (his son) Hasan became a servant of Jamal Khan, one of the Amirs of Sultan Sikandar, and was granted the jaegtr of the pargana of Sahsaram and Khawaspur, dependencies of the fortress of Eastern Rohtas. He had five hundred cavalry under his command. In consequence of the unkindness of his father, and the jealous enmity of his brothers, of whom there were seven, he left his home and giving up the service of Jamal Khan spent some time in Jaunpur in the acquisition of science, and in perfecting himself in knowledge, until he had read the Kafiyah with its commentary and other epitomes, besides acquiring by heart the Gulistan, Bustan, Sikandarnama and other works. He used to go the round of monasteries and colleges, associating with the learned doctors and Shaikhs of that country, and busied himself with the improvement of his character.
60.2
After some time he was reconciled to his father, and was entrusted by him with the management of his jagirs. This he carried out with equity and impartiality, using clever devices for the punishment of rebels, and kept them in check. Later on circumstances again led to an estrangement between Farid and his father, and going to Agra with his own brother, he elected to enter the service of Daulat Khan, one of the chief commanders of Sultan Ibrahim, and laid a complaint against his father and brothers before the Sultan. The Sultan however, was displeased at this and said, This is a disgraceful and inhuman state of things that a father should be displeased with his son and that the son should complain against him. Upon the death of Hasan, Daulat Khan made a representation to the Sultan, and obtained his desire in securing these parganas for Shir Khan. There he remained for some time, and eventually was led by the enmity of his brothers to enter the service of Bihar Khan, the son of Darya Khan Luhani, who had read the khutba and issued the sikka in his own name in Bihar, and had assumed the title of Sultan Muhammad. This was at the time when Sultan Ibrahim had taken the field at Panipat, and Babar Padshah had conquered Hindustan and planted the banner of sovereignty.
60.3
Here he was well received, and as one day, when on a hunting expedition, he killed a tiger in the presence of Sultan Muhammad, the title of Shir Khan was bestowed upon him by the Sultan, who also appointed him to be tutor to his son Jalal Khan. After some time Muhammad Khan Sur, governor of the country of Chaund, made an attempt to turn Sultan Muhammad against Shir Khan, with the object of advancing the interest of his brothers, and having succeeded in getting an order from Sultan Muhammad that the brothers were to have a share in the management of the parganas, sent Suleiman, son of Hasan Sur who has been mentioned, accompanied by one of his servants named Shadi to Khawaspur, and Bhaka the servant of Shir Khan who was known as the father of Khawas Khan engaged in battle with Suleiman and was killed. The remainder fled, and came to Shir Khan at Sahsaram. Shir Khan had no longer the power to cope with Muhammad Khan, nor the inclination to serve Sultan Muhammad, he accordingly abandoned his position and jaegir, and having no other resource betook himself to Sultan Junaid Birlas, who was holding the Government of Karra and Manikpur on behalf of Babar Padshah. 359. He remained in his service, and after presenting many valuable offerings, obtained a fully equipped army as reinforcement from Sultan Junaid, and fought with Muhammad Khan, wrested from him the parganas of Chaund and other parganas, and took possession of them.
60.4
Muhammad Khan fled, and took refuge in the fortress of Rohtas. Shir Khan, having wreaked his vengeance on his brothers, made apologetic overtures to Muhammad Khan, addressing him by the title of uncle; having thus earned his gratitude he handed over the parganas he held as jaegir to him on the same footing as formerly, and leaving Nizam his full brother in charge went again to Sultan Junaid, whom he found just starting to pay his respects to Babar Padshah. Taking Shir Khan with him, Junaid enrolled him among the servants and well-wishers of the king’s court. He accompanied Babar on the expedition to Chanderi. In accordance with Mugul habits and customs, and owing to the carelessness of the king in his management of the affairs of State, and the venality of the revenue-officers, and the utter disorder into which the affairs of the people had fallen, matters came to such a pass that if any person had an object in view, he could quickly bring it to pass. One day Babar, on the occasion of a banquet, observed him behave in a way which deserved the royal censure, and demanded the punishment of Shir Khan. Those who were present at the banquet related the particulars of his independence and arrogant assumption, not omitting to mention some of his double dealings.
60.5
Shir Khan accordingly became apprehensive of danger, and fled from the king's camp to his parganas, whence he wrote a letter couched in apologetic terms and sent it to Sultan Junaid, advancing as a pretext to cover his return, that since Muhammad Khan was led by feelings of hostility against him to induce Sultan Muhammad to send an army against Shir Khan's parganas because of his being in service with the Muguls, and as he could not easily and quickly obtain leave of absence from Babar, he had accordingly taken this liberty and had at all hazards determined to rejoin those who wished well to the Sultan. Thence he proceeded to Sultan Muhammad, where he was honoured by increased confidence and by suitable rewards, and was once more installed as custodian of his younger son Jalal Khan, whose whole affairs he took under his own management. After the death of Sultan Muhammad, he obtained absolute control of the whole country of Bihar and its dependencies.
60.6
He entered into a compact of friendship with Makhdum ‘Alam, the governor of Hajipur, one of the Amirs of the Wali of Bangala, who despatched an Amir named Qutb Khan to undertake the overthrow of Makhdum ‘Alam. Shir Khan marched to the aid of Makhdum ‘Alam, and after a fierce battle put Qutb Khan to death, taking as spoil elephants and treasure and many followers. Jalal Khan and his tribe, who are Lohanis, in spite of Shir Khan, made over Bihar to the ruler of Bangala and elected to serve under him, and leaving Shir Khan to his fate, took care to secure their own safety. The Bangalis in the first instance sent Ibrahim Khan, the son of the Qutb Khan above mentioned, against Shir Khan to wreak vengeance upon him. Shir Khan used daily to fight with them from within the fort, but since the Bangalis received large reinforcements, and no way of retreat remained open to him, he yielded to necessity and fought a battle with them in the open in which he gained the day. Ibrahim Khan also seeing what had occurred went and joined his father, and Shir Khan seized the whole of the camp of the Bangalis with their elephants and artillery, acquiring thereby great renown, so that he established a lasting and undivided control over the country of Bihar and raised himself to the dignity of a Sultan.
