The Book of Akbar 282: Brief account of the events and misfortunes which took place in Hindustan during the days of confusion.

282

As the thread of the story has been drawn out so far it is necessary that the chronicles give a short account of India so that the condition of impatient awaiting may not befal the intelligent members of the congregation of understanding. The brief account is, that when on 11th Rabi'u-l-awwal, 952 (23rd May, 1545), Sher Khan, after having established his power by wickedness and tyranny and having ruled five years, two months and thirteen days,—went to the abode of nothingness, his younger son, Salim Khan, eight days afterwards, took his father's seat by the instrumentality of the officers. He ruled eight years, two months and eight days. For some time he had to carry on a war with his elder brother ‘Adil Khan and with Khwas Khan. This last was one of Sher Khan's slaves, and obtained a reputation for sanctity among the commonalty by making a fair show, (ablatardzi, perhaps, “plastering the boil”) by trickery (gurbzat) and by seizing men's property and by distributing the acquisitions of the learned among the base and ignorant. As contention with one's own master,—even though he be worthless,—does not prosper, the schemes of those strifemongers did not succeed. Salim Khan also contended for a time with the Niyaz tribe who ruled the Panjab, their leader being Haibat Khan. They were overcome and in the defiles of the mountains of Kashmir fell into the abyss of destruction. He also was occupied for some time in fighting with the Gakhars, and did not prevail, for his servants could not get the better of them, and they (the Gakhars) were loyal to the holy family (the Timūrids). He completed the fort of Rohtas which Sher Khan had begun, and he had a presage of evil when he was in the Siwalik hills and founded the fort of Mankot as a refuge for himself. For a long time he laboured under apprehensions on account of the Afghan vagabonds and his own bad life, and spent his days in the fort of Gualiar. Though he dealt equitably with the peasantry, he treated the soldiers very harshly. On 22nd Zi’l-qa'da, 960 (October 30th, 1553), he died from a malignant ulcer which formed in one of his lower members owing to the issue of corrupt matter. According to his will, Firuz Khan, who was of tender age was appointed his successor, but after a few days Mubariz Khan, who was Firuz’s maternal uncle, put that innocent one to death, and himself assumed the sovereignty, taking the name of Muhammad ‘Adil. He was the son of Nizam Khan, younger brother of Sher Khan. This Nizam had one son and three daughters, and a strange thing was that the son became a ruler and the husbands of the three daughters rose to high rank,—for one was Salim Khan, another Sikandar Sur, and the third was Ibrahim Sur. A brief account of these last two will be given hereafter. Himu who, by evil speaking, evil plotting and calumny which, as rulers have to study mankind, gives them pleasure, and this to such an extent that the pleasure hides from their penetrating gaze constitutional faults and innate wickedness, rose from low degree to high rank and became the prime minister of that tyrant, who spent all his time in sport and amusement and bodily lusts, and neglected affairs. Confusion was produced in the world. Now that we have come so far it is proper that a brief account should be given of Himu.