The Book of Akbar 401: THE APPOINTMENT OF ‘ABDULLAH KHAN UZBEG TO THE TERRITORY OF MALWA.
The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II 401
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THE APPOINTMENT OF ‘ABDULLAH KHAN UZBEG TO THE TERRITORY OF MALWA.
401.1
When the Almighty Creator wills that the world-adorning beauty of one of His elect should be impressed on the minds of mankind, He gives him daily-increasing dominion and also provides in His universal mercy that the generality of mankind who have neither far-reaching views nor far-seeing eyes may be brought into the right way and for this purpose He causes disaffection to arise in parts of the imperial domains, and then grants that this be composed by the elect one’s excellent arrangements. Of necessity mankind do not assign such a result to use and wont, and acknowledge the wondrous wisdom and farsightedness. There was a fresh illustration of these remarks in the drowning of Pir Muhammad Khan, in Baz Bahadur’s regaining his sway, and in the second settlement of the province of Malwa. The account of this fortunate (the resettlement) event is as follows. When Adham Khan came to Agra in accordance with the Shahinshah’s directions, the imperial messengers brought the news that Baz Bahadur had come to the neighbourhood of Awas and was collecting troops. Pir Muhammad Khan, who was daring to rashness and whose courage surpassed his judgment prepared a force and went off there. Baz Bahadur made little account of Pir Muhammad and came out to meet him, and gave battle. After a short struggle he was defeated and abundant booty fell into the hands of the conquerors. Pir Muhammad Khan went on from there to take Bijagarh.
401.2
‘Itimad Khan a servant of Baz Bahadur was in command there and he exerted himself to strengthen the fort. As it is in itself a paragon for loftiness and solidity the siege drew out to a long period. The exploit-loving heroes such as Jai Diwana, Yar ‘Ali Bilūc, Daim Kokaltash, Maulana Muhtasham, Mulk Muhammad and Mirza Afaq displayed acts of valour and made assaults upon the gate. One day Muhammad Mir Katib made a strong attack and was the subject of universal commendation. At last one morning very early Khusrū Shah, the head of Pir Muhammad’s servants fixed scaling-ladders and got above the fort. Two hundred other heroes advanced at the true dawn. As the blackness of their overthrow had arrived, the garrison were negligent and asleep. The morning breeze of victory had begun to blow, when the enemy took to fighting. A battle took place and the heroes fought well. When the garrison got into difficulties they cried out for quarter and dispersed. At this time ‘Itimad Khan was coming forward with one companion and crying out for quarter and asking to be taken to Pir Muhammad Khān. An arrow reached him and he went to non-existence. When ‘Itimad Khan’s companion saw this he drew his sword, and after fighting as long as he could he manfully died. A large number became the harvest of the sword. The leavings of the sword obtained quarter and brought out their lives from the whirlpool. An immense booty fell into the hands of the imperial servants.
401.3
Pir Muhammad Khan waited there some days to put the fort in order and then went on towards Sultanpūr. After a short contest it was included within the imperial domains. From thence he returned to Bijagarh. There he learned that Baz Bahadur had taken refuge with Miran Mubārik Shāh, the ruler of Khandesh, and that Miran was adding his troops to Baz Bahādur’s. Pir Muhammad Khān put the superfluous baggage of the army into the fort and took one thousand brave men with him and made a rapid march so that he might suddenly come to Asir and Burhanpūr, and dispose of the collected enemy. He crossed the Narbada and marched forty kos in one night. Within two kos of Asir there was a fort, and in it there were war-elephants. The little fort was quickly taken possession of, and the elephants were made part of the booty. Miran had sent a force from Asir to defend the little fort. Pir Muhammad Khan had taken the fortlet, and was proceeding towards Burhanpūr, which is in Khandes and is the residence of the ruler, when suddenly the dust of the enemy’s army was seen in the distance. Pir Muhammad Khan detached Khusrū Shah and Yar Ali Biluc to dispose of the enemy. They soon dispersed the foe and put many to the sword and then returned. Next morning they reached Burhanpur and committed much plundering there. An abundant supply of goods and money fell into the hands of each man. Miran remained in the fort of Asir, and Pir Muhammad Khan judged it advisable to return.
