The Book of Akbar 218: Arrival of his Majesty Jahanbani Jannat-ashiyani's army at the Garmsir and the taking of the fort of Bast.
The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II 218
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- English
Arrival of his Majesty Jahanbani Jannat-ashiyani's army at the Garmsir and the taking of the fort of Bast.
218.1
It is not unknown to the observers of facts and contemplators of occurrences whose watchful eyes are open, and have been smeared with the antimony of alertness that when the lofty standards of his Majesty Jahanbani and his Persian auxiliaries arrived at the Garmsir, 'Ali Sultan Taklu and a number of devoted men were sent to take Bast which belongs to the Garmsir and appertains to Qandahar. Shaham 'Ali Jalair, father of Timur Jalair, and Mir Khalaj who were there as feudatories of M. Kamran had strengthened the fort which was now besieged by the royal army. In the course of the siege a musket ball from the fort struck 'Ali Sultan and deprived him of life. His soldiers appointed his twelve years old son in his room and pressed forward the siege more and more. These facts were reported to the king of Persia and after some time there arrived a rescript ratifying the arrangement. Gradually the garrison got into straits and no help coming to them they begged for quarter. Owing to the imperial clemency they received this, and delivered up the fort. When it had come into the possession of the royal servants his Majesty Jahanbani encamped in the neighbourhood, and Shaham 'Ali and Mir Khalaj tied quivers round their necks and came out and did homage. His Majesty in accordance with his innate benignity forgave their offences, and enrolled them among his servants. At the same place a report was spread that M. 'Askari was about to fly with his treasure to Kabul.
218.2
A number of the Persians and watching the fight. Though he was too far off to distinguish the features, he remarked that “the man from whose hand the lance has fallen may be Haidar Sultan for once I went with 'Ubaidu-l-lah Khan to the city of Tus, and Haidar Sultan and I were comrades in an attack and I lost these two fingers. From the mode of fighting I guess that this is he.” When they brought in the lance afterwards his (Haidar's) name was found written on it. When they read it, they praised Ismael's conjecture. In this engagement many men of rank were wounded, the first of all to be wounded being Khwaja Mu'azzam, but who succeeded in returning. About this time news was brought that Rafi' Koka, the foster brother of M. Kamran, was stationed behind a hill towards Zamindawar on the bank of the Arghandab with a force of Hazaras and Nakodars. Bairam Khan, Muhammad Mirza, Haidar Sultan, Maqsud Mirza Akhtabegi, the son of Zainu-d-din Sultan Shamlu and a number of others were sent against him. By good fortune Rafi' Koka was made prisoner, and great store of provisions, cattle and weapons was seized and the scarcity in the camp was changed to plenty. Other battles were also fought by the brave warriors with successful results. As M. 'Askari had from his own backsliding let the thread of performance fall from his hand, and was persistently contumacious it occurred to his Majesty on account of his general benevolence and his fraternal affection that he should send to M.
218.3
Kamran the Shah's letter together with an admonitory firman of his own. Perchance he would awake from the sleep of neglect and take the straight road and by dint of good acts make reparation for his offences. In this way many persons might escape from unnecessary destruction, and brotherly concord might result in great deeds which were brooding in his right-thinking soul. Accordingly Bairam Khan was despatched to Kabul as an ambassador. When he reached the pass of Rughni and the Ab-Istada, which is between Qandahar and Ghaznin a number of Hazaras blocked the way. At the close of the day there was an engagement and the king’s servants were victorious and chastised the worthless Hazaras. Many of them were slain. When Bairam Khan arrived near Kabul, Babus and many others came and welcomed him and took him with them. M. Kamran held a reception in the Cahar Bagh and sent for Bairam Khan. The latter rightly thought that it would not be proper to give the two rescripts to the Mirza when he would doubtless be sitting down, and it was very unlikely that he would stand up and pay respect to them as was proper he should do. Having considered the matter, he took the Koran in his hand and tendered it as an offering. The Mirza on seeing the Koran stood up out of reverence towards it, and at this moment Bairam Khan presented the two rescripts. Thus the device procured respect for them.
