The Book of Akbar 396: BEGINNING OF THE SEVENTH ILAHI YEAR FROM THE ACCESSION, VIZ., THE YEAR MIHR OF THE FIRST CYCLE.
The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II 396
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BEGINNING OF THE SEVENTH ILAHI YEAR FROM THE ACCESSION, VIZ., THE YEAR MIHR OF THE FIRST CYCLE.
396.1
This time which was the beginning of the spring time of the spiritual king was the beginning of the earthly spring (Rabi‘). There was a spiritual as well as a physical banquet of joy. The Great Light, the lamp of the universe, entered his house of exaltation (Aries) with a thousand blessings and felicities after the elapse of three hours and forty-nine minutes of Wednesday the 5th Rajab, 969 (11th March, 1562). The force of vegetation was set in motion, the door of abundance was opened anew before the world. The procession of King Rose (Khusrū-i-gul) arrived after his orbicular course and he displayed his splendour on his garden-throne. The birds of the meadow and the garden upraised the strains of Bārbad and Nāgīsa (Nakīsa). The vernal clouds washed and cleansed the recruits to the armies of fragrant plants. Verse The heart of the flower with the tongue of verdure Gave thanks to God for spring’s balminess In the production of living forms The stars became dyers and embroiderers The branches were necklaces full of pearls The buds like the musk-bags of the deer.
396.2
From the sun’s bounteous entry and blissful enthronement the physical and spiritual world received special prosperity, and things outward harmonized with things inward. The youth of wisdom and wakefulness received discipline, and the year Mihr, the 7th of the Ilahi era began. The hand of Divine power withdrew the veil from fortune’s countenance. The hope of the right-seeing, right-acting members of creation’s workshop is that the most high God will make the Shahinshah’s holy personality, prosperous outwardly and inwardly for a length of time and will year by year grant him a fund of increased life and fortune so that the world may remain protected from the animosities and conflicts of a variety of rulers, and may be illuminated by the justice and equity of this unique one of horizons who is worthy of universal empire. So may the true arrangement of the links in the chain of things human and Divine be revealed, and the great religion, which consists in binding the multitudes of the inhabited world on the thread of unity, be advanced! May dominions grow and knowledge increase, concord be established, sincerity become current, the dust-stained ones of the plains of heedlessness who are throughout the world under an obscuring veil come forth into the fields of discrimination, so that aptitude have an open market and the seekers after things pure and genuine receive into their hands the coin of their desire!
396.3
One of the glorious boons of His Majesty the Shahinshah which shone forth in this auspicious year was the abolition of enslavement. The victorious troops which came into the wide territories of India used in their tyranny to make prisoners of the wives and children and other relatives of the people of India, and used to enjoy them or sell them. His Majesty the Shahinshah, out of his thorough recognition of and worship of God, and from his abundant foresight and right thinking gave orders that no soldier of the victorious armies should in any part of his dominions act in this manner. Although a number of savage natures who were ignorant of the world should make their fastnesses a subject of pride and come forth to do battle, and then be defeated by virtue of the emperor’s daily increasing empire, still their families must be protected from the onset of the world-conquering armies. No soldier, high or low, was to enslave them, but was to permit them to go freely to their homes and relations. It was for excellent reasons that His Majesty gave his attention to this subject, for although the binding, killing or striking the haughty and the chastising the stiff-necked are part of the struggle for empire—and this is a point about which both sound jurists and innovators are agreed—yet it is outside of the canons of justice to regard the chastisement of women and innocent children as the chastisement of the contumacious.
396.4
If the husbands have taken the path of insolence, how is it the fault of the wives, and if the fathers have chosen the road of opposition what fault have the children committed? Moreover the wives and innocent children of such factions are not munitions of war! In addition to these sound reasons there was the fact that many covetous and blind-hearted persons from vain imaginings or unjust thoughts, or merely out of cupidity attacked villages and estates and plundered them, and when questioned about it said a thousand things and behaved with neglect and indifference. But when final orders were passed for the abolition of this practice, no tribe was afterwards oppressed by wicked persons on suspicion of sedition. As the purposes of the Shahinshah were entirely right and just, the blissful result ensued that the wild and rebellious inhabitants of portions of India placed the ring of devotion in the ear of obedience, and became the materials of world-empire. Both was religion set in order, for its essence is the distribution of justice, and things temporal were regulated, for their perfection lies in the obedience of mankind.
396.5
One of the glorious events was the capture of the fortress of Mirtha by the imperial troops. God be praised the Almighty has given to the occupier of the throne of the Caliphate such excellencies that they cannot be contained within the mould of thought or come within the measure of judgment. A fortunate one who is sustained by a real relationship (to Akbar), i.e., a genuine sincerity, accomplishes in the most perfect manner whatever he undertakes, and succeeds with ease in enterprises which yield with difficulty to the rulers of the world. Do you not perceive that when the outwardly selected who have no share in the blissful abode of loyalty, undertake enterprises the Almighty God hath regard to this outward relationship to his elect one, and makes them successful? The case of Sharafu-d-din Husain Mirza’s capturing the fort of Mirtha, which occurred in the beginning of this auspicious year, is a proof of this. The particulars of this delightful event are as follows: It has already been recorded that when His Majesty the Shahinshah was returning from holy Ajmir he sent Muhammad Sharafu-d-din Husain to take this fort and to make the conquest of the territory. A number of great officers were sent with him as auxiliaries. At that time Mirtha was in the possession of Rai Maldeo who was one of the most powerful of Indian rajahs.
