The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 21.4
The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī (Rogers, Beveridge) 21.4
- Language
- English
21.4.1
On Friday, the 3rd, I crossed the River Bihat (Jhelam), although the water was waist-deep. As it was running very fast, and men crossed with great trouble, I ordered them to take 200 elephants to the fords, and cross the effects of the people over, and take across as well those who were weak and feeble, so that there might be no loss of life or goods. On this day news arrived of the death of Khwaja Jahan. He was one of the old servants, and from the time when I was prince. Although at last he left my service, and was for some time in that of my father, yet as he had not gone to any strange place, this did not weigh heavily on my mind. Accordingly, after my accession, I did him such kindness as he had never conceived possible, and gave him the mansab of 5,000 personal and 3,000 horse. I take this opportunity to record in this volume an account of his idiosyncrasy. He became practised in great affairs and acquired a wonderful skill in business. His capabilities were the result of labour, and he was void of natural ability, and of the other qualities which are the adornment of men’s nature. On this journey he suffered from heart-failure, but for some days, in spite of illness and breakdown, he kept up with the march. When his weakness increased, he was allowed to go back at Kalanaur, and went to Lahore, and there died a natural death.
21.4.2
On Saturday, the 4th of the aforesaid month, the camp was pitched at the Fort of Rohtas (in the Panjab). I favoured Qasim K. with a horse, a sword, and a special shawl (parm-narm, literally very soft, and Akbar’s name for a shawl, see Blochmann, 90). I gave him leave to go to Lahore. There was a small garden by the roadside, and I inspected the blossoms. At this stage tihu were obtained. The flesh of the tihu is better than that of the partridge (kabak). On Sunday, the 5th, M. Hasan s. Mirza Rustam, was promoted to the rank of 1,000 with 400 horse, and was appointed to the Deccan. Khwaja ‘Abdu-l-Latif, the chief fowler, also received the rank of 1,000 with 400 horse. At this place I saw a flower, white inside, and red outside, while some of them were red inside and yellow outside. In Persian they call it La'la-i-bigana, and in Hindi thal kamal. Thal means land, and as the lotus (kamal) is an aquatic plant, they have called this land-lotus. On Thursday, the 9th, a report came from Dilawar K., Governor of Kashmir, containing the good news of the conquest of Kishtwar. Details will be recorded by the pen of the newswriter after he (Dilawar) comes to the foot of the throne. I sent him a gracious farman with a special dress of honour and a jewelled dagger, and granted him the revenue of the conquered province for a year, as a reward for this acceptable service. On Tuesday, the 14th, I halted at Hasan Abdal.
21.4.3
As the occurrences on this road and particulars of the stages have been related in detail in the account of the expedition to Kabul, I shall not repeat them. From this place as far as Kashmir, they will be written stage by stage, please Almighty God. From the date on which, disembarking from a boat, I reached Akbarpur in safety and prosperity, up to Hasan Abdal, a distance of 178 koss, I took 69 days in 48 marches and 21 halts. As at this place there is a spring full of water, and a cascade, and a very beautiful reservoir, I halted here two days, and on Thursday, the 16th (Isfandarmuz), the feast of my lunar weighing took place. The 53rd year, according to lunar calculation, of this suppliant at the throne commenced auspiciously. As beyond this stage, hills, passes, and many ups and downs were before us, the passage of the camp appeared a difficult matter, and it was settled that H. M. Maryamu-z-zamani and the other Begams should delay for some days, and come on at leisure. Madaru-l-mulk I‘timadu-d-daula al-Khaqani, Sadiq K. Bakhshi, and Iradat K. Mir-Saman, with the directors of the buildings and other offices, should attend to their transit. At the same time Rustam Mirza Safawi, Khan-A‘zam, and a number of other servants, obtained leave to go by the Punch road, while the royal retinue went on with some privileged courtiers (manzuran-i-bisat-i-qurb) and the necessary servants. On Friday, the 17th, we marched 3½ koss, and halted at the village of Sultanpur.
