The Book of Akbar 337.2
The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II 337.2
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337.2.1
Hail to the great one who attains to this knowledge, and joy to the fortunate one who receives such instruction! And what a blind atheist is he who in the presence of such lights of intelligence remains under the veil of irrecognition, and descends into the mire of ignorance! And what a futile wretch is he who in spite of having found this glorious station enters on the no-thoroughfare of hypocrisy and opposition and contends with God the Creator of the world! Let us be brief, for to noble discourse of this kind there is no limit! The Khedive of the earth recognised this mysterious intimation (the return of the horse) as a Divine inspiration and, renouncing his intention of solitude, addressed himself again to the cordial greeting of those loyal officers who were in the camp, and cast the shadow of kindness over these regions. Mankind rejoiced, and H.M. with his retinue reached Lahore on 25 Murdad, Divine month, corresponding to H. 11 Shawwal (7 August, 1557), before the camp had arrived there. He immediately occupied himself in hunting. After a few days the whole camp arrived.
337.2.2
The Khan-Khanan under the influence of the Sultan of imaginings again returned to the old story and began to suspect Shamsu-d-din Muhammad Khan Atka. He said to him: “Although the countenance of my loyalty and devotion to the sublime family be free from the stain of deceit or dissimulation and know that H.M.’s glance of grace and kindness to myself is without flaw and so I have no fear of any breach in the pillars thereof, yet as H.M. occasionally treats me with disfavour I believe this must come from your contrivances and calumnies. What have I done that you should gird up the loins of hostility against me and that in thirsting for my blood you should turn the sacred mind against me? And should even go so far as to attempt my life?” Shamsu-d-din was troubled by this attack, and having collected all his relatives and dependants he went before the Khan-Khanan and made protestations, accompanied with solemn oaths, that he had never opened his mouth to speak ill of him, and that he never would do so. At last the Khan-Khanan came to his senses, and his anxiety abated somewhat.
337.2.3
Among the occurrences of this time was Bahadur Khan’s being sent to Multan to put his jagir in order. As has already been intimated, this had been recently conferred on him. He was also ordered to give a lesson to the Bilūcīs of that neighbourhood, who had raised the head of refractoriness. Bahadur Khan, after arriving in that pleasant country behaved with bravery. A large number of foot and cavalry came to oppose him, and displayed great obstinacy. The fighting lasted for a month, but as the shadow of the fortunes of the lord of the earth had been cast over him, he became victorious by the Divine aid.
337.2.4
As the world-arranging God was about to reveal the majesty of the Shahinshah that it might come forth from the veil of acquiescence and personally regulate the distractions of the world, the screen over Bairam Khan’s actions, who was always boasting of his loyalty, began to lift, and he became a traveller on a roadless tract. One of the vagaries which most sensible men observed in him was that with and without leave he distributed the royal elephants among his confidential officers (khurd). He even seized some of the reserved royal elephants, which were a screen for H.M.’s glory, on the pretence that he would make them over to (fitting) men. The Khedive of the earth did not wish to submit to this tyranny but as actions have their final time, and that time had not yet arrived, he winked at the procedure and acquiesced in fate. Good God! What width of capacity! And what gentleness! And that too in early youth which is the time for violence, and is the beginning of the boiling over of the powers of rage. But what is marvellous in a great man whom the Creator takes under his protection? During the term that Lahore was made illustrious by the advent of H.M. the Shahinshah, Sultan Adam Gakkar came and did homage and was received with favour. As he had not come forward when the standards of H.M. Jahanbani Jinnat Ashiyani, had first come for the conquest of India, he had an apprehension in his heart.
337.2.5
But as he had performed an acceptable service, namely, the seizing and making over of M. Kamran, who was the source of so much strife and trouble, he was regarded with favour, and his petitions were continually coming to the sublime Court. At this time, when the earth obtained celestial splendour by the light (far) of H.M. the Shahinshah’s throne, and Fortune was performing its vocation, viz., to drag every chief and leader by the hair to do homage to the sublime Court, and to exalt them by eternal auspiciousness, a desire to kiss the threshold seized the collar of this fortunate one. But from his natural savagery he begged that when he should be exalted by service, he should not be taken to India along with the sublime cortége, and that he should not by marks of favour, be made an exile from his own country. He also begged that one of the confidential servants should seize him and carry him off to the sublime Court. The Shahinshah’s graciousness ordered that his good services should be requited, and granted to the full all his requests. Taimur Khan Jalair was chosen for this service and directed to conciliate him and to bring him to do homage. And he received more favours that had entered into the mind of his wishes.
