The Akbarī Generations 88: Thirty-seventh year of the Reign.
Tabakát-i Akbarí of Nizámu-d dín Ahmad (extracts) 88
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Thirty-seventh year of the Reign.
88.1
The beginning of this year corresponded with Saturday, 6th Jumada-l akhir, 1000 H. [Usual rejoicings at Lahore.] Jalala the sectary, who had fled to 'Abdu-lla Khan [in Badakhshan], now returned, and again engaged in revolt and robbery. On New Year's Day Ja'far Beg Asaf Khan, the bakhshi, was named to lead an army against him in communication with Muhammad Kasim Khan, governor of Kabul. I, the author, was appointed to the post of bakhshi. At the end of Sha'ban, Zain Khan Koka, who had been sent to settle the country of Swat and Bajaur, and to root out those Afghans who had escaped the sword, was ordered to march and exterminate Jalala.
88.2
On the 24th Shawwal, agreeing with 12th Amurdad of the 37th year of the reign, the Emperor set off hunting to the banks of the Chinab, on the way to Kashmir. He passed the Ravi, and stayed for five days, enjoying himself in the garden of Ram Das. From thence he made a march of three kos. Then he appointed Kalij Khan and Mota Raja to take charge of affairs at Lahore. As it was now the rainy season, and the waters were out, he left Prince Salim to march on slowly with the camp, while he hastened on with his hunting attendants to the Chinab. Here he received intelligence that Yadgar, nephew of Mirza Yusuf Khan Rizwi, governor of Kashmir, had conspired with some disaffected Kashmiris, and having raised the standard of revolt, had assumed the title of Sultan. Kazi 'Ali, the diwan of Kashmir, and Husain Beg Shaikh Umari, the collector [tahsildar-i akhraj], attacked him with their men, but Kazi 'Ali was killed, and Husain Beg was glad to escape half dead to Rajauri. His Majesty sent Farid Bakhshi with a party of amirs, such as * * *, and a thousand Badakhshani Aimak horsemen, into Kashmir. He himself crossed the Chinab, and waited there for a while hunting, until Prince Salim came up with the camp.
88.3
Khan-khanan had besieged Jani Beg for two months. Every day there was fighting, and loss on both sides. The Sindians had got possession of the roads, and prevented the passage of provisions. Grain had consequently become very scarce, and bread exceedingly dear. Khan-khanan had no resource but to move away, so he set off towards the pargana of Jun, near Tatta. But he sent a portion of his force, under Saiyid Bahau-d din Bukhari * *, Mir Muhammad Ma'sum Bhakari, and other of his officers, to invest Sihwan. Jani Beg, assuming Sihwan force to be weak in numbers, marched against it. When Khan-khanan heard of this movement, he sent off with all possible speed Daulat Khan Lodi, Khwaja Muhammad Hakim Bakhshi, Dharu son of Raja Todar Mal, Dal Bait the son of Rai Singh, and * * to reinforce the Sihwan division. This detachment marched eighty kos in two days, and effected a junction.
88.4
Next day Jani Beg came up and arrayed his army. Daulat Khan also made his dispositions. His force amounted to only two thousand, while Jani Beg had more than five thousand. But confident in the Imperial good fortune, they went into battle. Raja Todar Mal's son Dharu fought most bravely, and was killed. The wind of victory blew upon the royal standards, and Jani Beg flew towards the banks of the river. He stopped at the village of Unarpur, on the banks of the river, and again entrenched himself. Khan-khanan upon his side, and the Sihwan force upon the other, bore down upon him and besieged him. There was fighting every day. At length Jani Beg's men were reduced to eat their horses and camels, and many were killed every day by the fire of the guns and muskets. Jani Beg was compelled to make an offer of capitulation, and to promise to go and wait upon the Emperor. He begged for the period of three months to make preparations for his journey, and this was conceded. It being the rainy season, Khan-khanan remained in the village of Sann, in the vicinity of Sihwan, for that time. The fort of Sihwan was surrendered, and Jani Beg gave his daughter in marriage to Mirza Traj, son of Khan-khanan. He also surrendered twenty ghrabs.
88.5
The intelligence of this victory gave the Emperor great joy, as he deemed it a good augury of his success in Kashmir. He then continued his journey to Kashmir, and when he arrived near Bhimbhar, which is at the beginning of the mountain passes, he received intelligence that his army, having made five or six marches in the mountains, had been attacked by a force of Kashmiris and men belonging to Yadgar, who had blockaded the pass of Kartal. But these men were unable to hold their ground against the brave soldiers of the army, and took to flight. Yadgar came up as far as Hamirpur with a large force to oppose the progress of the royal army; but in the course of the night a party of Afghans and Turkomans belonging to Mirza Yusuf Khan fell upon him and put him to death. Three days afterwards his head was brought to the Emperor, and was exposed as a warning. The Emperor's good fortune thus secured an easy victory for him. It was a curious coincidence, that the day on which the Emperor crossed the river of Lahore to proceed to Kashmir, was the day on which Yadgar broke out in rebellion and caused the khutba to be read in his name. On the 23rd Zi-l hijja, the Emperor left Prince Daniyal behind in charge of the ladies of the harem, because he was not well, and he was directed to proceed with them to the fort of Rohtas. The Emperor himself went on rapidly to Kashmir, taking me with him in attendance.
88.6
On the 8th Muharram, 1001, he reached Kashmir, and stayed there eight days, riding about and hunting water-fowl. He conferred the government of Kashmir on Mirza Yusuf Khan Rizwi, and left a number of officers with him, such as * *. On the 6th Safar he started on his return journey, and, embarking in a boat, he proceeded towards Bara-mula, on the confines of Kashmir, on the way to Pakhali. On the road he saw a reservoir called Zain-lanka. This reservoir is inclosed on the west, north, and south, by mountains, and it is thirty kos in circumference. The river Behut (Jilam) passes through this lake. Its water is very pure and deep. Sultan Zainu-l 'abidin carried out a pier of stone to the distance of one jarib into the lake, and upon it erected a high building. Nothing like this lake and building is to be found in India. After visiting this edifice, he went to Bara-mula, where he disembarked, and proceeded by land to Pakhali. When he reached that place, there was a heavy fall of snow and rain. From thence he went on rapidly to Rohtas. I, the author of this history, and * * were ordered to follow slowly with the ladies of the harem. It is a curious fact, that when the Emperor started on his return from Kashmir, he observed, "It is forty years since I saw snow, and there are many men with me, born and bred in Hind, who have never seen it.
88.7
If a snow-storm should come upon us in the neighbourhood of Pakhali, it would be a kind dispensation of Providence." It occurred just as His Majesty expressed his wish. On the 1st Rabi'u-l awwal he reached the fort of Rohtas, and there rested. On the 13th he started for Lahore, the capital, and on the 6th Rabi'u-s sani he arrived there. Intelligence here reached him that Raja Man Singh had fought a great battle with the sons of Katlu Afghan, who, since his death, had held the country of Orissa, and, having defeated them, he had annexed that extensive country which lies beyond Bengal to the Imperial dominions.