The Book of Akbar 191: Departure of his Majesty Jahanbani Jannat-āshyānī for Qandahār, with the design of going thence to the Hijaz and of his resolution to enter Persia.
The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II 191
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- English
Departure of his Majesty Jahanbani Jannat-āshyānī for Qandahār, with the design of going thence to the Hijaz and of his resolution to enter Persia.
191.1
It is the Eternal will and the Divine design that when the glorious robe of a king’s fortune is being embroidered with the fringe of perpetuity and the props of his throne of greatness and sovereignty made strong and glorious by the pillars of fixity and permanence, sundry accidents which have the appearance of retrogressions and withdrawals are brought in front of his path. In truth these are apparent and not real, and the impediments are in the end subjects of thanksgiving. The short-sighted regard such as defects and become astonished. But they of uplifted eyes recognise them as the mole on Fortune’s cheek, and regard them as a note of the subjugation of the evil eye. The fortunate man regards every evil which comes in his way, as the complement of perfection, while the unfortunate man regards them as his destruction, spiritual and temporal, and collapses into the collar of lamentation. The retrogradations of the planets—the regents of the seven celestial climes—are an illustration of this and typify the design. Though the world-illuminating sun be hid from sight by cloud and vapour, yet in truth ’tis no mighty screen which has been lowered over mortal eyes, nor has any defect reached those glorious halls (the sun’s). When it seemeth to be a cause of concealment, the strong blast of Divine power casts the vapour headlong and relegates it to the black earth. The phenomena of sunrise and sunset too are torch-bearing indicators of this.
191.2
For the status and condition of the Treasury of Light when in the East are identical with his status and condition when under the veil of the West. And the condition which he hath when in the zenith and when in declination from the meridian, is absolutely the same as his condition when in the nadir of mid-night. The difference is in the earth-born beholders and in the imaginations of the dwellers in a handful of clay. Assuredly the pinnacles of his glory is all the holier because the thoughts of detrimentals have touched its fringe. In accordance with these propositions, whoever cherisheth evil thoughts against tiara’ed lords of bliss, and diademed lords of fortune, is caught at last by the exemplary punishment of his deeds, and becomes a prime factor of his own destruction. These truths are mirrored in the presage-full history of his Majesty Jahānbānī Jannat-āshyānī for in brief space was the skirt of his Majesty’s fortune, which had been sullied by misfortune, washed and cleansed at the fountain-head of fruition, while all the ingrates received the punishment of their designs and deeds. The stack of their lives and fortunes was consumed by the lightning of Divine wrath, and the note of the existence of those wretches was erased from the Book of Time. Accordingly the difficulties (maṣā’ib) and fatigues (matā‘ib) of adversity (‘usr) and the stations (mawārid) and ascensions (maṭāli‘) of prosperity (yusr) are being set-forth in the order of their time and place.
191.3
In fine, as his Majesty Jahānbānī Jannat-āshyānī’s holiness-expressing soul had grown aweary of this world’s vain show, and had turned away her lofty contemplation from the territory of Sind, it occurred to his sanctified mind to offer peace to the ruler of Tatta and to march to Qandahar. When the sublime cavalcade should arrive there, he would commit his Majesty, the king of kings, and the elect ones of his Court to God’s protection, would plant his own foot on the highway of asceticism and retreat and ascend the steps of ecstacy and rapture and phœnix-like (humāwār), put the pinnacle of love ’neath the wings of genius. As he had gained spiritual abundance by circumambulating the altar of the heart, he would by conveying the sacred litter (maḥmil) to the ka‘ba of clay atone semblance and substance. As the spiritual pinacothek had been constructed, he would also adorn the visible temple. Thus would hearts be conciliated and a method of truthful guidance be furnished to the simple-minded followers of forms. He was occupied with these thoughts when the ruler of Tatta on understanding his intention, recognised his own gain therein and despatched a petition for peace. As the soaring falcon of his Majesty's genius had spread her wings for the chase of the phoenix (‘anqā) and had withdrawn her far-seeing gaze from lower game and let it fall on lofty eyries, his petition reached the place of acceptation.
191.4
The Arghūniāns whose affairs were in distress, tossed the cap of joy to the skies on hearing the glad tidings of peace, and regarding the project as the goal of desire and as an unlooked for boon, forwarded a large present and made various apologies. His Majesty auspiciously and prosperously left Jūn for Qandahār via Sīwī (Sibī) on 7th Rabī‘ul-ākhir, 950 (11th July, 1543). M. ‘Askarī on hearing of the approach of the royal cavalcade, and acting by M. Kāmrān's orders and from his own wickedness, strengthened the fort (Qandahār) and proceeded with evil intentions with a large body of troops towards the sublime camp in order that he might by help of villainy take his Majesty prisoner. Meanwhile Amīr Allāh Dōst, one of the learned of the age and who had on several occasions acted as M. Kāmrān's Agent (vakīl) and Shaikh ‘Abdu-l-wahhāb a descendant of Pūrānī were coming to solicit, in marriage on Mīrzā Kāmrān's behalf, the daughter of Shāh Husain Bēg Arghūn. On hearing of the approach of the sublime army, they took refuge in the castle of Sīwī. His Majesty Jahānbānī sent an exalted mandate to Mīr Allāh Dōst, summoning him to his presence, but he out of worthlessness, chose exclusion from the honour of service and made the excuse that the garrison would not let him leave.
191.5
When the army came to the territory of Shal, which is about 30 farsakh (150 miles) from Qandahar, Jalalu-d-din Beg, an officer of M. Kamran and who had a fief in the territory, had left people to capture any scouts and by them two of the royal servants who had gone on in advance to Sar-cashma were arrested and brought in. One of them managed to escape from their clutches and came and reported what he had learnt of their evil designs by observing their ways and language. His Majesty Jahanbani, on perceiving the ingratitude of this crew, gave up the idea of proceeding to Qandahar, and turned off towards Mashtang; Payanda Muhammad Waisi took leave and went to Qandahar. With him was sent an autograph letter to M. ‘Askari, strong in expressions such as might appeal to a little-loving, disloyal brother, and containing warnings and instructions. But where was the reason-hearkening ear, and where the heart of right understanding? Treating these remonstrances as unheard, he continued to go on in his villainy. Qasim Husain Sultan, Mahdi Qasim Khan and many others of ‘Askari Mirza’s servants remonstrated against his going lest his Majesty should grow desperate, and out of dire necessity proceed to Persia, and lest great calamities should occur. Abu’l-khair and a number of wicked men uttered flattering, house-subverting words, outwardly specious but inwardly productive of evil and ruin, and confirmed him in his faulty resolves. On that day’s