[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) › 79.5 # Muntakhab al-tawarikh 79.5 Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 79.5 - **Language:** English ### [79.5.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.79.5.1) At this time Niyabat Khan, son of Hashim Khan, Nishapuri, who at the time of the Emperor’s going to Patnah had found favour, revolted in Jhosi and Piyag, which was his jagir; and marching against Karah, which sided with Isma'il Quli Khan: and an Afghan named Ilyas Khan, who was governor of that place, slew Ilyas Khan in battle. They then laid seige to the fortress, and began to ravage and lay waste the country. The Emperor appointed Isma'il Quli Khan, Vazir Khan, and Matlab Khan, and Shaikh Jamal Bakhtyar, and other Amirs, to march against Niyabat Khan. Shah Quli Khan Muharram, and Birbar bhatfarosh, he sent to Oudh to try and appease Ma'sum Khan Farankhudi. “Approach thou now the lap of earth, thy mother, The wide-extending earth, the ever kindly,” Such instances might be multiplied indefinitely. After the departure of Vazir Khān, the Emperor released Khwājah Shāh Mansur, and reappointed him dīwān-i-kul. When Niyābat Khān heard of the despatch of this army against him, he raised the seige of Kajnūh, and went towards Gasht a dependency of the district of Patnah. The Amīrs crossed the river and quickly attacked him. He turned back to offer battle, and alone against so many Amīrs fought such a desperate battle, that imagination fails to picture it (P. 290). At first he threw their army into utter confusion, and having dismounted Shaikh Jamāl spared his life. But eventually he was put to flight, and retreated to Oudh to Ma'çūm Khān. ### [79.5.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.79.5.2) And ‘Arab Bahādur was at the same time defeated by Shahbāz Khān, and also took refuge with Ma'çūm Khān. Shahbāz Khān went in pursuit of ‘Arab Bahādur, first to Jounpūr, and afterwards to Oudh. Ma'çūm Khān, who had such a quantity of war materiel that, to use an hyperbole, he could have withstood the kings of Īrān and Tūrān both at once, and had thirty or forty banners and tails and kettle-drums in his army, and paraphernalia in the same proportion, hastened to attack Shahbāz Khān, and in the twinkling of an eye overcame him. Shahbāz Khān fled in one day a distance of forty Gosses as far as Jounpūr. But by good luck Tarsūn Muhammad Khān, who was in the right wing of Shahbāz Khān’s army, had remained hidden in the jungle, and at the moment that the troops of Ma'çūm Khān were dispersed after booty, he with a few followers seizing his opportunity charged in among his disorganized soldiery and defeated him. As soon as Shahbāz Khān heard this news, he hasted back just as quickly as he had gone, and joined the force of Tarsūn Muhammad Khān. He attacked Ma'çūm Khān a second time, and a great battle was fought in the environs of Oudh. This time Ma'çūm Khān was put to flight, and disappeared. His mother and sister and wife and son and his goods and chattels, and all his paraphernalia of pomp and power were taken as spoil. He himself fled headlong, not knowing his crupper from his reins, and took refuge in the Sawālik mountains. ### [79.5.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.79.5.3) This event took place in the month of Zī-hajjah in the year nine hundred and eighty-eight (988). At this time an organ, which was one of the wonders of creation, and which Haji Habib-ullah had brought from Europe, was exhibited to mankind. It was like a great box the size of a man. A European sits inside it and plays the strings thereof, and two others outside keep putting their fingers on five peacock-wings, and all sorts of sounds come forth. And because the Emperor was so pleased, the Europeans kept coming at every moment in red and yellow colours, and went from one extravagance to another. The people at the meeting were astounded at this wonder, and indeed it is impossible for language to do justice to the description of it. At one of the meetings the Emperor asked those who were present to mention each the name of the man, who could be considered the wisest man of the age; but they were not to mention kings, as they formed an exception. Thus Hakim Humam mentioned himself, and Shaikh Abu-l-Fazl his own father. During this time the four degrees of devotion to His Majesty were defined. The four degrees consisted in readiness to sacrifice to the Emperor Property, Life, Honour, and Religion. Whoever had sacrificed these four things possessed the four degrees; and whoever had sacrificed one of these four possessed one degree. All the courtiers now put down their names as faithful disciples of the Throne. ### [79.5.