218.4
The king’s and the Shah’s gifts were duly presented and Bairam sitting down beside the Mirza uttered words of truth and sincerity. At the close of the meeting he took leave to pay his respects to the Shahinshah. He also obtained permission to see M. Hindal, M. Sulaiman, Yadgar Nasir Mirza and Ulugh Beg Mirza. The Mirza (Kamran) dismissed him and appointed Babus to accompany him at the interview. Bairam Khan first went to kiss the threshold of his Majesty the king of kings who was in the bagh-i-maktab (school-garden) with that cupola of chastity Khanzada Begam, elder sister of his Majesty Giti-sitani Firdaus-makani. Maham Bega who was his Majesty’s nurse (anaga) brought out the nursling of Divine light from the inner chambers. The visitors performed their obeisance, and acquitted themselves of their embassy to him. It was a great joy to Bairam Khan and his companions to have the privilege of beholding his auspicious Majesty. The witnessing of the divine lights which were manifest on his Majesty’s forehead glorified their vision, and they returned thanks to Providence. Taking leave from them they went and visited M. Hindal who was in the house of his respected mother Dildar Begam and was under surveillance. They presented to him a gracious farmān, a robe of honour and a horse. With like ceremonies they next day visited M. Sulaiman and M. Ibrahim who had been imprisoned in the fort in the house of Qasim Mukhlis. On that day they were by M.
218.5
Kamrān's orders brought out from there into the garden of Jalalu-d-dīn Beg which is near the Shahr-Ara garden. Bairam Khan embraced these two grandees in that garden and gladdened them by conveying to them the gifts and favours of the king and the Shāh. Taking leave from them he went to julga Siyah Sang, where Yadgar Nasir had settled, and gave him hopes of the pardon of his offences, and the forgetting of his faults, and of his receiving various royal favours. In like manner he visited and conveyed hopes to Ulugh Mīrza and other grandees, and gave them, as was proper, soothing messages. M. Kamran kept Bairam Khan under surveillance for more than a month, having neither the strength to resist, nor the grace to submit. He remained in these perplexities, until after much considerations he let him (Bairam) go after a month and a half. He also by entreaties prevailed upon her Highness Khanzada Begam to go to Qandahar ostensibly to persuade M. ‘Askarī, who, he pretended, was not under his influence, to make over Qandahār to his Majesty Jahanbani’s servants, but in reality in order that if things should go ill with him, who was holding out, and was maintaining the fort under M. Kamran's orders, and he should have to give up the fort, that cupola of chastity might be an intercessor for M. ‘Askarī and might procure him his liberty. As M. ‘Askarī had left the right path and in his devotion to M.
218.6
Kāmrān had given up the rein of intention to the hand of rebellion and hostility, he applied himself to strengthening the fort, and placed guns and muskets all over it. The fort too was very strong, for it was of mud and so the breaching (qil'a u qam'a) of it was very difficult. The breadth of the wall was sixty yards (gaz). Though the heroes of the victorious army were few in number, yet they strove manfully so that the Turkomāns were astonished, and became jealous of them.
218.7
One day his Majesty Jahānbānī had a select party, and there his confidential intimates opened the door of recitals and took into their hands the thread of narrative. The assembly became delightsome from the flow of pleasing anecdotes and joyous tales. By the elixir of the words of the brave the coin of the courageous was tested and increased, and a stock of valour accrued to those whose supply was small. On this occasion there came to his mind the loving remembrance of his Majesty the Shāhinshāh. What may be the condition of this young cypress of the stream of the Caliphate, separated now from friends and surrounded by foes? And what are the thoughts of the envious, the foolish and the evil-minded about this auspicious rose-bush? With a heart rent in twain and a soul divided 'twixt hope and fear, he opened the hand of supplication before the great Temple which granteth the desire of the afflicted and distressed and prayed for the happiness and long life of that goodly tree of the Sultanate. In this way he relieved his blistered heart. Verse. Lord: keep Thou this royal pearl Far from the molestation of the wicked, Grant him water from wisdom's stream, Grant him heat from perception's sun. The sun hath trod many circuits in heaven That this Light might issue from the veil, Many a star hath displayed benign aspects That this Moon might put aside his locks.
218.8
High Heaven trod many a round That the horizons might share in this light, May eternal splendour be his portion May his lightsome heart ne’er be darkened! And in order to comfort his capacious soul he called for the horoscope which is the guarded tablet of mysteries of the fortune-favoured one and carefully perused it. In that frontispiece of auspiciousness he read personal safety, long life, ascension of the grades of fortune, ruin of enemies, and failure of the evil and crooked thoughted. Joyfully lifting up his head he exclaimed "God be praised, my heart is wholly at rest from these anxieties. There is hope that bye and bye I shall be made happy by a sight of that divine nursling, and shall, by the star of that auspicious one become victorious over all my foes.” Having returned thanks to God he set himself to conquer the fort. M. 'Askari used all diligence in holding it, and made changes in the garrisons of the batteries every day and every night, lest proffers of reconciliation should be made by the besiegers and there should thus be less vigilance on the part of the defence. As the siege was protracted, and none of the king’s servants came and joined him, the Persian officers relaxed their exertions and meditated a return home. His Majesty Jahanbani read this design in their demeanour, and redoubled his efforts to take the fort.
