[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [General histories](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general) › [Muntakhab al-tawārīkh](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh) › [Muntakhabu-t-tawarikh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig) › 78.24 # Muntakhab al-tawarikh 78.24 Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 78.24 - **Language:** English ### [78.24.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.78.24.1) “I go homeward from this door, But my heart is without choice: I lament so much that you would think I was going to a foreign country.” And a few of my own adventures I propose (if God will) to recount in the appendix to this book. One stage from Tulambah Husain Khán wrote a letter to Husain Quli Khan, saying: “Since I have come 400 cosses by forced marches, if you would let me be a participator in this victory, and postpone the battle one day, it would be only friendly.” Husain Quli Khan said “All right!,” and sent the courier back. But that very day, as quickly as ever he could, outside the fortress of Tulambah, which is within 40 cosses of Multan, he commenced the attack. Mirza had gone on a hunting expedition, and was quite unaware of his approach. Some of the Mirza’s men were preparing to march, and others were quite unprepared and (P. 158) dispersed about, and not drawn up in any regular order of battle. Mas'ud Husain Mirza, younger brother of Mirza Ibrahim Husain, took the initiative, and attacked the force of Husain Quli Khan, but his horse stumbled on the uneven ground, and he fell to the ground and was taken prisoner. When Mirza Ibrahim Husain returned from hunting, all chance was gone, and however bravely he fought and charged repeatedly it made no difference, and so, seeing that he could do nothing, he turned his reins and fled. The day after the victory Husain Khan arrived at Tulambah with eighty or ninety men, and drums beating. ### [78.24.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.78.24.2) Husain Quli Khan showed him the battle-field and recounted to him each man’s exploits. Husain Khan then said: “Since the enemy has escaped with his life, you ought to pursue him and take him prisoner, for the business is not yet complete.” Husain Quli Khan replied: “Since I have come by forced marches from Nagarkót, and my army has been subjected to great exertions in the mountain district, and is not in proper condition, this victory is enough for me, now let other friends have a turn.” Husain Khan now hoped that his turn was come, and that the hardships and forced marches of 500 cosses had opened a way for him, so he took his leave, and pressed forward. Some of his men, who were worn out with fatigue, he sent with the elephants and drums to Lahor, and taking but a few men with him he continued the pursuit of the hapless Mirza. There was but a short distance between him and the Mirza, when one night the latter with 400 horsemen halted on the banks of the Biyáh and Satlij, at the point where the two streams unite. The Jhils, who are a low class of Multan peasants, assembled and made a night attack on him and poured a shower of arrows upon him. The Mirza with a party of men, some of them wounded, and some of them disabled and in a miserable plight, did what he could to beat off their assailants. But, in accordance with the proverb: — “A shout is enough for a conquered army,” the Jhils came off victorious. ### [78.24.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.78.24.3) Suddenly during the encounter an arrow, by the decree of God, struck the Mirza on the back of his head and came out at his throat. Then since all was over with him he changed his dress, and his men left him and fled scattered in all directions. But wherever they went, they became marks for the arrow of fate and went to retribution. One or two old servants of the Mirza dressed him in the garments of a Kalandar and endeavoured to get him into some place of safety. In his extreme weakness they brought him for refuge to spend the night in the abode of a hermit Dervish, Shaikh Zakariya by name, who openly applied a mollifying ointment to the wound of the Mirza, but secretly sent information of his whereabouts to Sa‘id Khan at Multan: — “Wherever an ascetic dwells, There treachery is found.” Sa‘id Khan sent a ghulam, Doulat Khan by name, to bring in the Mirza a prisoner, and wrote a dispatch and sent it to the Court at the time that the Emperor was coming to Ajmir on his return from Gujrat. When Husain Khan heard of the capture of the Mirza, he hastened to Multan, and saw Sa‘id Khan. Husain Khan made some difficulty about seeing the Mirza and said: “If when I see him I should salam to him, it will be inconsistent with my loyalty to the Court; and if I do not, it will be uncourteous, and the Mirza will say to himself, ‘This Qalawachi when he received quarter at the siege of Satwas, thought good to make salams without number; ### [78.24.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.78.24.4) now that evil days are fallen upon me, he treats me cavalierly’.” When the Mirzā heard of his ceremonious words, he said: “Come and see me without obeisance, for I waive that.” Still he made his salām, when he went to see him. The Mirzā said with sorrow; “I had no intention of rebellion and revolt, but when it became a matter of life and death, I took my own course and threw myself into a foreign country, but even there I was not left alone. Since by fate’s decree this defeat was destined to come upon me, would that I had been defeated by you, who are my co-religionist, that it might have brought you into notice, and not by this Husain Qulī Khān, who is an alien in religion and sect!” Husain Khān then returned to Kānt-u-Golah, and there he heard that the Mirzā after a short respite had died in prison at Multān:— “He counted a few breaths, and became helpless, Destiny smiled that he too was no more.” ### [78.24.