The Akbarī Generations 80: Thirty-first year of the Reign.
Tabakát-i Akbarí of Nizámu-d dín Ahmad (extracts) 80
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Thirty-first year of the Reign.
80.1
The Nauroz-i Sultani of the thirty-first year of the reign and the first year of the second karn of the reign fell upon Thursday, 19th Rabi'u-l awwal, 993 H. (11th March, 1585). [The usual rejoicings.] At the beginning of this year Mir Murtaza and Khudawand Khan, amirs of the Dakhin, came to the Imperial Court. Their affairs have been already noticed in describing the occurrences in Gujarat. When they were defeated by Salabat Khan, and came to Burhanpur, Raja 'Ali Khan, the governor of that place, took their elephants from them, and he sent 150 of them in charge of his son to the Emperor. The Dakhini amirs were received, and presented their tribute on New Year's Day. Mir Fathu-lla Shirazi, who had the title of 'Azdu-d daula, was now created chief Sadr of Hindustan, and received at the same time a horse, a robe, and five thousand rupees.
80.2
Letters arrived from Kabul, stating that * * Mirza Sulaiman, with the assistance of Mirza Muhammad Hakim, had returned to Badakhshan, and obtained a victory over the army of 'Abdu-lla Khan Uzbek. * * * Letters now arrived from Atak-Banaras, from Kunwar Man Singh and Khwaja Shamsu-d din Muhammad, with the information that Mirza Muhammad Hakim was very ill. That Faridun had started with a caravan from Peshawar to Kabul, but had been defeated by Afghans in the Khaibar Pass, and compelled to retreat to Peshawar. That a fire had broken out in the fort of Peshawar, and that a thousand camel-loads of merchandize had been consumed. That through this disaster Faridun had got free, and had gone by another road to Kabul, and that seventy men had perished on the journey from thirst. 'Abdu-lla Khan of Badakhshan, when he was informed of Mirza Sulaiman's success, gathered a strong force, which he sent to oppose him. Mirza Sulaiman, unable to cope with this army, retreated to Kabul, and all Badakhshan came into the power of the Uzbeks.
80.3
Intelligence now reached the Emperor of the death of Mirza Muhammad Hakim. The Mirza was the Emperor's own brother, but the Emperor had shown him kindness and affection greater than even that of a brother. For the Mirza had often been presumptuous and aggressive, and the Emperor had not only pardoned him and showed him favour, but had sent amirs and armies to maintain him in Kabul. He was greatly addicted to wine, and excessive drinking was the cause of his illness and death. He died on the 12th Sha'ban, 993. When the news of his death reached the Emperor, he was much grieved; and after the period of mourning was over, his purpose was to confirm the country of Kabul to the sons of the Mirza. But the nobles urged that the Mirza's sons were of tender age, and incapable of ruling; and that the Uzbek army which had already taken Badakhshan was on the look out for Kabul also. These considerations induced the Emperor to march to the Panjab, and he began his march on the 10th Ramazan. * * * The Emperor travelled on by successive stages without making any halt to Dehli. There he visited the tomb of his father and the shrines of the saints, and dispensed his charity upon the poor, and celebrated the 'I'd. On the 19th Shawwal he reached the banks of the Sutlej and encamped. There he was informed that Kunwar Man Singh had sent a body of men across the Indus to Peshawar, and that Shah Beg, the officer of Mirza Muhammad Hakim, had fled to Kabul.
80.4
Sadik Khan was sent from Lahore to take charge of the Government of Bhakar. On the 17th Zi-l ka'da the Emperor encamped by the side of the Chinab; * * * and on the 28th he reached and crossed the Behut (Beyah). Here he received a despatch from Kunwar Man Singh, reporting that the people of Kabul had willingly submitted to the Imperial rule. Muhammad 'Ali Khazanchi, who had been sent to Kabul, returned and reported that when Muhammad Hakim Mirza died, his sons were so young and incapable, that the direction of affairs at Kabul was in the hands of the nobles, who were favourable to the claims of the Emperor. Moreover, Farldun Khan, the uncle of the late Mirza, when Kunwar Man Singh entered Kabul in hot haste, finding that he was helpless, brought the young princes to wait upon the Kunwar. They were received with great kindness and assurances of protection. Kunwar Man Singh left his own sons in Kabul in the charge of Shamsu-d din Khafi, and set off with the young princes and the nobles of Kabul to meet the Emperor. On the 25th Zi-l hijja the Kunwar brought the princes and the Kabul nobles into the presence of the Emperor at the town of Rawal-pindi, which is situated between Rohtas and Atak. They were received with princely generosity. Each of the chief attendants received five thousand or six thousand rupees as a gift. Suitable allowances and jagirs were also granted.
