The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 29.6
The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī (Rogers, Beveridge) 29.6
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- English
29.6.1
On this day Sayyid Bahwa came from Gujarat, and waited on me. Nuru-d-din Quli brought in chains to the Court forty-one of the rebels, who had been taken prisoners at Ahmadabad. Sharza K. and Qabil Beg, who were ring-leaders of the seditious, I executed by throwing them under the feet of warlike (mast) elephants. On the 20th of the same month, corresponding with the 18th of the month of Zi-qa‘da, a daughter was given by the grace of God to my son Shahriyar by the granddaughter of I‘timadu-d-daula. I hope that her advent will be propitious and blessed to this State. On the 22nd of the month the feast of my solar weighment took place, and the 55th year of the age of this suppliant began auspiciously and happily. According to annual custom, I had myself weighed against gold and other valuables, and gave them to deserving people. Among these I gave Rs. 2,000 to Shaikh Ahmad of Sihrind. On the 1st of the Divine month of Mihr Mir Jumla was promoted to the mansab of 3,000 personal and 300 horse. Muqim, the Bakhshi of Gujarat, was given the title of Kifayat K. As the innocence of Sar-faraz K. was established to my satisfaction, I took him out of prison, and allowed him to pay his respects. At the request of my son Shahriyar, I went to his house. He had prepared a grand entertainment, and presented suitable offerings, and gave dresses of honour to most of the servants.
29.6.2
At this time a report came from my fortunate son Shah Parwiz that Bi-daulat had crossed the river of Burhanpur (the Tapti), and was wandering in the desert of error. The particulars are that when he crossed the Narbadda and drew all the boats to that side, and fortified the banks of the river and the ferries with cannon and muskets, he left Bairam Beg on the bank with a large number of the rebels, and withdrew towards Asir and Burhanpur. The Khan-khanan and Darab he took with him under surveillance. And now, for the sake of enlivening my narrative, a few words must be said about Asir. The said fort, in its great height and strength, is not in want of my praise. Before Bi-daulat went to the Deccan it was in the charge of Khwaja Nasru-llah, s. Khwaja Fathu-llah, who was one of the household slaves and ancient servants. Afterwards, at the request of Bi-daulat, it was handed over to Mir Husamu-d-din, s. Mir Jamalu-d-din Husain.
29.6.3
As the daughter of Nur Jahan Begam’s maternal uncle (taghai) was married to him, when Bi-daulat, having been defeated in the neighbourhood of Delhi, turned his rein towards Malwa and Mandu, Nur Jahan Begam wrote to him and strictly urged him, saying: “Beware, a thousand times beware, not to allow Bi-daulat and his men to come near the fort, but strengthen the towers and gates, and do your duty, and do not act in such a manner that the stain of a curse and ingratitude for favours should fall on the honour or the forehead of a Sayyid.” In truth, he strengthened it well, and the arrangements of the fort were not of such a sort that Bi-daulat’s bird of thought could fly up to its border, or the conquest of it be quickly accomplished. In brief, when Bi-daulat sent one of his attendants, of the name of Sharifa, to the above-mentioned, he (Sharifa) seduced him by means of promises and threats, and it was settled (between Shah Jahan and Sharifa) that when Husamu-d-din should come down to take the letter and dress of honour which had been sent, he should not be allowed to go up again.
29.6.4
That wretch, immediately Sharifa arrived, put away on the shelf of forgetfulness what he owed on account of his bringing up and the favours conferred on him, and without opposition or effort handed over the fort to Sharifa, and with his wife and child went to Bi-daulat, who made him accursed of the Faith and in the world by bestowing on him the mansab of 4,000 personal, and a standard and drums, and the title of Murtaza K. — a disgraceful name to all eternity. In short, when that one of reversed fortune reached the foot of the fort of Asir, he took with him Khan-khanan, Darab, and all his evil-minded offspring up to the fort, and remaining there for three or four days, and having set his mind at ease about provisions, etc., handed it over to one Gopal Das, a Rajput, who had formerly been an attendant of Sar-buland Ray, and entered his service when he went to the Deccan. He left the women and his superfluous baggage, and took with him his three wives with their children and some maidservants. At first he proposed to imprison Khan-khanan and Darab in the fort, but at last changed his mind, and bringing them down with him, hastened to Burhanpur. At this time La‘natu-llah, after suffering disgrace and contempt, came from Surat and joined him. In great perplexity, Bi-daulat employed Sar-buland Ray, the son of Ray Bhoj Hara, who is one of the brave Rajput servants, and who is fed from the royal table (?), as his mediator, and by letters and messages made proposals of peace.