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.78.24.5) Husain Khān went from Kānt-u-Golah to the Court. And Husain Qulī Khān came from the Panjāb and brought with him Mas‘ūd Husain Mirzā with his eyes blindfolded, and a number of other prisoners of the followers of the Mirzā, to Fatḥpūr. They numbered nearly 300 persons, and he brought them prisoners before the Emperor, with the skins of asses, hogs, and dogs drawn over their faces. Some of them were put to death by various ingenious tortures, and the remainder were let go free. Husain Khān had taken prisoners and taken with him some 100 of the followers of the Mirzā, men of determination (who had attained the rank of Khān, and after the defeat on the way to Multān had taken refuge with Husain Khān). Now, when he heard at his own house the news \[of the savage treatment of the prisoners\], he gave these men leave to quit his parganna. Husain Qulī Khān mentioned this body of prisoners, when he was in attendance on the Emperor. Husain Khān sent a representation to Court that, since he had received no orders from the Emperor to put them to death, he had released that band of prisoners, and so had performed a gracious act which might be attributed to His Majesty. The Emperor forgave him, and imposed no penalty on him for the act. At this time Sa‘īd Khān came from Multān to pay his homage to the Emperor, and brought with him the head of Mirza Ibrahim Mirza, which he had had dissevered from his body after his death. And this became the foundation of his favour as a courtier:— ### [78.24.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.78.24.6) “Every bit of dust, which the wind blows away, Was once a Faridun or a Kaiqabad. Sweet it is to practise fate’s agriculture, To sow a Faridun, and reap a Khaqan!” In the year nine hundred and eighty (980) Nagarkot was taken by Husain Quli Khan. The following is an epitome of the history of the event. The Emperor from his youth up had shown a special predilection and inclination for the society of various religious sects, such as Brahmans, and musicians, and other kinds of Hindus. Accordingly at the beginning of his reign a certain Brahman musician, Gaddi Brahmadus by name, whose whole business was perpetually to praise the Hindus, and who was possessed of a considerable amount of capacity and genius, came to the Court. By means of conversing with the Emperor and taking advantage of the idiosyncrasies of his disposition, he crept day by day more into favour, until he attained to high rank, and was honoured with the distinction of becoming the Emperor’s confidant, and it became a case of “Thy flesh is my flesh, and thy blood my blood.” He first received the title of Kab Rai, meaning, Prince of Poets, and afterwards that of Rajah Birbar, meaning “Renowned Warrior.” When the Emperor’s mind became alienated from Rajah Jai Chand, commandant of Nagarkot, who was in attendance at the Court, he appointed that fortress as jagir to Birbar, and having imprisoned Jai Chand, he wrote a farman to Husain Quli Khan, ruler of Lahor, to seize Nagarkot and hand it ... to Birbar. ### [78.24.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.78.24.7) Husain Quli Khan, with the other Amirs of the Panjab such as Mirza Yusuf Khan, and Ja‘far Khan son of Qazaq Khan, and Fattu Masnadi ‘Ali &c., first took by assault Dahmeri, and Gwaliyar, and Kotlah an exceedingly lofty fortress, and reduced that district (P. 162). Then, leaving there a force to occupy the district, he passed over a very difficult pass with elephants, horses, camels, and his whole suit, and large cannon, and immense mortars, and laid siege to the fortress of Kangrah. I myself in the year nine hundred and ninety-eight, when I went to Nagarkot, had occasion to cross that pass, and it is scarcely an hyperbole to say that the foot of the ant in those rugged places would slip through fear. Then Bidhi Chand, son of Jai Chand, thinking that his father had died in prison, shut himself up in the fort. The temple of Nagarkot, which is outside the city, was taken at the very outset. It is a place whither lacs and lacs of men, or rather krors and krors of men, assemble at fixed periods, and bring ass-loads and ass-loads of gold and silver coins, and stuffs and merchandise and other precious things, store-fuls without number, as offerings. On this occasion many mountaineers became food for the flashing sword. And that golden umbrella, which was erected on the top of the cupola of the temple, they riddled with arrows, many of which may be seen hanging there to this day. ### [78.24.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.78.24.8) And black cows, to the number of 200, to which they pay boundless respect, and actually worship, and present to the temple, which they look upon as an asylum, they let loose, and the Musalmans killed them all. And, while the arrows and bullets were continually falling like drops of rain, through their zeal and excessive hatred of idolatry they filled their shoes full of blood, and threw it on the doors and walls of the temple. So many Brahmans, sojourners in the temple, were killed, that both friends and strangers heap a thousand thousands of curses on the head of Birbar, who reckoned himself a saint among the Hindus (curse on them!). So the outer city was taken. Then they threw up mounds and batteries and opened a fire of great guns on the palace of Bidhi Chand. In this bombardment nearly eighty persons lost their lives. Bidhi Chand by a hundred artifices managed to effect his escape, and got off in peace, but the fortress was within an ace of being taken. At this juncture news arrived of the disturbances caused by Mirza Ibrahim Husain, and how that he was making for Lahor: moreover the army of Husain Quli Khan was suffering great hardships. For these reasons and causes he concluded a treaty with them. They paid as tribute five man of gold according to the weight of Akbar Shah, which was one year’s revenue of the temple, and much stuff and precious things of all kinds. ### [78.24.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.78.24.9) And in the month Shavval of this year he read the Khutbah, and stamped coin in the Emperor’s name in that district, and having put all things straight he built the cupola of a lofty mosque over the gateway of Rajah Jai Chand. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.78.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.78.24) · Pramāṇa