337.2.6
Of the events which happened during the stay in Lahore, for the warning of strife-mongers there was the bringing to capital punishment of Takht Mal the Zamindar of Mau. The brief account of this is as follows. This Zamindar in his evil-fatedness became a companion of Sultan Sikandar and was a cause of his errors. As the general custom of Indian Zamindars is to leave the path of single-mindedness and to have an eye to every side, and to join anyone who is victorious or who is making increasing stir, when there was confusion upon the unavoidable event (the death) of H.M. Jahanbani Jannat Ashiyani becoming known in India, and Sikandar Sūr uplifted the head of strife, that strayed one joined him and backed him up. When the standards of victory besieged Mankot, and the garrison had got into difficulties he, according to Zamindari tricks, joined the army. When Bairam Khan became apprised of his intrigues he had him executed, and appointed in his room his brother, Bakht Mal, who was prominent for prudence and loyalty. As it is a principle of the Shahinshah’s lofty spirit that those who come in voluntarily, even if they do so out of necessity, should be protected from vengeance, and his noble nature, which partakes of thousands of kindnesses and generosities does not take into account the wrong-doings of such men, he did not approve of this execution. But as the veil over his world-adorning beauty had not been lifted, he did not give any outward sign (of his displeasure).
337.2.7
When his world-conquering mind was free from the affairs of the Panjab he spent the four months and fourteen days, during which Lahore was an object of envy to heaven from the splendour of the victorious army, in repose and pleasure: outwardly he wore the guise of one who did not attend to affairs, in reality he was deeply interested, and was testing the loyal. When the officers of the Caliphate had settled matters, the government of Lahore was entrusted to Husain Khan, sister’s son of Mahdi Qasim Khan, and the victorious standards advanced in an auspicious hour, on 25 Azar, Divine month, corresponding to Tuesday 15 Safar 965, (7 December 1557) towards the capital of Delhi. Among the events which happened while the army was encamped at Jalandhar was the marriage of the Khan-Khanan Bairam Khan with the cupola of chastity Salima Sultan Begum. The account of this is as follows. H.M. Jahanbani Jannat Ashiyani had during the time of his rule betrothed that veil of chastity, who was his sister’s son, and daughter of M. Nuru-d-din Muhammad, to Bairam Khan, the arrangement being that he would make over the unique pearl, who was distinguished for illustrious lineage and noble qualities (nasab u hasab) among the chaste ladies of the court, to Bairam Khan, after the conquest of India. This promise remained as a pledge till a fitting opportunity.
337.2.8
When Jalandhar became a seat of enlightenment owing to the arrival of the sublime camp, the Khan-Khanan applied his mind to the fulfilment of his claim, and begged the grant thereof from H.M. the Shahinshah. H.M., as under the guise of indifference he was treading the neck of conciliation, signified his assent to the request, and promoted the marriage. All the Court ladies and specially Bika Maham Anaga showed great alacrity in furthering the marriage, and accordingly the marriage and the bridal procession (zifaf) took place within one week. M. Nuru-d-din was son of M. ‘Ala’ud-din Muhammad, who was son of Khwaja Hasan, commonly known as Khwajazada Caghanian. This Khwajazada was grandson of K. Hasan ‘Attar, who again was the direct descendant of K. ‘Ala’ud-din who was the first Khalifa of Khwaja Naqshband. Let it not be concealed that the Khwajazada Caghanian was son-in-law of Sultan Mahmud, son of Sultan Abu Said Mirza. Pasha the daughter of ‘Ali Shukr Beg the third ancestor of Bairam Khan, and who was married to S. Mahmud, gave a daughter whom she had by the Mirza to the Khwajazada. H.M. Geti Sitani Firdaus Makani considering these relationships showed favour to M. Nuru-d-din Mahmud, in whom he saw marks of sincerity and loyalty, and gave in marriage to him his daughter Gulbarg Begum. Salima, who was distinguished for good qualities, purity and nobility of disposition, was born of that holy one (Gulbarg B.). H.M.
337.2.9
Jahanbani Jannat Ashiyani had thought of this connection (the marriage with Bairam) on account of those relationships. Good God! What an imitative world it is! Because S. Mahmud made a mistake about Khwajazada Caghanian, in that he made an alliance with a strange family, why was it that H.M. Firdaus Makani followed this up by making an alliance with M. Nuru-d-din Muhd.!, and for what reason Hakim gave his sister, Humayun’s daughter, Fakhru-nisa, to Khwaja Naqshbandi after the death of her first husband Abu-l-ma‘ali, and Akbar married his son Daniel to a daughter of Sultan Khwajah.