The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 27: Journey to Ajmir and Campaign against the Rana.
Dwázda-Sála-i Jahángírí; Wáki’át Jahángírí, of the Emperor Jahángír (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 27
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Journey to Ajmir and Campaign against the Rana.
27.1
[On the 2nd Sha’ban I left Agra, with the intention of paying a visit to Ajmir, having two objects in view. One, to pay a visit to the tomb of Khwaja Mu’inu-d din Chishti, whose blessed influence had operated so powerfully on the fortunes of my dynasty. Second, to overcome and subjugate Amar Singh, who was the greatest of the zemindars and rajas of Hindustan. All the rajas and rais of the country have acknowledged him and his ancestors to be their chief and head. The sovereignty and government have been held by this family for a long time. For many years they held rule in the east country, and then had the title of Raja. Afterwards they fell upon the Dakhin, and brought the greater part of that country under their sway, when they took the title of Rup, “handsome,” instead of that of Raja. After that they overran the mountain land of Mewat, and still advancing they got possession of the fortress of Jaipur. From that date up to the present year, which is the eighth of my reign, 1471 years have passed. Twenty-six individuals of this race have reigned over a period amounting to 1010 years, who have borne the title of Rawal. From the time of Rahab, who was the first to assume the title of Rana, to Rana Amar Singh, who is the present Rana, there have been twenty-six persons, who have reigned over a period of 461 years. During all this long period not one of them had bowed the neck in submission to any King or Emperor of Hind.
27.2
They were nearly always in a state of insubordination and rebellion. So, in the days of the Emperor Babar, the Rana Sanga, having assembled all the Rajas and Rais of this country, with 180,000 horsemen and several hundred thousand infantry, fought a battle in the vicinity of Bayana against the victorious army of the Musulmans, and suffered a signal defeat. The full particulars of this battle are given in that most trustworthy work, the Waki’at, written by the Emperor Babar himself. My father also devoted himself with great ardour to the subjection of this unruly race. Several times he sent expeditions against them, and in the twelfth year of his reign he marched in person to effect the reduction of Chitor, one of the strongest fortresses in the world, and to subdue the country of the Rana. After a siege of four months and ten days, he overpowered the men of Amar Singh’s father, took the fortress, and then returned. Repeatedly he sent armies against the Rana, and each time they pressed him so hardly that he was reduced to the brink of ruin, when something occurred to save him from destruction. Near the end of his reign, my father, having directed his own attention to the conquest of the Dakhin, sent me with a large army and trusty leaders against the Rana. For reasons too lengthy to be here entered upon, both these enterprises failed.
27.3
When the Empire devolved upon me, as this conquest had been half effected under my leading, the first army I sent upon foreign service after my accession was this army against the Rana. My son Parwez was appointed to command, and all the resources of my government were applied to the service. Ample treasure and abundant artillery were ready to be sent off, when all was stopped by the unhappy outbreak of Khusru. I was obliged to pursue him to the Panjab, and the capital and interior of the country were denuded of troops. I was obliged to write to Parwez, directing him to return to protect Agra and the neighbourhood, and to remain there; so the campaign against the Rana was suspended. When, by the favour of God, I had quashed Khusru’s rebellion, I returned to Agra, and I then sent Mahabat Khan, ’Abdu-lla Khan, and other amirs against the Rana; but until I started from Ajmir, the Imperial forces had not achieved any success of importance. There was nothing to detain me in Agra, and I felt assured that nothing of any importance would be accomplished till I myself went thither.
27.4
At the time appointed, I left Agra and encamped in the garden of Dahra. The next day was the festival of the Dasahra, and according to rule the horses and elephants were decked out and paraded before me. The mothers (walidaha) and sisters of Khusru represented that he was exceedingly contrite and sorry for what he had done. Having thus excited my paternal affection, I called him into my presence, and arranged that he should come every day to pay his respects to me. I stayed in the garden twenty days, and on the 21st day of Mihr I started, having appointed Khwaja Jahan to the charge of the capital, with its palaces and treasures. On the 2nd Mihr, intelligence arrived that Raja Basu had died at Shahabad, on the Rana’s frontier. On the 10th I encamped at Rup-bas, now called Amanabad. It was formerly the jagir of Rup, but after him I gave it to Amanu-lla son of Mahabat Khan, and I ordered that it should be called by his name. It was one of my regular hunting-grounds, so I went out hunting every day. In these few days 158 deer, male and female, and other kinds of game were killed. * * On the 10th Ramazan intelligence arrived of the death of Kalij Khan, one of the oldest servants of the State, in his eightieth year. He was engaged at Peshawar in controlling the Afghans.] * * *
27.5
In this month (Azur) news arrived that the Europeans in Goa, in defiance of their engagements, had plundered four ships engaged in the foreign trade of the port of Surat; and having made a great many Muhammadans prisoners, had at the same time taken possession of their money and goods. It gave me much displeasure. Mukarrab Khan, the governor of that harbour, received a dress of honour, besides an elephant and horse, and was commanded to proceed to put a stop to such outrages. He started on the 18th of Azur. * * *