401.4
Meanwhile news came that Baz Bahadur had approached with the army of Khandes which he had taken with him with the intention of attacking Bijagarh. When he came there he learnt that Pir Muhammad Khan had moved swiftly with a small force and had gone to attack Asir and Burhanpur. He was much disturbed and went off to that province. Just at the time when the men were loaded with booty and were returning, and a number of them had got separated, the news came that Baz Bahadur was close at hand. Pir Muhammad Khan took counsel with men of experience. Most of them agreed that it was not a proper time to fight, for they had made great exertions and gained victories and every one was laden with booty. The proper thing was to avoid fighting and to cross the Narbada. They could recruit themselves at Handia and collect fresh men and then set to work. As his fate had arrived Pir Muhammad Khan did not listen to the honest words of the men of experience, and set his heart upon fighting. His comrades did not support him, and after a little fighting did not stand firm. Yar Ali Biluc seized Pir Muhammad Khan’s rein and forced him from the field as there was no use in staying longer. When they came to the bank of the Narbada it was near evening. Though his companions said that the enemy was far off, and that they should remain that night where they were, yet as the inevitable moment had arrived, the messengers of death made him restless and induced him to swim his horse across the Narbada.
401.5
The bridle of reflection fell from his hand, and the reasonable words of the right thinking found no place in his reason’s ear. Mounted as he was, he flung himself with confusion into the swellings of the Narbada (b’arba dar ab Narbada). It chanced that a string of mules was then crossing rapidly. They came near the horse and kicked it on the side. Pir Muhammad’s horse, as well as his sense, departed from their place. He fell from his horse into the water, and his comrades who were close by, did not in their wickedness exert themselves to draw him out of that whirlpool of destruction. He was drowned and went to the ocean of annihilation, either as a retribution for the oppression which he had committed in this expedition, or for his conduct in Tardi Beg Khan’s battle, or for some other deed known to the knower of secrets. By heaven’s decree so loyal, able, and gallant a man underwent such a fate. Verse. Where destiny is powerful The stronger is all the weaker When the day of darkness shows its face Two world-seeing eyes make a gloom.
401.6
Thus in spite of his power and greatness, he strayed away from deliberation and with his own feet fell into the whirlpool of destruction. Qiya Khan Kang, Shah Muhammad Qilati, Habib ‘Ali Khan, and a number of other officers who had fiefs in the province gave up heart and went off to the world-protecting court. Each of them received punishment suitable to his deserts, and Baz Bahadur became possessed of Malwa. The world-conquering fortune of the Shahinshah saw that the proper course was to appoint a high officer who should possess excellent sense as well as abundant courage, and perfect energy together with judicial calm. Therefore ‘Abdullah Khan Uzbeg, who was ranked among the magnanimous riskers of their lives, and who had been formerly in that country, and was familiar with its nature, was nominated for the conquest of Malwa. The order was given that he should have the power of life and death. Khwaja M‘uinu-d-din Ahmad Farankhūdi, who was distinguished among viziers of the diwan-i-buyūtāt for his rectitude and ability, was raised to the rank of a Khan and sent with him in order that he might regulate the province and might inquire into the position of the jagirdars and define the exchequer-lands. A large number of persons were sent with him for this important work.
401.7
The order was given that after the military had cleared that delightful province of the weeds and rubbish of enemies, ‘Abdullah Khan should remain there and devote himself to ruling the country, and that M‘uin Khan should hearten the peasantry, the farmers and the other inhabitants, both high and low, by the influence of the Shahinshah’s graciousness. He was to remedy the absenteeism which might have occurred on account of the marchings and counter-marchings of the troops, and with the help of the officers and other royal servants who had been appointed for this service he was to allot the fiefs according to the rules of eternal dominion. After finishing this work he was to return to court. In accordance with this order ‘Abdullah Khan, attended by high officers, and with a suitable force, set his face in the beginning of this year for the conquest of Malwa. When Baz Bahadur became aware of this expedition, he abandoned firmness and found that the power of resistance was not within his capacity. Before the standards of fortune’s army could cast the shade of peace and tranquillity over those lands, he left Malwa and his ambitions and fled to a place of safety. The dread onset of the Shahinshah’s fortune, and the majestic might of his armies and the promptitude of his expeditions are not (mere) loud noises such as that great princes should not be disturbed or terrified by them. What wonder then at the flinching of rulers like Baz Bahadur.
