Muntakhab al-tawarikh 78.4
Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 78.4
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78.4.1
When they drew near, Shah Abu-l-Ma‘ali on the one side, and these domestic enemies on the other, sprang out of ambush, and brought both the Amirs under the pitiless sword. And their old retainers, when they saw what had taken place, fled like frightened deer or wild animals. When news of this came to the Emperor, he happened to be enjoying himself hunting in the neighbourhood of Mat’hura. Nevertheless he marched at once towards Dihli with the intention of quelling the disturbance. And it was at that place that his Majesty’s intention of connecting himself by marriage with the nobles of (P. 61) Dihli was first broached, and Qawwals and eunuchs were sent into the harems for the purpose of selecting daughters of the nobles, and of investigating their condition. And a great terror fell upon the city. Now it was the suggestions of Shaikh Badah, and Lahrah, lords of Agra, which set in motion this train of events. The circumstances are as follows: A widowed daughter-in-law of Shaikh Badah, Fatimah by name (though unworthy of such an honourable appellation), through evil passions and pride of life, which bear the fruits of wantonness, by the intervention of her tire-women lived in adultery with Baqi Khan, brother of Buzurg Adham Khan, whose house was near hers. And this adultery was afterwards dragged into a marriage. She used to bring with her to festive gatherings, another daughter-in-law of Shaikh Badah, who had a husband living, whose name was ‘Abd-ul-Wasi‘.
78.4.2
And the story of the pious cat, which is told in the beginning of the Anwar-i-Sohaili, came true. Now this woman, whose husband was still living, was wonderfully beautiful, and altogether a charming wife without a peer. One day it chanced that the eyes of the Emperor fell upon her, and so he sent to the Shaikh a proposal of union, and held out hopes to the husband. For it is a law of the Moghul Emperors that, if the Emperor cast his eye with desire on any woman, the husband is bound to divorce her, as is shown in the story of Sultan Abu Said and Mir Choban and his son Damashq Khwajah. Then 'Abd-ul-Wasi', reading the verse: "God’s earth is wide": — > “To a master of the world the world is not narrow” bound three divorces in the corner of the skirt of his wife, and went to the city of Bidar in the kingdom of the Dakkan, and so was lost sight of; and that virtuous lady entered the Imperial Haram. Then Fatimah, at the instigation of her own father-in-law urged that the Emperor should become connected in marriage with other nobles also of Agra and Dihli, that the relation of equality [between the different families] being manifested, any necessity for unreasonable preference might be avoided.
78.4.3
At this time, when one day the Emperor was walking and came near the Madrasah-e Begum, a slave named Fulad, whom Mirza Sharaf-ud-din Husain, when he fled and went to Makka, had set free, shot an arrow at him from the top of the balcony of the Madrasah, which happily did no more than graze his skin. When the full significance of this incident was made known to the Emperor by supernatural admonition and the miracles of the Pirs of Dihli, he gave up his intention. The Emperor ordered the wretched man to be brought to his deserts at once, although some of the Amirs wished him to delay a little until the affairs should be investigated, with a view to discovering what persons were implicated in the conspiracy. His Majesty went on horseback to the fortress, and there the physicians applied themselves to his cure, so that in a short time he was healed of his wound, and mounting his royal litter went to A'gra.
78.4.4
On the 15th of the month Jumada-s-sani of the year 970 the Emperor returned to the metropolis. In this year also took place the death of Shah Abu-l-Ma‘ali in Kabul. The circumstances are as follows. After the tragic end of the Begum, the mother of Mirza Muhammad Hakim, Muhammad Qasim Kohbar fled to Mirza Sulaiman in Badakhshan. Then the Mirza, with his wife, who is known as Wali Na'mat, brought a large force against Shah Abu-l-Ma'ali, who, in his turn taking with him Mirza Muhammad Hakim, kindled the flames of war on the banks of the river Ghorband. The right wing of the Kabulees was repulsed by the left wing of the Badakhshees, and Shah Abu-l-Ma‘ali, leaving Mirza Muhammad Hakim to oppose Sulaiman Mirza, (P. 63) hastened to the support of his broken line. But while he was gone Mirza Muhammad Hakim, with the concurrence of his followers, crossed the river and went over to Mirza Sulaiman. Then Abu-l-Ma‘ali, having now no further power of resistance, took to flight. Near the village of Jarikaran he fell into the hands of Sulaiman Mirza’s men, who has gone in pursuit of him, and was made prisoner. They brought him to Sulaiman Mirza at Kabul. Sulaiman Mirza sent him at once bound, and with his hands tied behind his neck, to Muhammad Hakim Mirza, who ordered him to be strangled. This event took place on the evening of the 17th of the blessed month of Ramzan in the year nine hundred and seventy (970).