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.79.5.4) In the month Muharram of the year nine hundred and eighty-nine (989) news arrived that Mirza Muhammad Hakim on the invitation of the two Ma'sums, and at the instigation of Faridun Khan, who was his maternal uncle, and a regular leprous spot, set out with the intention of conquering Hindustan. He sent his servant Shadman over the Indus, but Man Singh, son of Bhagwan Das marched to oppose him, and slew him. On hearing the news the Mirza crossed the Indus, and encamped in the environs of Sayyidpur. Upon this the Emperor, having advanced the soldiers eight months' pay out of the treasury, and leaving the prince Daniyal with Sultán Khwajah Qtdr, and Shaikh Ibráhím the Abyssinian, as vicegerents, marched from Fathpur towards the Punjáb. At the sarái of Bád, which is fifteen cosses from Fathpur, news arrived of the victory of Shahbáz Khán. Mán Singh found in the portfolio of Shádmán three letters of Mirzá Muhammad Hakím addressed respectively to Hakím-ul-mulk Giláni, Sháh Mansúr Diwán, and Qásim Khán Mír-bahr. He sent them verbatim to the Emperor, who read them, but kept the matter to himself. At Dihli news arrived, that the Mirzá was encamped at Láhor in the garden of Mahdi Qásim Khán, and that Rájah Bhagwán Dás, and Mán Singh, and Sa'id Khán had shut themselves up in the fortress. At Pánípat Malik Sáni Kábulí, vazír of Mirzá Muhammad Hakím, who had the title of Vazir Khán, having been vexed by the Mirzá arrived at the quarters of Sháh Mansúr, and got him to introduce him at Court. ### [79.5.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.79.5.5) Since there had not been in times past any such manifest intimacy and connection between these two persons, the absence of Sáni Khán from the Mirzá at such a juncture seemed to the Emperor to be accounted for by some design on the part of the Mirzá, and as not being devoid of interested motives, so it confirmed his previous suspicions of Khwajah Sháh Mansúr. Accordingly he had him arrested and showed him the letters. However much he swore to his own innocence it did him no good, for it is an acknowledged principle, that “A denial on oath is no proof of innocence.” In the neighbourhood of Sháhábád Malik ‘Alí, brother of Qází ‘Alí, who is now Kotwál of Láhor, sent to the Court in one parcel two obscure letters. One was addressed to Sháh Mansúr from one Musharraf Beg, who was a servant of Sháh Mansúr. The second was from a person, whose identity was suspected, containing an account of his interview, first with Farídún Khán, and secondly with the Mirzá, and how the Mirzá had settled the affairs of a certain parganna, which was either known or suspected. And this much became known by inference and conjecture, that Sharaf Beg, a servant of Sháh Mansúr, who was Shikdar on his behalf in the parganna of Firozpur, thirty cosses from Lahor, had written to his master: “I have had an interview with the Mirza through the intervention of Faridun Khan, he has sent his agents everywhere, but he has exempted our parganna.” And suspicion became a certainty. ### [79.5.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.79.5.6) Most, nay all, of the Amirs, who had received many annoyances from Shah Mansur, were longing for his fall. With one consent they exerted themselves to secure his execution. In the morning the Emperor ordered the Captain of the guard to hang him on gallows at the Manzil of Kajh-kot. His numerous oppressions of the people formed the halter round his neck, and may it remain clinging there till the day of Resurrection. “Beware of the service of kings, for they pride themselves on giving an answer in peace, but they think nothing of cutting off your head in punishment:— Be of good cheer, for no tyrant Completes his course in peace.” The Emperor came by way of Sarhind to Kahlnor and Rohtas, and reached the Indus. When the Mirza heard this news, he crossed the river of Lahor, and turned his reins back to Kabul. And so the mystery of the verse: “On that day shall a man flee from his brother” became manifest. In the month of Rabi'us-sani of this year the Emperor ordered to be built on the banks of the Indus, which is generally known as the Sind-sagar, a fortress, which he called Atak Banaras, to distinguish it from Katak Banaras. From this place he sent the prince Sultan Murad with Qulij Khan and other Amirs to Kabul. And prior to this he had sent Man Singh with a body of Amirs towards Pashawar. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.79.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.79.5) · Pramāṇa