[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Mughals (1526–1857)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal) › [Akbar (1556–1605)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar) › [Akbarnāma](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama) › [The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge) › 92 # The Book of Akbar 92: Qiyan. The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II 92 - **Language:** English ### Qiyan. ### [92.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.92.1) Qiyan was the son of Il Khan and, by the mysterious ordinances of Divine wisdom, he became a resting-place (maurid) of adversities. When the God of wisdom desires to bring a jewel of humanity to perfection, He first manifests sundry favours under the cover of disfavours of misfortune, and grants him the robe of existence after having made some great and pure-hearted ones his ransom and sacrifice (fidá). There is an instance of this in the story of Il Khan who, after the turn of sovereignty came to him, was passing his life according to a code which provided for the control of the outer world and the contemplation of the world of reality, and was binding up the hearts of the distressed, until that Tur, the son of Faridun, obtained sway over Turkistan, and Transoxiana (Má-waráu-n-nahr) and in conjunction with Sunij Khan, the king of the Tatars and Aighúrs, made a great war upon Il Khan. The Mughul army, under the excellent dispositions of Il Khan, made a desperate struggle, and many of the Turks, Tatars and Aighúrs were slain. In the combat, Tur and the Tatars were unable to resist and fled. They took refuge in stratagems and vulpine tricks and dispersed. After going a little way, they hid in a defile, and then at the end of the night, suddenly made an onslaught on Il Khan’s army. Such a massacre took place that of Il Khan’s men not one escaped except his son Qiyan, his cousin Takúz and their two wives who had hidden themselves among the slain. ### [92.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.92.2) At night, these four withdrew to the mountains and with many troubles and difficulties, traversed the valleys and ravines, and came to a meadow which had salubrious springs and fruits in abundance. In their helpless state, they regarded this pleasant spot as a godsend and settled in it. The Turks call it Irganaqún and say that the terrible calamity happened 1000 years after the death of Aghuz Khan. The sage knows that in this wondrous destiny there lay the plan for the production of that all-jewel, his Majesty, the king of kings, so that the status of sacrifice might be attained and also that the ascents of banishment, seclusion, and hardship might, in this strange fashion, be brought together to the end that the unique pearl, his Majesty, the king of kings,—who is the final cause of the creation of the glorious series (tabaqa) and also the material for this record of Divine praise,—might become the aggregate of all the stages of existence and be acquainted with the grades of humanity, which might thus arise,—and should achieve spiritual and temporal success, and that in this way there be no defective round (girdl) on the periphery of his holiness. ### [92.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.92.3) In fine, after Qiyan and his companions had settled in that place, they begat children and grew into tribes. Those who sprang from Qiyan were called Qiyat and those who descended from Takūz were called Darlgīn. No account is forthcoming of the descendants of Qiyan while they were in Irganaqun—a period of about 2,000 years. Presumably in that place and age reading and writing were not practised. After the lapse of about 2000 years and in the last period of Nūshīrwān's reign, the Qiyat and Darlgīn desired to leave the place, as it was not large enough for them. A mountain which was a mine of iron barred their way at the beginning. Able minds devised deer-skin bellows (gawazn, perhaps elk) and with these they melted that iron mountain and made a way. Then they rescued their country from the hands of the Tatars and others, by the sword, and contriving vigour, and became firmly seated on the throne of success and world-rule. From the circumstance that in four thousand years previous to this event, (i.e., the emigration from Irganaqun) there were twenty-eight lofty ancestors and twenty-five in the millenium after it, sagacious calculators conjecture that during these two thousand years (spent in Irganaqun) there were twenty-five ancestors. ### [92.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.92.4) Be it remembered that Mughulistan is to the eastward and far from civilization. Its circuit is seven or eight months' journey. On the east, its boundary extends to Cathay (Khita) and on the west, to the country of the Uighūrs; on the north, it touches Qargaz and Salika (? Kirghiz and Selenga) and on the south, it adjoins Tibet. The food of its people is the produce of hunting and fishing and their clothing the skins and fur of wild and tame animals. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.92](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.92) · Pramāṇa