The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 77: Rebellion of Shah Jahan.
Dwázda-Sála-i Jahángírí; Wáki’át Jahángírí, of the Emperor Jahángír (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 77
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- English
Rebellion of Shah Jahan.
77.1
[Intelligence was brought that Khurram had seized upon some of the jagirs of Nur Jahan Begam and Prince Shahriyar. He had fought with Ashrafu-l Mulk, an officer of Shahriyar’s, who had been appointed faujdar of Dholpur and the country round, and several men had been killed on both sides. I had been offended by his delaying at the fort of Mandu, and by his improper and foolish statements in his letters, and I had perceived by his insolence that his mind was estranged. Upon hearing of this further intelligence, I saw that, notwithstanding all the favour and kindness I had shown him, his mind was perverted. I accordingly sent Raja Roz-afzun, one of my oldest servants, to inquire into the reasons of this boldness and presumption. I also sent him a farman, directing him to attend to his own affairs, and not to depart from the strict line of duty. He was to be content with the jagirs that had been bestowed upon him from the Imperial Exchequer. I warned him not to come to me, but to send all the troops which had been required from him for the campaign against Kandahar. If he acted contrary to my commands, he would afterwards have to repent. * * * When Khurram’s son was ill, I made a vow that, if God would spare his life, I would never shoot an animal again with my own hand. For all my love of shooting, I kept my vow for five years to the present time; but now that I was offended with Khurram, I resolved to go out shooting again.
77.2
On the 24th I crossed the Jhelam. On the same day Afzal Khan, diwan of Khurram, arrived with a letter, in which Khurram endeavoured to make excuses for his undutiful actions. He hoped also that by Afzal Khan’s persuasion and plausibility he might obtain forgiveness; but I took no notice of him, and showed him no favour. Letters arrived from I’tibar Khan and other of my officers whom I had left at Agra, stating that Khurram persisted in his perverse course, and preferring the way of disobedience to the path of duty, had taken a decided step in the road to perdition by marching upon Agra. For this reason, said I’tibar, I have not deemed it advisable to send on the treasure, but have busied myself in making preparation for a siege. A letter from Asaf Khan also arrived, stating that this ungrateful son had torn away the veil of decency, and had broken into open rebellion; that he (the Khan) had received no certain intelligence of his movements, so, not considering it expedient to move the treasure, he had set out alone to join me. On receiving this intelligence, I crossed the river at Sultanpur, and marched to inflict punishment on this ill-starred son (siyah-bakht). I issued an order that from this time forth he should be called “Wretch” (be-daulat).
77.3
On the 1st Isfandarmuz, I received a letter from I’tibar Khan, informing me that the rebel had advanced with all speed to the neighbourhood of Agra, my capital, in the hope of getting possession of it before it could be put in a state of preparation. On reaching Fathpur, he found that his hope was vain, so he remained there. He was accompanied by Khan-khanan (Mirza Khan) and his son; and by many other amirs who held office in the Dakhin and in Gujarat, and had now entered upon the path of rebellion and perfidy. * * The rebels took nine lacs of rupees from the house of Lashkar Khan, and everywhere they seized upon whatever they found serviceable in the possession of my adherents. Khan-khanan, who had held the exalted dignity of being my tutor, had now turned rebel, and in the seventieth year of his age had blackened his face with ingratitude. But he was by nature a rebel and traitor. His father, at the close of his days, had acted in the same shameful way towards my revered father. He had but followed the course of his father, and disgraced himself in his old age— “The wolf’s whelp will grow a wolf, E’en though reared with man himself.” After I had passed through Sirhind, troops came flocking in from all directions, and by the time I reached Dehli, such an army had assembled, that the whole country was covered with men as far as the eye could reach. Upon being informed that the rebel had advanced from Fathpur, I marched to Dehli.
77.4
In this war I appointed Mahabat Khan commander-in-chief of the army, and ’Abdu-lla Khan to the command of the advanced force of chosen and experienced troops. His business was to go on a kos in advance, to collect information, and take possession of the roads. I forgot that he was an old companion of the rebel ; but the result was that he communicated information about my army to the rebel.]