396.6
He made over the fort to Jagmal, who was one of his leading men, and left with him Deo Das a Rajput who was famed for his valour with a chosen body of 500 Rajputs to assist Jagmal, and guard the fort. When the royal standards left the blessed country of Ajmir and spread their glorious shade over Agra, Muhammad Sharafu-d-din Husain who had recently had the bliss of kissing the stirrup and who was buttressed by the eternal fortune of the Shahinshah, led, accompanied by other officers, an army thither and set before his genius the task of conquering that country. When the army of victory arrived at the town the soldiers travel-stained as they were and with their swift coursers all in a sweat donned the armour of endeavour and upreared the flag of daring and without hesitation advanced to the foot of the fortress. The garrison crept into the fort of fear and did not venture to come out. Meanwhile four champion horsemen of the army, advanced the foot of boldness and discharged some arrows against the gate of the fortress. Suddenly the Rajputs became restless under the discharge of arrows and came out on the walls. They made the battlement their shields and discharged confusedly bricks, stones, arrows and bullets, and also boiling pitch. Two of the horsemen obtained martyrdom and the other two came back wounded.
396.7
Muhammad Sharafu-d-din Husain and the other officers saw wisdom in proceeding slowly and so they established themselves in the city of Mirtha and put stations here and there. They applied thought and deliberation to the business of taking the fort, and cautiously invested it. They erected batteries according to proper rules, and drove mines on various sides of the fort. The garrison opposed them and every day there were hot engagements. Occasionally, they watched their opportunity and made sallies, and after showing their valour again withdrew themselves. At length, a mine, which had been carried up to under the tower was filled with gunpowder and set fire to. The tower fell to pieces like cotton when it is carded and a great breach was made. The heroes of fortune’s army got an open road for battle and rushed on. The Rajputs washed their hands of life and made a hot resistance. There was a great shock of battle, and all day long there was a brisk market of war. Both sides gave proof of courage. The holy warriors quaffed the goblet of martyrdom and gained eternal life, and many of the foe drank the bloody water of death and became intoxicated by the cup of destruction. When the veil of night intervened, every one went back to his battery and during the night the enemy repaired the breach. But a fort which has been opened by the might of fortune cannot be closed again by the craft of rebels. Soon the garrison were in straits and the fort became their jail.
396.8
Though a number came down and begged for an asylum, and tried to get out, yet Muhammad Sharafu-d-din did not consent. After much coming and going, and consultation of the officers it was agreed that they should come out after leaving behind all their property. As accepting the petitions of supplicants is a part of the rules of conquest the heroes of the victorious army withdrew in accordance with the stipulations. Next day Jagmal came out and carried off, half his life. Deo Das from ill-fatedness and a darkened mind set his mind upon dying and perversely set fire to his property, Like a snake curled up and emerging from an inner fire he came out of the fort, and audaciously came in front of the army with 4 or 500 horse. The Rajputs such as Jaimal and Lonkaran, who were among the victorious soldiers and had an old quarrel with the garrison, said to Muhammad Sharafu-d-din Husain that these men had broken the compact and had burnt their goods, The agreement was that they should come out after leaving their goods. As their part of the compact did not stand good it was far from foresight to let such evil-minded, wicked men escape when they had been conquered. Muhammad Sharafu-d-din approved of this view and drew up his forces. He himself was in the centre. Shah Budagh Khan, his son ‘Abdu-l-Matlab and Muhammad Husain Shaikh were on the left wing, and Jaimal, Lonkaran, Suja and other Rajputs were on the right. They followed after Deo Das.
396.9
When he became aware of the advance of the victorious army he out of utter daring turned his rein and fell upon the centre. A great fight took place which bore on its face a mark of the story of Rustam, or rather it was one which rolled up those old pages and placed them in the alcove of oblivion. The end was that Deo Das fell from his horse and was assailed by a number who cut him to pieces. The victorious troops returned with success and glory. Some said that Deo Das came out of this battle, wounded, and some ten or twelve years afterwards a person appeared in a jogi's dress and assumed this name. Some acknowledged him, and many rejected him. He lived for a while and then was killed in some adventure. In short, the other Rajputs escaped half-dead from that battle-field, and the fortress of Mirtha together with all its territory came into the possession of the imperial servants, and was included among the dominions. Verse. Heaven's eye ne'er saw nor shall see during its existence Such victories as the Shahanshah achieved Every victory whose result is fixed by heaven Is when looked at, the preamble to others.