[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Mughals (1526–1857)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal) › [Akbar (1556–1605)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar) › [Akbarnāma](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama) › [The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge) › 157 # The Book of Akbar 157: CHAPTER XXIII. The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II 157 - **Language:** English ### CHAPTER XXIII. ### [157.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.157.1) and had departed. M. Kamran arrived and laid siege to Qandahar, and Badagh Khan capitulated and retreated. The Mirza got possession of Qandahar, and after putting it into a condition of defence returned to Lahor. Whither have my words strayed? It is certainly better that I withdraw my hand from these affairs and attach myself to the thread of my design. When his Majesty Jahanbani was encamped at Cambay with a small force Malik Ahmad Lad and Rukn Daud who were officers of Sultan Bahadur, and leading men in Koliwara, arranged with the Kolis and Gawars of that country that as there were few men with his Majesty Jahanbani there was a suitable opportunity for making a night attack. They accordingly made preparations. By good fortune an old woman who had heard of this came to the royal enclosure and told one of the attendants that she had urgent business and wished to have a personal interview. As she was very importunate and appeared to be honest she was admitted to the presence, and communicated the plot of the night attack. His Majesty said "Whence comes this well-wishing of yours." She replied "My son has been confined by one of your servants and I want him released as a reward for this well-wishing. If I have spoken falsely, punish both me and my son." In accordance with orders, her son was produced, and a guard placed over them both. As a measure of precaution the troops were got into readiness and drawn off. ### [157.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.157.2) Near dawn 5 or 6,000 Bhils and Gawars fell upon the royal enclosures, his Majesty Jahanbani and the troops having retired to a rising ground. The Gawars came and proceeded to plunder, and many rare books, which were real companions and were always kept in his Majesty's personal possession, were lost. Among these was the Timur-nama, transscribed by Mulla Sultan ‘Ali and illustrated by Ustad Bihzad, and which is now in the Shāhinshāh’s library. To sum up in a short space of time the breeze of salvation’s morn breathed from fortune’s ascension, and the brave warriors turned upon that mob and discomfited and scattered those hapless wretches by discharges of arrows. That old woman’s face was brightened, and she gained her desire. The majesty of the royal wrath, and the onslaught of o’ermastering rage boiled over and an order was issued for plundering and burning Cambay. After that the pursuit of Sultan Bahadur was abandoned, and the army returned to Champanir. The fortress was besieged for four months. Ikhtiyar Khan, who was sprung from a family of Qazis in Nariad which is a town in that country, and who was, for his justice and ability one of the Sultan’s confidants brought great exertions to bear on the defence of the fort. ### [157.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.157.3) In addition to all these protections and precautions it happened that from time to time sundry mountaineering (kūh-naward) woodcutters entered by ravines, which from the density of trees and jungle were difficult for foot passengers to traverse, and of course impracticable for traffic, and for the sake of gain brought corn and ghee to the foot of the fort in order to sell them at a high price, while men in the fort let down money by ropes and drew up the goods. As the siege was long drawn out his Majesty Jahanbani would sometimes visit the different sides of the fort and search for a possible entrance for his army. On one occasion he went forward from the side of Halul, which is a garden, and fell in with the people who were coming out of the jungle after selling their corn and butter. An order was given to find out what their business was. They said they were woodcutters, but as they had no axes or hatchets with them, their story was not accepted. They were told that they would not escape punishment unless they told the truth. Being helpless they confessed the truth. Upon this they were bidden to go forward and to point out the place. When his Majesty saw it he recognised that it was 60 or 70 yards high and very smooth, so that it would be very difficult to climb. By his Majesty's orders 70 or 80 iron nails were brought, and driven into the precipice right and left at distances of one yard. The young heroes were bid climb these degrees of daring (miʻrāj-i-mardānagī). ### [157.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.157.4) Thirty-nine had ascended when his Majesty himself wished to climb. Bairam Khan begged him to delay till the men ahead had got higher up. Saying this he himself stepped up, his Majesty Jahanbani followed him and was the 41st. there he had about 300 men drawn up by this iron ladder. An order was given that the victorious army, which was stationed at the batteries, should attack the fort. The garrison were thrown off their guard, and addressed themselves to repel the men from without and were looking down from the battlements when suddenly the 300 braves came from behind, and overwhelmed the garrison with showers of arrows. And when they realised the fact that his Majesty Jahanbanī in person had ascended the stairs of victory, the bewildered foe crept into hiding-places. The drum of victory beat high, and Ikhtiyār Khān went off to a higher point called Mūlīya and there took refuge. Next day they gave him quarter and sent for him. Together with his practical knowledge (dānish) and his management of state affairs he was fully possessed of sciences, especially mathematics and astronomy. He was also skilled as a poet and composer of enigmas. He was honoured by being allowed to sit in the assembly of the learned, and was distinguished by princely favours, and was admitted among the intimates of the threshold of sovereignty. One of the eloquent found the date of this victory “Awwal hafta-i-Māh-i-Safar” i.e., first week of Safar (943)—19th-26th July, 1536. ### [157.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.157.5) As the country of Gujrat was in the possession of the servants of the empire up to the Mahindrī, and as no one was appointed to administer the territory on the other side (the West), the peasantry wrote to Sultān Bahādur and announced that the collections were ready and that a collector of these was necessary; if one were appointed, they would discharge their obligations. All the officers to whom the Sultān spoke on the subject remained silent. 