Muntakhab al-tawarikh 78.5
Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 78.5
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78.5.1
In this year I‘timad Khan, chief eunuch of Aslim Shah, obtained the highest consideration in the haram, and even in state matters became the Sovereign’s confidant. He showed an enterprise, and economy, such as was never before exhibited, and the monetary matters of the Divan became more settled. He was in his turn succeeded by Todarmal. And during the time of the influence of Maham Ankah, and the Bēgum, and I‘timad Khan the chief eunuch (who was a man of sense and discretion), Mir ‘Abd-ul-Hayy aptly quoted the following tradition from the Nahj-ul-balaghat which is attributed to Amir (may God accept him !), but others attribute it to that noble paragon the late ‘Alam-ul-huda’ of Baghdad, “He said (Peace be upon him !) “A time will come on men, when none will become favourites but profligates, and none be thought witty but the obscene, and none thought weak but the just : when they shall account the alms a heavy imposition, and the bond of relationship a reproach, and the service of God shall be a weariness unto them, and then the government shall be by the counsel of women, and the rule of boys, and the management of eunuchs.” From this event to the time of emancipation a whole age passed ! “Ah what a difference ’tis between What now is and what has been.”
78.5.2
In the year 971 Khwajah Muzaffar ‘Ali Turbati received the title of Khan, and was made Minister of Finance, and they found Zālim “oppressor” to give the date. Meanwhile day by day a rivalry in matters general and particular went on between the Raja and him. And a certain wit adapted the old verse, (p. 66) : — “A dog of a Cashi is better than a Çifahani, Although a dog is a hundred times better than a Cashi” in the following manner : — “A dog of a Raja is better than Muzaffar Khan Although a dog is a hundred times better than a Raja.” When the Amirs complained of the Raja to the Emperor, and requested his dismissal, he returned answer “Every one of you has a Hindu to manage his private affairs. Suppose we too have a Hindu, why should harm come of it?” And a foolish fellow invented the following jewellers-posie concerning the Raja:— “He who of Indian affairs made a mull Was the Raja of Rajas Todarmal.” In this year Qazi Lai, the wittiest of all good fellows and boon-companions, was sent for from the town of Baran under some pretext or other, and delivered up to punishment. The words Qazi Lai give the date.
78.5.3
In this year Ghazi Khan Tannuri, one of the great Amirs of ‘Adali, who had been for some time at the Court, once more took to flight and went to Hatiyak. In the neighbourhood of Gadha he brought a considerable force to bear against A‘çaf Khan and gave battle. He was slain on the battle-field, and A‘çaf Khan, having it now all his own way, marched against the district of Gadha-Katangah. This district at that time contained 70,000 inhabited villages, and its metropolis was the fortress of Choura-gadh. But in former times the metropolis had been the fortress of Hoshang-abad, which was built by Sultan Hoshang Ghori king of Malwa. Rani Durgavati by name, a lady of great loveliness and grace, and in the prime of beauty, who held the government of the place, came against him with 20,000 horse and foot, and 700 powerful elephants, and fought an obstinately contested battle. Many valiant souls on either side, after striving and struggling beyond all limit or measure, at a message from some arrow or pitiless sword, vacated their bodies. An arrow hit the queen in a mortal part, and when she was to the point of death, she signed to her elephant-driver to put an end to her agony. Nevertheless the tricks of her bad luck did not her from ruffians. Ah yes!— “Every foul fetid beast Finds his foul fetid feast;” [and again]: “A Christian’s well may not be pure, it’s true: ’Twill do to wash the carcass of a Jew!”
78.5.4
Aṣaf Khān marched against Choura-gaṛh, and the son of the aforesaid queen, after fighting for his life, joined the queen. So much treasure fell into the hands of Aṣaf Khān and his soldiery, that the Creator alone is competent to compute its amount. On the strength of this wealth Aṣaf Khān set up the pretensions of a Qārūn and a Shadād, until eventually he went under-ground:— “Though thy corn and wealth be ne’er so great, All thy coffers full, thy barns be sate; Boast not! on the Judgment-day thou’lt find, Poisonous serpents round thy wealth entwined.” On the 12th of the month Zī-qa‘dah of this year, the Emperor went on an elephant-hunt towards Narwar, and after taking many elephants by means of wonderful contrivances, even in the midst of the rainy season, passing by Sārang-pur in the country of Mālwa, at the end of the month Zī-hijjah he encamped in that district. And ‘Abd-ullah Khān Uzbek, by reason of some defalcations of which he had been guilty, withdrew his family from Mandū, and took the road for Gujrāt. And, for all that Muqīm Khān (who on that march received the title of Shujā‘at Khān) went to him and offered conciliatory measures seasoned with good advice, but 'Abd-ullah Khan would not accept them ;— "If a place to take it thou canst find, Thy counsel, may be, it will take; But what mark, if the ear of the mind Is dull, can eloquence then make?"
78.5.5
'Abd-ullah Khan for a short time made a stand at Harawal, but when news of the approach of the Imperial cavalcade reached him, he plundered to the force of circumstances the greater part of his followers and family, and children and chattels, and sending before him only what was absolutely necessary, by a hundred stratagems managed to reach Gujrat. There he took refuge with Chingiz Khan, a dependent of Sultan Mahmud of Gujrat, who had succeeded Sultan Mahmud in the government of that province, and had become possessed of great power. The Imperial army went in pursuit of him as far as the confines of Gujrat, and throwing his haram retinue into confusion, and made them prisoners, sent them to the Emperor. The remainder became a prey to their enemies, the countrymen and landowners. Now the state of civil life in Gujrat in the time of Chingiz Khan, they describe as such as it had been during the reign of former kings; and the dissemination of learning and excellence was such, as to exceed all imagination; and any soldier or traveller or stranger who came and had an interview or chose to enter his service, had no further need of begging, nor of the patronage of any one else. And they say that every day he gave away among his people five or six dresses of honour from his private wardrobe, each single dress being never worth less than 70 or 80, at any ashrafi.
78.5.6
And one of his liberal actions was this, that one day he went out with his courtiers, 'Abd-ullah Khan Uzbek being of the number, and on this occasion several vessels full of fine stuffs and precious jewels were brought before him. no sooner had he seen them, than he gave them up to 'Abd-ulla Khan Uzbek. And another instance of Chingiz Khan's liberality is the following: Mir 'Arif Safavi Husaini (who now holds the gift of dominion over Jims) posted [bags of tankahs to give away to people]. Now it is famous [that he had received all these treasures and hoards from Chingiz Khan, and that all the money he gave away bore the stamp of [Mubarak Shah] (but God knows!). Then Miran Mubarak Shah of Burhanpur sent ambassadors, who accepted his homage. And I'timad Khan accompanied them, brought the daughter of [Miran with suitable gifts and presents to the Court. And] one of the Amirs of the Deccan came and did homage to the Emperor. And in the month of Muharram of the year nine hundred and seventy-two (972) the Emperor went from Mandu to Narwar. He appointed Qazi Bahadur Khan to the government of that district, and himself went hunting [in the direction of Barodah and Gwalior] and in the month of Rabi'ul-awwal returned to his capital. [Twins, Hasan and Husain by name, were in this year born of one of his wives, but in the course of one month went to the other world.]
78.5.7
[In this] year the building of the city of Nagarchein took place, and a great one of the nobles, at the time of the composition [of this history] ordered me to compose some lines, which I here insert without alteration: When the Architect of the workshop of invention, through the excellence of His plans, suggested to the lofty thought of the King, who is a builder of the metropolis of [the world, that he should make a foundation on the site of that shrine of Hind, the] route went [...] to Gwalior [...]