78.4.5
After this victory Mirza Sulaiman sent for his daughter from Badakhshan and gave her in marriage to Mirza Muhammad Hakim, And when he had appointed one Ummāl ‘Alī, a trusty follower, as administrator of the Mīrzā’s affairs, he returned to Badakhshan. In this year Jamāl Khān, a follower of ‘Adalī, had given up the fort of Chunhar to Fattū (another of ‘Adalī’s followers), whose fame had reached the Imperial Court. When the latter had sent a petition to Court (offering to surrender the fort), Shaikh Muhammad Ghous (of whom Fattū was a devoted disciple), and Āṣaf Khān (who is the same as Khwājah ‘Abd-ul-Majīd Haravī) went and took peaceful possession of the place. They committed the fort to the guardianship of Hasam Khān Turkamān, and sent Fattū to do homage to the Emperor, by whom he was received with all honour. About this time took place the death of Shaikh Muhammad Ghous. While at Gujrāt he had by means of inducements and incitements brought the Emperor, at the beginning of his reign, entirely under his influence as a teacher, but when the truth of matters was fully enquired into, he was obliged to flee with all speed. And Mullā Ismā‘īl ‘Atā-ī Mu‘ammā-ī, one of the Shaik’s trusty friends and disciples (Be on him what may!) found the date in these words: Bandah-e Khudā Shud, “The Lord’s servant is no more.”
78.4.6
While the compiler of this Muntakhab was at Āgra occupied in acquiring the usual branches of knowledge, the Shaikh came in the dress of a Faqīr, with great display and unutterable dignity, and his fame filled the universe. I wished to pay my respects to him, but when I found that he rose up to do honour to Hindūs, I felt obliged to forego the pleasure. But one day I saw him riding through the bazaar in Āgra. A great crowd accompanied him, before and behind, and to return their salutations, and humble gestures, he was obliged continually to bow on every side, so that he had not a moment’s leisure to sit upright in his saddle. Although he was 80 years of age a wonderful freshness, and remarkably fine colour, were observable in his complexion (God be merciful unto him!). On the 26th of the blessed month of Ramzan of this year my most venerable maternal grandfather died at Basawar, I received this news at Sansawan, a dependency of Sambhal. Fazil-i Jahan “Excellent one of the world” gives the date. Since I was indebted to him for instruction in several things, besides some of the Arab sciences, and he deserved greatly the respect of men of science, I experienced much distress and sorrow from this event, and it reopened the wound occasioned by the recent death of my valued father. This verse of Amir Khusru (Upon him be mercy !) occurred to my mind: — “A sword passed on my head, my heart remained two halves, A sea of blood flowed, a unique pearl remained.”
78.4.7
In the course of the year succeeding these events utter confusion seized my [usually] placid mind, and mundane grief, from which it was fleeing, suddenly came on me with grim mirth, and compassed my path. Then the inner meaning of the words “Cast thyself in it upon me” became evident and the words of my late father, which he used often to repeat, were verified, viz., “This thy clamour and confusion endures as long as I am in the bonds of life ; but, when I am no more, they will see how unshackled thou wilt live, and trample upon the world and all that therein is:” — “The world is a house of mourning : what is hidden? A sorrow-stricken one like myself : what is certain ? Mourning became two, my sorrow became double : O help ! For my mourning is become double. It is unjust that there should be two scars on such an one as me ! One light is enough for one candle-stick, One head cannot wear two veils, One breast cannot bear two burdens.”