401.8
Without the sword’s becoming a thunderbolt of evil or the arrow’s pouring a rain of calamity, the victorious army entered Malwa. A number of brave men, out of foresight, pursued Baz Bahadur and put to death many of his soldiers. He threw himself into the tree-clad defiles and spent his days in vagabondism. For some time he took shelter with Rana Udai Singh. When the fame of the Shahinshah’s clemency was spread about, he at last by good guidance left the abode of alienation and came to the restful abode of the sublime threshold, and was exalted by royal favours. This will be recorded in its proper place. In short, the country of Malwa came again into the possession of the imperial servants. ‘Abdullah Khan in accordance with orders went to the city of Mandu, which was the capital of the princes of Malwa, and settled himself on the pillow of rule. The cities, towns, and villages were distributed among the officers according to their rank. The imperial servants went to Ujjain, Sarangpur and other fiefs and opened out the trappings of repose. M‘uin Khan after putting the country in order and alloting the fiefs proceeded to court. He hurried along the highway of loyalty and enjoyed the bliss of service. He was the recipient of power and fame.
401.9
Among the occurrences was that Rajah Ganesh, the Zamindar of Nandun—a Panjab territory in the hill-country between the Bias and Sutlej—had the folly to attack Jan Muhammad Bahasudi, the jagirdar of pargana Birka in that neighbourhood. As he was fundamentally bad, he had not the happiness of success. On the contrary he lost his honour and his estates by this affair. All his goods were plundered, and his wife, who was famed for her beauty, fell into the hands of the plunderers. As she had ornaments and jewels no trace of her could be found, and probably some narrow-eyed reprobates coveted her property and killed her as if, forsooth, the incomparable Deity had sent them this provision as a recompense for the conduct of the invader. When the news came to the officers of the Panjab, the Khan Kilan, Qutbu-d-din Muhammad Khan and a number of others went against him and inflicted suitable punishment. He became a vagabond, and then by the interposition of Rajah Todar Mal he presented himself at court and was favourably received. His career ended in good service. One of the events was the arrival of the ambassador of Shah Tahmasp Safavi the ruler of Persia.
401.10
It is an old custom that powerful potentates should, for the sake of gathering spiritual and temporal blessings and for accomplishing spiritual and temporal objects, seek to associate with fortunate princes, and that if owing to a God-given destiny, a connection has already been established, they exert themselves to strengthen the pillars thereof and finish off the thread of their own fortune with this wondrous ornament. Accordingly the noble Shah Tahmasp, whose justice made glad the heart of Persia, sent, in accordance with the choice connection which had prevailed from former-times between the sublime family (Akbar’s) and the dynasty sprung from holiness, his cousin Saiyid Beg, the son of M‘asum Beg, who (i.e., the father) held the office of prime minister (vakil), to convey condolences for the unavoidable event of His Majesty Jahanbani Jinnat Ashiyani and to congratulate the Shahinshah on his accession. He also sent presents such as fiery Arab-coursers, and swift steeds from ‘Iraq and Turkey, delicate cloths, and wonderful curiosities. When the ambassadors came near the capital, His Majesty ordered that several distinguished officers should go out to welcome him and should conduct him to a suitable residence. He also sent fourteen lacs of dams, which are equal to seven hundred Persian tomans, together with other things for his maintenance.
401.11
After some days, and when he was rested after the fatigues of the journey, he obtained an audience and the privilege of making kornish and was honoured by kissing the carpet. After communicating the Shah’s prayers for his prosperity, he presented with the two hands of respect and laid upon the edge of the throne a letter which from commencement to conclusion was decked with the writings of love and sincerity. He also properly arranged the presents and laid them before His Majesty. His Majesty the Shahinshah made most kind and gracious inquiries after the Shah’s health, and distinguished the ambassador by countless favours.