Tadhkirat al-waqiʿat 7: Kamran surrendered by the Gakhars, and blinded

7

The King received letters from Sultan Adam, chief of the Gakhars, stating that "the Prince Kamran was now in his territory, and that if His Majesty would take the trouble of coming there, he would give him up." * * * The Prince arrived, and advanced with great humility. The King, however, received him graciously, and pointed to him to sit down on the bed on his right hand. His Majesty then sat down on the bed also, having the young Prince Akbar on his left hand. Sultan Adam, 'Abdu-l Ma'ali, and the other chiefs were also seated in due order. After some time, His Majesty called for a water-melon, one-third of which he took and divided with his brother. * * * Preparations having been made for an entertainment, the whole night was passed in jollity and carousing. * * * [Four days after], the business of Mirza Kamran was taken into consideration, and it was resolved, in the first place, to remove all his servants from him. Then the King ordered five of his own people [names], and his humble servant Jauhar, to attend upon the Prince, and he said to me, "My boy (ghulam), do you know where you are sent?" I said, "Yes, and I know Your Majesty's (wishes)." He replied, "Your business is to take care of the interior of the tent, you are desired not to sleep for a moment." * * *
Early in the morning the King marched towards Hindustan, but before his departure determined that the Prince should be blinded, and gave orders accordingly; but the attendants on the Prince disputed among themselves who was to perform the cruel act. Sultan 'Ali, the paymaster, ordered 'Ali Dost to do it. The other replied, "You will not pay a Shah-Rukhi (3s. 6d.) to any person without the King's directions; therefore, why should I commit this deed without a personal order from His Majesty? Perhaps to-morrow the King may say, 'Why did you put out the eyes of my brother?' What answer could I give? Depend upon it I will not do it by your order." Thus they continued to quarrel for some time. At length, I said, "I will go and inform the King." On which I with two others galloped after His Majesty. When we came up with him, 'Ali Dost said, in the Chaghatai Turki language, "No one will perform the business." The King replied in the same language, abused him, and said, "Why don't you do it yourself?"
After receiving this command, we returned to the Prince, and Ghulam 'Ali represented to him, in a respectful and condoling manner, that he had received positive orders to blind him. The Prince replied, "I would rather you would at once kill me." Ghulam 'Ali said, "We dare not exceed our orders." He then twisted a handkerchief up as a ball for thrusting into the mouth, and he with the farash seizing the Prince by the hands, pulled him out of the tent, laid him down, and thrust a lancet into his eyes (such was the will of God). This they repeated at least fifty times; but he bore the torture in a manly manner, and did not utter a single groan, except when one of the men who was sitting on his knees pressed him. He then said, "Why do you sit upon my knees? What is the use of adding to my pain?" This was all he said, and he acted with great courage, till they squeezed some (lemon) juice and salt into the sockets of his eyes. He then could not forbear, and called out, "O Lord, O Lord, my God, whatever sins I may have committed have been amply punished in this world, have compassion upon me in the next." * * * The author of these pages, seeing the Prince in such pain and distress, could no longer remain with him. I therefore went to my own tent, and sat down in a very melancholy mood. The King having seen me, sent Jan Muhammad, the librarian, to ask me, "If the business I had been employed on was finished, and why I had returned without orders?" The humble servant represented that "the business I had been sent on was quite completed." His Majesty then said, "He need not go back, let him get the water ready for me to bathe."