The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 78: Eighteenth Year of the Reign.
Dwázda-Sála-i Jahángírí; Wáki’át Jahángírí, of the Emperor Jahángír (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 78
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Eighteenth Year of the Reign.
78.1
[The eighteenth year of my reign commenced on 20th Jumada-l awwal, 1032 H. (10th March, 1623). On this day intelligence was brought that the rebel had advanced near to Mathura, and had encamped in the pargana of Shahpur. * * The next intelligence was that he had deviated from the direct course, and had gone twenty kos to the left. Sundar Rai, who was the leader in this rebellion, Darab son of Khan-khanan, and many other amirs, had been sent on with the army against me. The command was nominally held by Darab, but Sundar was the real commander, and the prop of the revolt. They encamped near Biluchpur. I sent forward 25,000 horse under Asaf Khan, and he was opposed by Kasim Khan and others. * * The Almighty has at all times and in all places been gracious unto me ; so when ’Abdu-lla Khan went over to the enemy with 10,000 men under his command, and a great disaster menaced my army, a bullet directed by fate killed Sundar, and his fall made the rebels waver. Khwaja Abu-l Hasan drove back the force opposed to him, Asaf Khan also brought up his division opportunely, and we achieved a great victory. * * When the rebel passed near Amber, the birth-place and abode of Raja Man Singh, he sent a party of men to plunder it, and lay it waste. * * I also learnt that he had sent Jagat Singh, son of Raja Basu, to stir up disturbances in his native land in the Panjab. * *
78.2
On the 25th Urdibihisht, I appointed my son Shah Parwez to the command of the army operating against the rebel. He was to have the supreme command, but Mu’tamadu-d daula al Kalilra Mahabat Khan was charged with the general direction of the army. Khan-i ’alam, Maharaja Gaj Singh, Fazil Khan, Rashid Khan, Raja Giridhar, Raja Ram Das, and others were also sent with him. The force consisted of 40,000 horse, with suitable artillery, and twenty lacs of rupees were assigned to it. * * On the 30th, agreeing with 19th Rajab, 1034, I encamped by the tank of Ana-sagar, within sight of Ajmir.
78.3
When the Prince’s army passed over the mountains of Chanda, and entered Malwa, Shah Jahan came out of the fort of Mandu with 20,000 horse, 600 elephants, and powerful artillery, with the intention of giving battle. * * Mahabat Khan opened communications with several persons, who, through apprehension or compulsion, had joined the army of the rebel, and they, perceiving that his case was hopeless, wrote to Mahabat, asking for assurances of safety. Shah Jahan, not daring to risk a general action, and thinking always of his retreat, sent his elephants over the Nerbadda. He then sent his forces against the royal army near the village of Kaliya; but he himself, with Khan-khanan and several others, remained a kos in the rear. Barkandaz Khan, who had been in correspondence with Mahabat, and had received his promise, when the opposing armies approached each other, seized the opportunity of coming over to the royal army with the body of matchlockmen that he commanded. Rustam also, one of the chief and most trusted officers of the rebel, received assurances from Mahabat, and came over with several other officers. When Shah Jahan heard of this, he gave up resistance, and, being unable to place reliance upon any one, he determined to fly. With his forces in disorder, he crossed the Nerbadda, and several of his followers took advantage of the confusion to join the royal army.
78.4
Shah Jahan, having crossed the Nerbadda, kept all the boats on his side, and placed strong guards over the fords. Leaving Bairam Beg Bakhshi with a force of his most trusty soldiers and men of the Dakhin, and with the artillery drawn up by the river, he himself went off towards the fort of Asir and Burhanpur. At this time his men caught a messenger whom Khan-khanan had sent to Mahabat Khan. He sent for the Khan, and showed him the letter taken from the messenger. Khan-khanan endeavoured to excuse himself, but could not give a satisfactory answer. An order was accordingly given that he and Darab and his other sons should be kept under arrest. Rustam Khan, Muhammad Murad, and several others who had abandoned the service of the rebel, and had paid their respects to my dutiful son, according to orders were sent to my Court, and were received by me. Rustam Khan received a mansab of 5000, and 4000 horse. Muhammad Murad a mansab of 1000, and 500 horse, and prospects of future promotion were held out to them.
78.5
When the rebel Shah Jahan reached Asir, he placed Khan-khanan, Darab, and all his other children in confinement in the upper part of the fortress. He remained there three or four days, attending to the victualling and preparation of the fortress, which he placed under the command of Gopal Das, a Rajput. * * When he departed, he left some of his women and superfluous things there in charge of Gopal; but he took with him his three wives, his children, and such maids as were necessary. His first intention was to leave Khan-khanan and his children prisoners there; but he changed his mind, and carried them with him to Burhanpur. * * Mahabat Khan was very desirous to separate Khan-khanan from the rebel, and thus to promote a peace. Shah Jahan also, in the strait he then was, took Khan-khanan out of confinement, and bound him by oath upon the Kuran to be faithful. To give force to the oath and agreement, he took him into his female apartments, and giving him the privileges of a near relation, presented to him his wives and children, and, with tears and great earnestness, said, “In case of evil falling upon me, I trust myself and the honour of my family to you; something must be done, that I may proceed no further in this wretched and miserable course.”
78.6
Khan-khanan separated from him, intent upon peace, and proceeded towards the Imperial army. It was arranged that he should stay on that side of the river to carry on the negociations for peace. But before he reached the bank of the river, some dashing young men of the royal army one night found a place which the rebels had left unguarded, and passed over the river. This caused some dismay, but Bairam Beg gallantly resolved to contest the passage. While he was getting his forces together some more men passed over, and the same night the rebels retreated. Khan-khanan was left in a difficult position, he did not know whether to advance or retreat. But the men of my son's army continually pressed forward, and Khan-khanan was relieved from the trammels of rebellion, and was presented by Mahabat Khan to my son. Shah Jahan, when he heard of the defection of Khan-khanan, the passage of the river by the Imperial troops, and the retreat of Bairam Beg, fell back. Notwithstanding heavy rain and inundations, he crossed the river Mahi in a wretched state, and went off towards the Dakhin. In the confusion many officers, who willingly or unwillingly had joined him, now separated from him.
78.7
On the 9th Aban, Khawas Khan brought a despatch from Prince Parwez and Mahabat Khan, informing me that they had reached Burhanpur, but that many men had fallen in the rear in consequence of the violence of the rain. But acting in obedience to orders, they had taken no rest, and had pressed on in pursuit of the rebel across the river (Tapti). The fugitives, on hearing of their arrival, continued their flight in disorder, and lost many of their animals through the heavy rain, and the mud and mire. The royal forces then continued the pursuit to the pargana of Ankot, forty kos from Burhanpur. * * The rebel then went on to the territories of Kutbu-l Mulk. When my son Parwez found that the rebel had quitted my dominions, he and Mahabat and all the amirs returned to Burhanpur on the 1st Aban.
78.8
Intelligence arrived that Shah Jahan, with Darab and other fugitives, had passed out of the territory of Kutbu-l Mulk, and was making for Orissa and Bengal. On the way they had to endure great hardships, and many of the rebel’s companions abandoned him when they found opportunity. * * After performing a long march, Shah Jahan arrived at Machhli (Masulipatam), which belonged to Kutbu-l Mulk. When his arrival there became known, Kutbu-l Mulk sent one of his people to the fugitive, and gave him every kind of relief and assistance in money and provisions. He also directed his margrave to convoy the fugitive safely out of his dominions, and he further appointed grain-dealers and zamindars to attend his camp, and supply it with corn and other necessaries. * *]