29.6.5
Mahabat K. said that until Khan-khanan came, peace was impossible. His (Mahabat’s) sole purpose was by these means to separate from him that head of deceivers who was the ring-leader of trouble and sedition. Being helpless, Bi-daulat brought him (Khan-khanan) out of prison, and satisfied himself by taking an oath from him on the Qoran. In order to please him and strengthen his promises and oath, he took him inside the female apartment and made a confidant of him, and brought his own wife and son to him, and made use of all kinds of entreaty and lamentation. The gist of his (Shah Jahan’s) remarks was: “My times are hard, and my position difficult; I make myself over to you, and make you the guardian of my honour. You must act so that I no longer undergo contempt and confusion.” The Khan-khanan, with a view to bring about peace, parted from Bi-daulat and proceeded to the royal army. It was settled that he should remain on the other side of the river, and arrange matters relating to peace in writing. According to fate, before Khan-khanan arrived on the bank of the river, some of the brave warriors and victorious youths one night found an opportunity and crossed over at a place where the rebels were careless. On hearing this news the pillars of their courage trembled, and Bairam Beg could not keep firm the foot of error and ignorance, or engage in driving them back.
29.6.6
Whilst he was in this agitation many crossed the river, and on the same night the rebels of evil fortune were separated from each other like the Banatu-n-na'ash, and took to flight. By the unfailing good fortune (of Jahangir) the Khan-khanan fell into perplexity (lit. fell into the shash-dar position), and could neither go nor stay where he was. At this time again letters arrived from my prosperous son mingling threats with promises. The Khan-khanan, finding only despair and ruin in the page of Bi-daulat’s affairs, hastened, through the mediation of Mahabat K., to wait upon my fortunate son. Bi-daulat, on hearing of the departure of Khan-khanan and the crossing of the Narbadda by the victorious army and the flight of Bairam Beg, lost courage, and, notwithstanding a flood in the river and the violence of the rain, crossed the Tapti in a state of wretchedness, and went off towards the Deccan. In this confusion many of the royal servants and his own attendants willingly or unwillingly separated, and did not accompany him. As the native country of Jado Ray and Uday Ram and Atash K. was on the route, they thought it better for themselves to keep with him for some stages, but Jado Ray did not come into his camp, and followed him at the distance of one stage. He took possession of such property as the men in this confusion and fear for their lives abandoned.
29.6.7
On the day he (Shah Jahan) started from the other side of the river (the Tapti) he sent a message by one of his immediate attendants of the name of Zu-l-faqar K. Turkman, summoning Sar-buland K. Afghan, with the message that it seemed to him contrary to courage and the due performance of his engagements that he had as yet not crossed the river. “Fidelity was the glory of men; the faithlessness of no one has touched me (Shah Jahan) so much as yours.” He (Sar-buland) was standing on horseback on the river-bank when Zu-l-faqar K. came and delivered the message. Sar-buland did not give a precise answer, and was undecided as to whether to stay or go. In his perplexity and by way of objection he told Zu-l-faqar to let go his bridle. Zu-l-faqar drew his sword, and struck at his waist. At this crisis an Afghan interposed a short spear which the people of India call a barchha, and the blow of the sword caught the shaft, and the point of the sword did not reach Sar-buland’s waist. After swords were drawn, the Afghans attacked Zu-l-faqar and cut him in pieces. The son of Sultan Muhammad, the treasurer, who was Bi-daulat’s page, for friendship’s sake had come (with Zu-l-faqar) without Bi-daulat’s permission, and was also killed.