21.4.4
On this day came the news of the death of Rana Amar Singh, who had died a natural death at Udaipur (become a traveller on the road of non-existence). Jagat Singh, his grandson, and Bhim, his son, who were in attendance on me, were presented with dresses of honour, and an order was given that Raja Kishan Das should proceed with a gracious farman conferring the title of Rana, a dress of honour, a horse, and a private elephant for Kunar Karan, to perform the dues of condolence and congratulation. I heard from people of this country that when it is not the rainy season, and there is no sign of a cloud or lightning, a noise like the voice of the clouds comes from this hill, which they called Garj (thunder). This noise is heard every year or at least every two years. I had repeatedly heard of this also when I was in attendance on the late king. I have written this as it is not devoid of strangeness, but wisdom is from Allah. On Saturday, the 18th, marching 4½ koss, I halted at the village of Sanji. From this stage I entered the pargana of Hazara Qarlugh. On Sunday, the 19th, marching 3¾ koss, I halted at the village of Naushahra. From this place we entered Dhantur. As far as the eye could reach there were green meadows interspersed with the thal-kanwal (hibiscus) and other flowers in bloom. It was a very beautiful sight. On Monday, the 20th, marching koss, the camp was pitched at the village of Salhar. Mahabat K. presented as offerings jewels and inlaid vessels to the value of Rs.
21.4.5
60,000. In this country I saw a flower of the redness of fire, of the shape of gul-i-khatmi, but smaller, and several flowers blooming together in one place, looked from a distance as if they were one flower. Its stem is of the size of the apricot-tree. On the hill-slopes here there are many wild violets, with a very sweet scent, but paler than the violet. On Tuesday, the 21st, marching 3½ koss, I halted at the village of Malgalli. On this day I dismissed Mahabat K. to his duty in Bangash, and conferred on him a special elephant and dress of honour with a fustin (sheepskin coat). This day there was a drizzling rain till the end of the march. On the eve of Wednesday, the 22nd, also there was rain. In the morning snow fell, and as most of the roads had become very slippery, the weak animals fell in every place, and could not rise again, and 25 of my own elephants were lent to assist them. I halted for two days on account of the snow. On Thursday, the 23rd, Sultan Husain, Zamindar of Pakli, had the good fortune to pay his respects : this is the entrance to the Pakli country. It is a strange thing that when H. M. Akbar came here it snowed at this stage, and it has now snowed as well. For many years no snow has fallen, and there has even been little rain. On Friday, the 24th, I marched 4 koss and pitched at the village of Sawadnagar. On this road, too, there was much mud. Apricot and peach trees were blooming on all sides, and fir-trees like cypresses rejoiced the eye.
21.4.6
On Saturday, the 25th, having marched nearly koss, the camp was pitched near Pakli. On Sunday, the 26th, I rode out to hunt partridges (kabak), and at the end of the day, at the request of Sultan Husain, went to his house, and increased his dignity among his equals and neighbours. H. M. Akbar had also gone to his house. He offered several kinds of horses, daggers, hawks, and falcons. I presented him with the horses and daggers. I ordered the hawks and falcons to be got ready (kamar bar basta), and shown everything that might fly up. The Sarkar of Pakli is 35 koss in length and 25 in breadth. On the east, on two sides, is the hill country of Kashmir; on the west, Atak Benares (Atak); on the north, Kator; and on the south, the Gakkar country. At the time when Timur, after conquering Hindustan, turned his rein backwards towards the capital of Turan, they say that he placed in these regions this body of people, who were in attendance on the victorious stirrup. They say themselves that they are Qarluqs, but do not know for certain who was their leader at that time. In fact, they are pure Lahauris, and speak the same language. The people of Dhantur think the same thing. In the time of my father, one of the name of Shahrukh was Zamindar of Dhantur; now it is Bahadur, his son. Although they are all related to one another, there are always disputes, as is usual with Zamindars, about boundaries. They have always been loyal.
21.4.7
Sultan Mahmud, the father of Sultan Husain, and Shahrukh, both came to wait on me when I was prince. Although Sultan Husain is seventy years old, to all outward appearance there is no diminution in his powers, and he can still ride and be as active as possible. In this country they make buza (a beverage) from bread and rice, which they call sar. It is much stronger than buza, and the older it is the better. This sar is their chief sustenance. They put this sar into a jar, and fastening it up, keep it for two or three years in the house. Then they take off the scum and call the liquor achhi. The achhi can be kept for ten years, and according to them, the older it is the better, and the shortest time in which they use it is a year. Sultan Mahmud used to take cup after cup of this sar; nay! he would drink a jar of it. Sultan Husain is also addicted to it, and brought me some of his choicest quality. I took some in order to try it. I had also drunk it before. Its intoxicating effects are aphrodisiac, but its taste is harsh. It appeared that they mix some bhang (bang) with it, which increases its intoxicating power. If there were no wine, it could in case of necessity be used as a substitute. The fruits are apricots, peaches, and pears (?) (amrud).