The Book of Akbar 354: HUNTING-EXPEDITION OF H.M. THE SHAHINSHAH AND THE REMOVAL OF THE VEIL FROM THE ACTIONS OF BAIRĀM KHĀN.
The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II 354
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HUNTING-EXPEDITION OF H.M. THE SHAHINSHAH AND THE REMOVAL OF THE VEIL FROM THE ACTIONS OF BAIRĀM KHĀN.
354.1
In this fortunate year, which was the ornamental border of beauty and the beginning of the removal of the screen over this aggregate of the works of the embroiderers for eternity, the garden of Reason came into flower, and the bud of contrivance opened. For the expectant world this year was the beginning of the attainment of desires. This day gave the revolving sky the good news of the results of its motion and enabled it to obtain repose. It was the commencement of the locating of their aspirations in the bosom of the celestials. For terrestrials the flower of success came forth from the lap of hope and took root. Among these things was the circumstance that Bairām Khān, who regarded himself as the unique of the age in regard to courage, administrative abilities, devotion and sincerity, and who in consequence of a crowd of flatterers had got the belief that the affairs of India could not be managed without him, took, from the bad advice of shortsighted associates, the path of destruction, and did shameful deeds, such as should not have come from him. It is an old rule that when the wonder-working Creator for reasons known to Him, or for considerations which may be partially followed by a sage, casts anyone into enduring affliction, He begins by making him the source of certain acts which do not bear the cachet of well-pleasingness to God.
354.2
Accordingly, a man who in this material world makes himself illustrious does not regard Prudence, which is the greatest of Divine gifts, as of no account, but recognises in the following of it the means of pleasing God. And the first thing which it behoves men immersed in business to look to, is that they give little access to flatterers. It is difficult on account of the constitution of the world to be clear of them altogether; it is indispensable that they after using circumspection and insight select one or two servants and intimates who may in privacy tell them the truth, which may be very bitter, and is indigestible by most dispositions. For the numbers of flatterers are unlimited, and busy men have not the time to distinguish truth from falsehood and right from wrong. The wine of success robs the senses, and out of a hundred thousand successful men perhaps there may be one who from largeness of capacity preserves his mental stability. For instance, this great gift and perpetual table is the fortune of the Divinely nourished Khedive of our age, so that in proportion as his success and world-conquest increase, the degree of his perspicacity becomes greater, and his progress steadier. And though flatterers in this sublime court attain their desires, yet the wise prince holds firmly the thread of discrimination and prudently gives them the go-bye, so that neither is the veil of the reputation of these men rent nor has the flatterer any influence.
354.3
Do you not know that in former times flatterers have, owing to the insouciance of rulers, ruined houses and families, and what other evils they have done? Doubtless it is in accordance with eternal decrees that there should be flatterers in the workshop of governments, but so also is it that there should be foreseeing wisdom. And this consists in not letting them interfere with root-questions, and not letting go altogether the Reason which unravels difficulties and is the Sultān of the material world. Verse. There’s both road and well, an eye to see, and the sun, So that man may look in front of his feet, He has so many lights and yet goes the wrong road ! Let him fall and see his own punishment Enemies do not work to one another the ill That folly and passion do to oneself. Of the improper acts which were done by Bairām Khān in consequence of bad company there was the putting to death of the Shāhinshāh’s own elephant-driver. The succinct account of this warning-giving occurrence is as follows: The royal elephant became mast and beyond the control of the driver and attacked one of Bairām Khān’s elephants. It struck the other elephant so severely that the entrails came out. Bairām Khān was so enraged that he put the driver to death. By such an act as this, which was beyond all bounds, and transgressed both loyalty and respect, he made himself an object of disgust to men of experience.
354.4
More strange still was what happened when one day one of the Shahinshah’s private elephants got mast and rushed into the Jamna. Bairam Khan was taking the air in a boat, and the elephant, which had got out of hand, proceeded towards his boat. The Khan Khanan was much alarmed ; but at last the driver contrived to master the elephant, and Bairam Khan was saved from the animal’s attack. When this affair was reported to H.M. the Shahinshah he, in order to soothe Bairam Khan, had the driver bound and sent to him, though he was innocent. The Khan, the time of whose fall was near at hand, put him to death and paid no heed to the fact that this driver belonged to the altar of his loyalty and allegiance, and that H.M. had out of politeness sent him bound to him. Apart from this he did not consider that nothing could be done with intoxication, especially when it was a brute that was intoxicated, and that too an enormous beast which was specially apt to become mast. H.M. the Shahinshah, who was a mine of gentleness and wisdom, passed over such improper actions as this, of which only a few out of many have been described, and abode under the veil of indifference. All his genius was turned to this consideration, that those men might take the reins of justice into their hands, even if they could not advance some steps on the road of loyalty, and might become travellers on the way of practical wisdom.
354.5
This faction became intoxicated by power, and being unhelped by sound ideas, it daily became worse. But so long as the wickedness of those oppressors did not exceed all bounds, H.M’s sacred soul was not affected by the mean nature of his allowances, for the kingdom of the Lord of the Age was withheld from him and distributed among his (Bairam Khan’s) flatterers, and as H.M. Jahanbani Jannat Ashiyani had given Bairam Khan the name of Atiliq, and as H.M. (Akbar) often called him Khan Baba, as it is the custom of young monarchs to call old men Baba (father), he magnanimously observed the meaning of the phrase and overlooked his improper acts. He was eager about travelling and hunting, and kept the head of surrender on the ground of well-pleasing (to God), and worshipped the incomparable Deity, until, at last, things came beyond bounds, on account of ill-fated, maladroit flatterers such as Wali Beg Zul-qadr and Shaikh Gadai Kambo. He (Bairam) took ruinous