80.5
When the Emperor reached Atak, he sent Bhagwan Das, Shah Kuli Mahram, and other well-known amirs, with about 5000 horse, to effect the conquest of Kashmir. On the same day Isma'il Kuli Khan and Rai Singh were sent against the Biluchis. Next day Zain Khan Koka was sent with a force against the Afghans of Swad (Swat) and Bajaur, to reduce that turbulent people to order. The Emperor encamped at Atak on the 15th Muharram, 994. In former times a Hindustani soldier had come among the Afghans, and set up an heretical sect. He induced many foolish people to become his disciples, and he gave himself the title of Pir Roshani. He was dead, but his son Jalala, a youth of about fourteen, came, in the year 989 h., to wait upon the Emperor, as he was returning from Kabul. He was kindly received; but after a few days his evil disposition induced him to take flight, and go off to the Afghans. There he raised disturbances; and gathering a good number of men around him, he shut up the roads between Hindustan and Kabul. In order to repress this base sect of Roshanáis, whose baseness will be hereafter described, His Majesty placed Kunwar Man Singh in command, and gave him Kabul in jágír. When intelligence arrived of Zain Khan Koka having entered the country of Swat, and of his having encountered this sect of Afgháns, who were as numerous as ants and locusts, on the 2nd Safar, 994 H., Saiyid Khán Gakhar, Raja Bírbal, and * * * were sent with forces to support him.
80.6
A few days later Hakim Abu-l Fath was sent after them with additional forces. After these reinforcements had joined, Zain Khan began to plunder and ravage the Afghans, and great spoil fell into his hands. When they reached the pass of Karagar, a person observed to Raja Bírbal that the Afghans meditated a night attack on that night, that the extent of the mountain and of the pass was only three or four kos, and that if they got through the pass, they would be safe from the attack designed. Raja Birbal, without making any communication to Zain Khan, pushed on to get through the pass, and all his army followed. At close of day, when the sun was about to set, they reached a defile, the heights of which on every side were covered with Afghans. Arrows and stones were showered down upon the troops in the narrow pass, and in the darkness and in the narrow defile men lost their path, and perished in recesses of the mountain. A terrible defeat and slaughter followed. Nearly eight thousand men were killed, and Raja Birbal, who fled for his life, was slain. Raja Dharm Singh, Khwaja 'Arab, bakhshi of the army, and * * * were all killed. On the 5th Rabi'u-l awwal Zain Khan Koka and Hakim Abu-l Fath were defeated, and reached the fort of Atak with difficulty.
80.7
This defeat greatly troubled the Emperor. He dismissed these commanders, and sent Raja Todar Mal with a large army to repair the disaster. The Raja entered the mountain region with great caution. Here and there he built forts, and harried and plundered continually, so that he reduced the Afghans to great straits. Raja Man Singh, who had marched against these sectaries, fought a hard battle with them in the Khaibar Pass, in which many of them were slain and made prisoners. The Raja obtained a great victory. News now arrived that Mir Kuraish was coming to Court as an ambassador from 'Abdu-lla Khan Uzbek, King of Mawarau-n nahr, bringing presents. Nazar Be, who was one of the great nobles of 'Abdu-lla Khan, being offended with the Khan, was also coming with his three sons, Kabz Be, Shadi Be, and Baki Be, all of whom had attained the rank of nobles. The Emperor sent Shaikh Farid Bakhshi and Ahmad Beg Kabuli, with a party of ahadis, to meet the caravan and bring it through the Khaibar Pass. This armed party, with the help of Kunwar Man Singh, brought the caravan through the pass, having beaten the black sectaries who attempted to block the road, and killed many of them.