60.7
He next wrested the fortress of Chinar together with its vast treasures from the sons of Jamal Khan Sarang-Khani Taj Khan, one of the Amirs of Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, who some years before had regained possession of it, and took in marriage his wealthy and beautiful wife who had vast stores of treasure. This fact also enhanced his grandeur and dignity, so that the desire for sovereignty daily gained more ascendency over his mind, till at last certain powerful Amirs of the Afghan Lodi faction summoned from Chitor Sultan Mahmud, son of Sultan Sikandar Lodi, who, after raising Hasan Khan Miwati and Rana Sanka to royal power, had induced him to fight with Babar Padshah, and subsequently to his defeat had remained in the fortress of Chitor, and seated him upon the throne in Patna. He accordingly came with a vast army and invaded the country of Bihar, and wresting it from Shir Khan took possession of it. Shir Khan was perforce compelled to BuTmiit, and entered his service, and taking leave came to Sahsaram. Sultan Mahmud passing by Sahsaram, after writing and making over to Shir Khan an agreement relating to Bihar, thereby raising his hopes, despatched him to attempt the conquest of Jaunpur and to engage in war with the Amirs of Humayun Padshah. He thus brought the whole of that province as far as Lakhnau into his own power. The Amirs of Humayun Padshah could not stand against Shir Khan, and proceeding to Kalpi gave in their allegiance to him.
60.8
Humayun marched to oppose Sultan Mahmud, and Baban and Bayazid, who were with him. When the two armies met Shir Khan, who had stood aloof from Sultan Mahmud for some days, again joined his force, and sent a message to Mir Hindu Beg Quchin, Commander-in-chief of the Mughal army, saying that on the day of the battle he would make a flank movement and stand on one side. You and the Afghans, said he, well know how utterly I abhor and detest the command of Sultan Mahmud and Baban and Bayazid. Verse If I committed a fault, I have at all events made my road clear. Eventually he did as he had arranged, and Sultan Mahmud and Baban being defeated retired to the country of Patna, and made no further attempts to fight, till in the year 949 H. (1542 A.D.) in the country of Orissa he encamped on the frontiers of the desert of non-existence, and having gone to the appointed goal remained at rest. Humayun Padshah [after this victory] sent Mir Hindu Beg as his agent to Shir Khan with a demand to him to yield up the fort at Chunar. He, however, made some lame excuse, so the king ordered several noted Amirs to precede him and lay siege to that fortress, himself also preparing to follow them. In the meanwhile Shir Khan wrote a petition in which he pointed out his own sincerity and the favour shewn him by Babar, and recounted the deserving nature of his former services, more specially his opposition to Baban and Bayazid.
60.9
This petition he sent by the hand of Qutb Khan, his eldest son, together with a large force, to Humayun Padshah. He sent also with Qutb Khan, ‘Isa Khan Hajjab, who was his vakil with the powers of a vazir, and he fleeing from Gujrat joined his father in Bangala. When Humayun Padshah altered his course towards Gujrat, Shir Khan himself had risen to great dignity and power, so that he engaged in open battle with Humayun on two occasions, and gained the day, as has already been mentioned. Shir Shah in the early part of the year of his accession laid waste the ancient city of Qannauj, and moving it from its original site re-established it on the banks of the river Ganges; it is now known as Shirgarh. In the same manner he destroyed the fortress of Shamsabad and removed it to another place, calling it by the name of Rasulpur. Now, however, at the date of writing, it has been repopulated in its old position. And when he arrived at old Dihli, which was founded by Sultan ‘Alau-d-Din, he destroyed that also, and established between the fortress of Dinpanah, which Muhammad Humayun Padshah constructed, and Firozabad, an extensive city, and built round that fort a rampart of stone and mortar, having an extent of three krohs.
60.10
On his arrival at Sultanpur by continuous marches, the brothers of Humayun Padshah and the Chaghtai Amirs quarrelled, and each took his own way as has been described, and Shir Shah himself, not giving them time to reassemble, came up in pursuit. In this year he issued a public proclamation that from the country of Bangala as far as western Rohtas, which is a four months' journey, and also from Agra to Mandu, at every kroh a sarai (rest-house) and a mosque, and a well built of burned bricks was to be established and a Muazzin and an Imam. A Musulman and a Hindu also appointed to superintend the supply of water for each. A refreshment house was also kept stocked for the use of strangers and poor wayfarers. On both sides of the road also, large and lofty trees were planted in avenues, so that all travellers might go along in the shade of them. Traces of these still remain in most places up to the present time, though fifty-two years have passed since then. In his reign justice was so widespread that if, for example, an old man holding a golden tray in his hand had lain down to sleep whenever he felt inclined, no thief or ruffian would have dared to take it away from him.
60.11
Thanks be to God that the writer of this was born in the reign of so just a king, to use the words of the Prophet, may the peace and blessing of God be upon him, "I was born in the reign of the just king," on the seventeenth of Rabī'u-s sānī in the year 947 H. (1540 A.D.), but, in spite of this, would that the name of that hour and that day had been erased from the chronicles of years and months, so that I had not been obliged to leave the private chamber of non-existence, where I dwelt with the inhabitants of the world of dreams and fancies, and to place my foot into this world of imaginary existence, and to suffer so many scars of various misfortunes, all of which are branded with the stamp, "He loses this world and the next," the context is well-known.