The Book of Akbar 200: Brief sketch of Mirza Kamran's career.

200

As a short account of Mirza Haidar has been given, I shall now record the actions of M. Kamran. On that ill-omened occasion when M. Kamran chose separation from his Majesty Jahanbani and proceeded towards Kabul, he on arriving at Khushab treated chiefship and pre-eminence (sari u sarwari) as an affliction, and time, the gamester, as his ally and had the khutba read in his own name. Improprieties of this kind will ever be manifested by him who maketh not far-seeing wisdom and instruction his counsellor and beloved associate. He knoweth not the duties of love nor the paths of generosity. He regardeth others' bane as his good, and scattereth evil seed in good men's fields. It is manifest what sort of crop will spring from such a sowing and tilling. And how shall the tree of his hopes yield the wished-for fruit ? There is no permanency for him who takes no thought of the issue of things, nor any bond in fortune fastened to oneself by violence. What stability is there in a lofty palace wanting foundation; it soon falls to pieces like a minaret of ice ! What fixity has a first night's moon which like a blinding flash of lightning vanishes in the twinkling of an eye ? M. Kamran's sovereignty was quickly gone, like the freshness of a rose, and his fortune departed like the soon-dying breeze of spring!
To be brief; he came by way of Dhankot to the bank of the Indus. Muhammad Sultan and Ulugh Mirza who had gone into the Multan territory but had been unable to maintain themselves there. came and saluted M. Kamran on the river-bank. The Mirza tarried there for a while, and when the rebels fell into difficulties about corn, he made a bridge and crossed the river. Thence he came to Kabul and there he opened the gates of enjoyment in front of his own existence and spent his days in the indulgence of his pleasures and lusts. And Jamshid of Merv's saying, “Until the tiger leave the jungle, the pasturage is not open for the deer; nor till the falcon seek her nest, has the partridge freedom to fly,” was verified in this instance. M. Kamran gave Ghaznin and its territory to ‘Askari M. and sent Khwaja Khawand Muhammad on an embassy to Sulaiman M. in Badakhshan with the request that he would submit and make M. Kamran’s style and coinage current in Badakhshan also. M. Sulaiman sent back the ambassador re infecta and M. Kamran got enraged at this and led an army into Badakhshan. Near the village of Bari an engagement took place and when M. Sulaiman saw his own weakness and M. Kamran's strength he sent an envoy to knock at reconciliation's door. He caused the khutba to be read and coinage to be issued in M. Kamran's name; and the latter also took some Badakhshan territory from M. Sulaiman and gave it to his own men and then returned full of success. Meanwhile news came that M. Hindal had taken possession of Qandahar. M. Kamran collected an army and marched against the city and besieged the fort for six months. M. Hindal's supplies falling short, he asked for quarter and delivered up the fort. M. Kamran gave Qandahar to M. 'Askari and returned to Kabul, bringing M. Hindal along with him. For some days he treated M. Hindal with severity but afterwards out of brotherhood and from hypocrisy in the guise of concord, gave him the fertile tract of Jui Shahi, which now bears the name of his Majesty the king of kings, and is called Jalalabad. The ruler of Sind also submitted and now fortune was ministering the materials of negligence till M. Sulaiman broke his compact and seized of the territories which M. Kamran had