218.9
One night he moved out from his battery, and approaching the gate from the side of old Qandahar—the place is called Cahar Dara—he came within a stone throw of it, and there established a battery. Next morning when the Turkomans saw this, they felt encouraged to take the fort, and they all moved forward; and narrowed the lines of circumvallation. M. 'Askari was astonished, and showed signs of despair, and besought with many entreaties that as the cupola of chastity (Khanzada) was approaching, he might have a respite till her arrival so that he might be reassured by her and might be enabled to serve (Humayun). He sent his petition through Mir Tahir, brother of Khwaja Dost Khawind. His Majesty Jahanbani, who was a mine of liberality and clemency, accepted his prayer and stayed the siege-operations for some days. The wicked Mirza outwardly assumed the airs of a suppliant, but secretly exerted himself to strengthen the fort, and when her Highness and Bairam Khan arrived he renewed his opposition. Though the noble lady endeavoured to restrain M. 'Askari from evil designs and to induce him to kiss the holy threshold, he from his disordered brain would not accept her counsels, but continued obdurate and would not suffer her to leave the fort and go to his Majesty's camp. Thus the Mirza's contumacy and villainy were revealed even to his Majesty Jahanbani.
218.10
Relying therefore on the favour of God, who is the surety of those who commend themselves to Him, he strenuously endeavoured to take the fort. Meanwhile Ulugh Mirza, son of Muhammad Sultan Mirza, who was descended from Sultan Husain through a daughter, Sher-afkan Beg, son of Quc Beg, and Fazail Beg, brother of Mun'im Khan, Mir Barka and Mirza Hasan Khan, sons of Mir 'Abdullah, who belonged to the Saiyids the Bani-mukhtars of Sabzawar, and many others came from Kabul by the guidance of a happy star and did homage. The cause of their escaping was this. M. Kamran was keeping Ulugh Beg in confinement, and out of precaution he made him to a different custodian every week. When it came to Sher-afkan’s turn, it happened that he too was afraid of the Mirza. He joined with the others and brought out Ulugh Mirza, and enjoyed the blessing of service. His Majesty Jahanbani received this party with favour and gave them robes of honour, and assigned Zamin Dawar to M. Ulugh Beg. Though Qasim Husain Sultan came out with them, he lost his way one night and fell among the Hazaras. After some days and after being robbed he arrived on foot and with blistered soles. His Majesty remarked to him “There must have been something wanting in your loyalty for you to have lost your way and become involved in such troubles.” After that Dawa Beg Hazara came in with his tribesmen. Petitions too arrived from the Kabul officers.
218.11
The arrival of this party, and the receipt of petitions from officers and nobles caused great joy in the camp. The Qizilbashis, (Persians) who had been uneasy in their minds, became tranquil and displayed alacrity in carrying on the war while the leaders of the garrison began to waver, and the foot of firmness slipped from the battlement of defence. The dwellers in the fort wrote daily accounts of M. 'Askari and shot them down from the walls. Their purport was that the garrison was in difficulties, and that the besiegers should press on, and not relax their efforts. At last it came to this that the officers of M. 'Askari's army flung themselves out of the fort one by one, and that the gunners and infantry did the same. First, Khizr Khwaja Khan threw himself down from the fort in the vicinity of his Majesty's battery, and seizing the collar of supplication with the hand of contrition fell at the holy feet of his Majesty Jahanbani. After him Muayyad Beg let himself down by ropes from the fort, and was exalted by doing homage. Then Isma'il Beg, who was one of Giti-sitani Firdaus-makani's officers and was distinguished for counsel and courage arrived, and Abu'l-Husain Beg, brother's son of Qaraca Khan, and Munawwar Beg, son of Nur Beg, came with him.
218.12
One night Khizr Khan Hazara flung himself down from the fort, and two or three Hazaras took him on their backs and went off with him towards Kot Laka (?). Inasmuch as the work of defence had got out of hand, and M. 'Askari could neither make up his mind to remain in the fort, nor had he the face to come to the world-protecting Court, Khizr Khan Hazara desired to betake himself to the cell of safety and to come to strive out of these dangers. In the morning news came to the camp that he had left the fort and taken to flight. A number of people hastened to search for him. He had gone some distance and then hidden himself behind a rock. Some reliable persons relate that Khizr Khan Hazara used to tell how the men who had been sent to catch him passed close to him and how once a man touched the skirt of his garment and thought it was an animal, while