The Akbarī Generations 92: Sultan Mahmud Khan of Multan.
Tabakát-i Akbarí of Nizámu-d dín Ahmad (extracts) 92
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Sultan Mahmud Khan of Multan.
92.1
A few days after, Sultan Mahmud assembled an army, and marched on Shor, when Jam Bayazid, leading out 'Alam Khan, with the general consent of his followers, advanced to the distance of twenty miles from Shor to meet him. When he reached the Ravi, he halted, and sent a letter to Daulat Khan Lodi, acquainting him with the particulars of the movement. Upon receipt of this intelligence, Daulat Khan Lodi, at the head of the Panjab forces, came to the assistance of Jam Bayazid before the conflict was at an end, and despatched a confidential person to Sultan Mahmud, to enter into a negociation for peace. At last, through his mediation, a peace was arranged, under the terms of which the Ravi was to be the boundary. Daulat Khan then sent Sultan Mahmud back to Multan, and Jam Bayazid to Shor; after which, he himself proceeded to Lahore. Notwithstanding that the terms of peace had been adjusted by so wise a man as Daulat Khan, yet it did not endure long. In the interim, Mir Jakir Zand, with his two sons, named Mir Ilahdad and Mir Shahdad, came to Multan from Mavi. It was Mir Shahdad that introduced the principles of the Shi'a creed into Multan. As the Langah family had great respect for Malik Suhrab Dudai, Mir Jakir Zand could not remain in Multan. He therefore sought the protection of Jam Bayazid, who treated him with respect, and was pleased to grant a portion of his private domain for the support of the Mir's family.
92.2
Jam Bayazid was a man of beneficent character and of generous spirit, and was particularly anxious to promote the interests of the learned and virtuous. He is said to have sent their pensions to Multan from Shor, even during the period of actual hostilities. His generosity towards men of talent was so notorious, that many persons of distinction quitted their homes and took up their abode at Shor. He earnestly invited many others to resort to that place, and among them Maulana 'Azizu-lla, pupil of Maulana Fathu-lla, whom he urgently pressed to come. On his approach to Shor, Jam Bayazid received him with much honour, conducted him to his private apartments, and ordered his servants to pour water over the Maulana's hands, and then, by way of a blessing, to sprinkle the same water on the four corners of his house. There is a curious anecdote concerning the Maulana and Shaikh Jalalu-d din Kuraishi, wakil of Jam Bayazid, which, though not much to the purpose of this history, is yet here recorded for an example, and as an awakening from the sleep of neglect.
92.3
It is this :—When the Jam received the Maulana with such unusual distinction, and took him into his private apartments, the Shaikh sent to the Maulana, and told him that Jam Bayazid had given him his compliments, and desired that the Maulana should select for himself one of the slave-girls who had been ordered to attend him. The Maulana sent one of his own servants to Jam Bayazid, and said in reply, "God forbid that a man should ever look upon the women of his friend ; moreover, such sentiments are unworthy of my advanced age." Jam Bayazid replied that he had no knowledge of the imputed message. The Maulana being much embarrassed at this, cursed the person that sent the message to him, saying, "May his neck be broken!" and returned to his home without even seeing Jam Bayazid, who was not informed of his departure until he had actually left his dominions. It so happened that the curse of the Maulana took effect ; for after Shaikh Jalalu-d din came to Shor, having deserted the service of Sultan Sikandar, he chanced one night to miss his footing, when he fell from an upper storey with his head downwards, and literally broke his neck. After the conquest of the Panjab in 930 H. by the late Zahiru-d din Muhammad Babar Badshah Ghazi, that monarch, at the time of his return to Dehli, sent a commission to Mirza Shah Husain Arghun, governor of Tatta, ordering him to take charge of Multan and its neighbouring districts.
92.4
He accordingly crossed the river near the fort of Bhakkar, and marched towards Multan with a large army. The wind of the divine wrath began to blow, and a great flood arose. When information of this reached Sultan Mahmud, he trembled. Then he collected all his forces, and advanced to the distance of two days' journey from the city of Multan. He sent Shaikh Bahau-d din Kuraishi, successor to the celebrated Shaikh Bahau-d din Zakariya (may God sanctify his sepulchre !), as an ambassador to Mirza Shah Husain, and appointed Maulana Bahlol, who was noted for the grace of his eloquence, as well as the elegance of his ideas, to accompany the Shaikh. The Mirza received them with much honour, and said that he had come with the view of chastising Sultan Mahmud, and of visiting Shaikh Baha'u-d din Zakariya's tomb. The Maulana stated that it would suffice if the chastisement of Sultan Mahmud were effected at a distance, in the same manner as the Prophet had mentally admonished Awais Karn, and that Shaikh Baha'u-d din was already come to his presence, inasmuch as he himself was the representative of Zakariya, and that there was therefore no need of his troubling himself to proceed any further. They were, however, unsuccessful in accomplishing the objects of their interview, and returned to the Sultan, who died suddenly in the same night, poisoned, it is said, by Langar Khan, one of his slaves. He died A.H. 933, after a reign of twenty-seven years.