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The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 13.1

The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī (Rogers, Beveridge) 13.1

Language
English

13.1.1

The eighth year after my accession, corresponding with Muharram, 1022. On the night of Thursday, the 27th Muharram, corresponding with the 1st Farwardin in the eighth year after my accession, after 3½ gharis of day had elapsed, his honour the sun passed from the constellation of Pisces to that of Aries, which is his abode of rejoicing and victory. Early in the morning of the New Year's Day the feast was prepared and adorned after the custom of every year. At the end of that day I sat on the throne of State, and the Amirs and ministers of the State and the courtiers of the palace came to salute and congratulate me. On these days of happy augury I sat the whole day in the public audience hall. Those who had anything to ask or claim presented their petitions, and the offerings of the servants of the palace were laid before me. Abu-l-bi, governor of Qandahar, had sent for an offering Iraq horses and hunting dogs, and they were brought before me. On the 9th of the same month Afzal Khan came from the Subah of Behar, and in waiting on me presented 100 muhrs and 100 rupees, as well as an elephant. On the 12th the offering of I'timadu-d-daulah was laid before me, consisting of jewels, cloths, and other things. That which pleased me attained to the dignity of acceptance. Of the elephants of Afzal Khan's offering ten others were inspected on this day. On the 13th the offerings of Tarbiyat Khan were laid before me. Mu'taqid Khan bought a house at Agra, and passed some days in that place.

13.1.2

Misfortunes happened to him one after another. We have heard that prosperity and bad luck depend on four things: first, upon your wife; second, upon your slave; third, upon your house; fourth, upon your horse. In order to know the prosperity or ill-luck of a house a rule has been established, indeed they say it is infallible. One must clear a small piece of the site from earth, and again strew the earth upon the same ground. If it cover it, one may call it middling good fortune for that house, neither prosperity nor misfortune; if it become less (i.e. does not cover it exactly) it points to ill-luck, and if it does more (than cover it) it is fortunate and auspicious. On the 14th the mansab of I'tibar Khan was raised from 1,000 and 300 horse to 2,000 personal and 500 horse. I increased the mansab of Tarbiyat Khan by 500 personal and 50 horse, so that it became 2,000 personal and 850 horse. Hushang, son of Islam Khan, who was in Bengal with his father, came at this time and paid his respects. He brought with him some Maghs, whose country is near Pegu and Arracan, and the country is still in their possession. I made some enquiries as to their customs and religion. Briefly they are animals in the form of men. They eat everything there is either on land or in the sea, and nothing is forbidden by their religion. They eat with anyone. They take into their possession (marry) their sisters by another mother.

13.1.3

In face they are like the Qara Qalmaqs, but their language is that of Tibet and quite unlike Turki. There is a range of mountains, one end of which touches the province of Kashghar and the other the country of Pegu. They have no proper religion or any customs that can be interpreted as religion. They are far from the Musulman faith and separated from that of the Hindus. Two or three days before the Sharaf (the sun's highest point) my son Khurram desired me to go to his house that he might present his New Year's offerings from that place. I agreed to his request, and remained for one day and one night at his house. He presented his offerings. I took what I approved of and gave him back the rest. The next day Murtaza Khan presented his offerings. Every day until the day of culmination (ruz-i-sharaf) the offerings of one or of two or three of the Amirs were laid before me. On Monday, the 19th Farwardin, the assembly of the Sharaf was held. On that auspicious day I sat on the throne of State, and an order was given that they should produce all sorts of intoxicating things, such as wine, etc., so that every one according to his desire might take what he liked. Many took wine. The offerings of Mahabat Khan were on this day brought to me. I gave one gold muhr of 1,000 tolas, which is called the star of destiny (kaukab-i-tali'), to Yadgar 'Ali Khan, the ambassador of the ruler of Iran. The feast went off well.