'Imādu-l-Mulk however had the courage to come forward, and he agreed to accept the office on condition that there should be no questioning afterwards as to any land or authority that he should give to any one in order to execute the work of the collection. He proceeded with 200 horse towards Ahmadabad. On the way he gave written grants of land to those whom he knew. When he arrived at Ahmadabad he had collected 10,000 cavalry. He gave everyone who possessed two horses a lac of gujratis. In a short time he had gathered 50,000 cavalry. Mujahid Khan, Governor of Junagadh joined him with 10,000 horse. At this time his Majesty Jahanbani on account of the conquest of the fort of Campanir and of the falling of abundant treasure into his hands was holding magnificent banquets and was constantly arranging royal entertainments on the banks of the Du Ruya tank. ### [157.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.157.6) One of the paramount conditions of authority is that special servants and those in near attendance should have certain fixed rules to abide by, and that in every section of them there should be some discreet and prudent person appointed who may continually look after their rising and sitting, their going and coming, and take precautions against evil companionship, which is the father and mother of wrong ideas. Especially is this required at a time when details are veiled from a Lord of the Age by the multiplicity of business. It is fitting that in such circumstances he should appoint right-speaking, right-acting intelligencers who may always bring him correct information of the real state and of the gist of the doings of this body of men. Otherwise many of the narrow-minded become from length of service less susceptible of the prestige of royalty, and the wine of familiarity carries them out of their senses, and leads them into the stumbling of eternal ruin. And great seditions emerge from this intoxication. Accordingly they became apparent on this occasion. ### [157.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.157.7) The story of this is that on the night of the rejoicings and banquetings on account of the marvellous victories, some feeble souls who were fated to be admitted to the verge of the sublime assemblage, viz., book-bearers, armour-bearers, ink-horn-bearers and the like, happened to have gone to the gardens of Halul, the scent of whose flowers might cure the melancholy, and whose heart-expanding breeze might give motion to congealed blood, and to have started a winefeast. In this state of exultation which had put to flight sense and reason, they took up the Zafarnama and read of the beginnings of the victorious career of his Majesty Sahib Qirani (Timur)—how that prince had with him, in the vernal prime of his glory, forty chosen companions, and how one day he took from each a couple of arrows and after tying them all together, gave them to each companion to break. Though each put the bundle across his knee and exerted all his strength, it was of no use. But when he opened the bundle, and gave each two arrows every one broke them. His Majesty had then observed “we are forty persons, if we are united like this bundle of arrows victory will attend us wherever we go.” In accordance with this right thought and lofty idea they girt up their loins of courage and went forth to conquer. Those ignorant fools when they heard this story did not reflect that each one of the forty was a heaven-aided host. They thought merely of the external circumstances and so fell into ruinous imaginings. ### [157.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.157.8) When they reckoned themselves up they found they were four hundred, and in their madness and folly they conceived that unanimity among 400 persons must be exceeding strong, and formed the notion of conquering the Deccan. Under this hallucination they proceeded to tread the broad and downward path to destruction. Next day though search was made for those near yet so far (nazdikan-i-dur), no trace of them could be found. At last an intimation of their wild idea was obtained, and a thousand men were sent to seize them. They soon brought to Court those fortune-buffeted and doomed men, bound neck and hand. It was Tuesday, a day when his Majesty wore the red vesture of Mars and sate on throne of wrath and vengeance. The crowd of criminals were brought inward, section by section, and each of them received sentences fitting their destiny, and the requirements of complete justice. Some they bound and made trodden under the feet of mountain-like elephants. Many who had carried their heads beyond the line of respect received distinction by the removal of the burden of their heads from their bodies. A number who, not distinguishing between their feet and their hands, had clapped their hands at seditious thoughts were made handless and footless. A set of them who from arrogance (khud-bin lit. ### [157.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.157.9) self-contemplation) had not kept their ears for the royal commands found ears and nose gone from their places, others who had laid the fingertip of intent on the edge of misfeasance saw no more the figure of a finger in their hand. After executing these judgments and orders the time of evening prayer arrived. The Imam, who was not void of obtuseness, at the first genuflection recited the Sura 'A-lam tara kaifa' “Hast thou not seen how.” After the conclusion of the service the order of vengeance was issued that the Imam be thrown under the foot of an elephant because he had designedly and allusively recited the chapter of the elephant, and had degraded justice to tyranny, and had uttered an evil presage. Maulana Muhammad Parghali represented that the Imam did not know the meaning of the Quran. But as the fire of wrath was darting tongues of flame he got no reply except abusive epithets. After a time when the light of the Imam's simplicity shone on the marge of his holy heart and the conflagration of the flames of wrath was stayed, he expressed much regret and spent the whole night in sorrow and weeping. ### [157.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.157.10) After the completion of this affair Tardi Beg Khan was left in Campanir, and the royal standards proceeded towards Ahmadabad, and encamped on the bank of the Mahindri. ‘Imadu-l-Mulk had the courage to advance, and to make a march for each one that the royal army made. Between Nariad and Mahmudabad he encountered Mirza ‘Askari who was in the van and several stages ahead (of the main body). A great battle ensued, and the Mirza was worsted until Yadgar Nasir Mirza, Qasim Husain Khan and Hindu Beg arrived with a large body of men and unfurling the flag of fortune proclaimed to the enemy the approach of the imperial ensigns with a “Lo, the sublime army has arrived." The utterance of this word, and its sound reaching the ears of the enemy were simultaneous with Yadgar Nasir Mirza’s victory and the defeat of the foe. As Yadgar Nasir Mirza was ahead of all, the brunt of the battle fell upon him. On the side of the enemy ‘Alam Khan Lodi and some others offered opposition till ‘Imadu-l-mulk retired half dead. Darwesh Muhammad Qarashir, father of Shuja‘at Khan, obtained martyrdom in this engagement. Meanwhile the flashing of the royal standards appeared and victory upon victory disclosed itself. After the arrival of the sublime army 3 to 4,000 of the enemy were slain. His Majesty --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.157](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.157) · Pramāṇa