13.1.4

After the assembly broke up I ordered that they might carry off the furniture and decorations. The offering of the Muqarrab Khan had not been arranged on New Year's Day. All sorts of rareties and excellent presents were now produced which he had collected together. Amongst others, twelve Iraq and Arab horses that had been brought in a ship, and jewelled saddles of Frank workmanship were produced before me. To the mansab of Nawazish Khan 500 horse were added so as to make it one of 2,000 personal and horse. An elephant called Bansibadan, which Islam Khan had sent from Bengal, was brought to me and put among my special elephants. On the 3rd Urdibihisht, Khwaja Yadgar, brother of 'Abdu-llah Khan, came from Gujarat and waited on me; he offered 100 Jahangiri muhrs. After he had been in attendance a few days he was honoured with the title of Sardar Khan. As a competent bakhshi had to be sent to the army of Bangash and those regions, I chose Mu'taqid Khan for this duty, and increased his mansab by 300 personal and 50 horse so that it became 1,500 with 350 horse, and dismissed him. It was settled that he must go quickly. I sent off Muhammad Husain Chelebi, who understood the purchase of jewels and collecting curiosities, with money to go by way of Iraq to Constantinople and buy and bring for the Sarkar curiosities and rareties. For this purpose it was necessary that he should pay his respects to the ruler of Iran. I had given him a letter and a memorandum (of what he was to procure).

13.1.5

Briefly, he saw my brother, Shah 'Abbas, in Mashhad, and the king enquired from him what kind of things should be brought for his master's Sarkar. As he was urgent, Chelebi showed the list he had brought with him. In that list there were entered good turquoise and mumiya (bitumen) from the mine of Ispahan. He told him that these two articles were not to be bought, but he would send them for me. He authorized Uwaisi Tupchi (gunner), who was one of his private servants, to hand over to him six bags (ambancha) of turquoise earth holding about 30 seers, with 14 tolas of mumiya and four Iraq horses, one of which was a piebald, and he wrote a letter containing many, many expressions of friendship. With regard to the inferior quality of the turquoise dust (khaka) and the small quantity of mumiya he made many apologies. The khaka appeared very inferior. Although the jewellers and makers of rings made every endeavour, no stone that was fit to be made into a finger ring could be produced. Probably in these days turquoise dust is not procurable from the mines such as it was in the time of the late king Tahmasp. He mentioned all this in the letter. With regard to the effect of mumiya I had heard much from scientists, but when I tried it no result was apparent. I do not know whether physicians have exaggerated its effect, or whether its efficacy had been lessened by its being stale.

13.1.6

At any rate, I gave it to a fowl with a broken leg to drink in larger quantity than they said and in the manner laid down by the physicians, and rubbed some on the place where it was broken, and kept it there for three days, though it was said to be sufficient to keep it from morning till evening. But after I had examined it, no effect was produced, and the broken place remained as it was. In a separate letter the Shah had written a recommendation of Salamu-llah, the Arab. I immediately increased his mansab and his jagir. I sent one of my private elephants with trappings to 'Abdu-llah Khan and gave another to Qilij Khan. I ordered that assignments (tankhwah) should be made to 12,000 horse on the establishment of 'Abdu-llah Khan at the rate of three horses and two horses for each trooper. As previously with a view to service in Junagarh I had increased the mansab of his brother Sardar Khan by 500 personal and 300 horse, and had afterwards assigned the duty to Kamil Khan, I ordered that he should retain his increase and that it should be counted (permanently) in his mansab. I increased the rank of Sarfaraz Khan, which was that of 1,500 personal and 500 horse, by 200 horse more. On the 27th Urdibihisht, corresponding with the 26th Rabi'u-l-awwal, in the eighth year of my reign, in the year 1022 of the Hijra era, on Thursday, the meeting for my lunar weighing took place in the house of Maryam-zamani (his mother).

13.1.7

Some of the money that was weighed I ordered to be given to the women and the deserving ones who had assembled in my mother's house. On the same day I increased by 1,000 the mansab of Murtaza Khan, so that it came to 6,000 personal and 5,000 horse. Khusrau Beg, a slave of Mirza Khan, came from Patna in the company of 'Abdu-r-Razzaq Ma'muri and waited on me, and Sardar Khan, brother of 'Abdu-llah Khan, obtained leave to go to Ahmadabad. An Afghan had brought from the Carnatic two goats that had pazahar (bezoar stones, an antidote against poison). I had always heard that an animal that has pazahar is very thin and miserable, but these goats were very fat and fresh. I ordered them to kill one of them, which was a female. Four pazahar stones became apparent, and this caused great astonishment.