The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 3.4
The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī (Rogers, Beveridge) 3.4
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- English
3.4.1
As it was my desire that many of the Akbari and Jahangiri officers should obtain the fruition of their wishes, I informed the bakhshis that whoever wished to have his birthplace made into his jagir should make a representation to that effect, so that in accordance with the Chingiz canon (tura) the estate might be conveyed to him by al tamgha and become his property, and he might be secured from apprehension of change. Our ancestors and forefathers were in the habit of granting jagirs to everyone under proprietary title, and adorned the farmans for these with the al tamgha seal, which is an impressed seal made in vermilion (i.e. red ink). I ordered that they should cover the place for the seal with gold-leaf (tilaposh) and impress the seal thereon, and I called this the altun tamgha. I had selected from the other sons of Shahrukh, Mirza Sultan, son of Mirza Shahrukh the grandson of Mirza Sulaiman, who was a descendant (great-grandson) of Mirza Sultan Abu Sa'id and for a long time ruler of Badakhshan, and with consent of my revered father brought him into my service. I count him as a son, and have promoted him to the rank of 1,000. I also promoted Bhao Singh, son of Raja Man Singh and the most capable of his sons, from his original rank to that of 1,500.
3.4.2
I raised Zamana Beg, son of Ghayur Beg of Kabul, who has served me personally from his childhood, and who, when I was prince, rose from the grade of an ahadi to that of 500, giving him the title of Mahabat Khan and the rank of 1,500. He was confirmed as bakhshi of my private establishment (shagird-pisha). I promoted Raja Bir Singh Deo, a Bandela Rajput, who had obtained my favour, and who excels his equals and relatives in valour, personal goodness, and simple-heartedness, to the rank of 3,000. The reason for his advancement and for the regard shown to him was that near the end of my revered father's time, Shaikh Abu-l-fazl, who excelled the Shaikhzadas of Hindustan in wisdom and learning, had adorned himself outwardly with the jewel of sincerity, and sold it to my father at a heavy price. He had been summoned from the Deccan, and, since his feelings towards me were not honest, he both publicly and privately spoke against me. At this period when, through strife-exciting intriguers, the august feelings of my royal father were entirely embittered against me, it was certain that if he obtained the honour of waiting on him (Akbar) it would be the cause of more confusion, and would preclude me from the favour of union with him (my father). It became necessary to prevent him from coming to Court.
3.4.3
As Bir Singh Deo's country was exactly on his route and he was then a rebel, I sent him a message that if he would stop that sedition-monger and kill him he would receive every kindness from me. By God's grace, when Shaikh Abu-l-fazl was passing through Bir Singh Deo's country, the Raja blocked his road, and after a little contest scattered his men and killed him. He sent his head to me in Allahabad. Although this event was a cause of anger in the mind of the late king (Akbar), in the end it enabled me to proceed without disturbance of mind to kiss the threshold of my father's palace, and by degrees the resentment of the king was cleared away. I made Mir Ziya'u-d-din of Qazwin, who had done me service in the days of my princehood and had shown loyalty, commander of 1,000 and accountant of the stables. An order was given that every day thirty horses should be produced before me for the purpose of making presents. I honoured Mirza 'Ali Akbarshahi, who is one of the distinguished braves of this family, with the rank of 4,000, and gave him the sarkar of Sambhal as his jagir.
3.4.4
One day the Amiru-l-umara (Sharif Khan) greatly pleased me by an incidental remark. It was this: "Honesty and dishonesty are not confined to matters of cash and goods; to represent qualities as existing in acquaintances which do not exist, and to conceal the meritorious qualities of strangers, is dishonesty. In truth, honesty of speech consists in making no distinction between intimates and strangers and in describing each man as he really is."
3.4.5
When I sent off Parwiz I had said to him, "If the Rana himself, and his eldest son who is called Karan, should come to wait upon you and proffer service and obedience, you should not do any injury to his territory." My intention in this recommendation was of two kinds; one, that inasmuch as the conquest of Transoxiana was always in the pure mind of my revered father, though every time he determined on it things occurred to prevent it, if this business could be settled, and this danger dismissed from my mind, I would leave Parwiz in Hindustan, and in reliance on Allah, myself start for my hereditary territories, especially as at this time there was no permanent ruler in that region. Baqi Khan, who, after 'Abdu-llah Khan and 'Abdu-l-Mu'min Khan, his son, had acquired complete independence, had died, and the affairs of Wali Muhammad Khan, his brother, who is now the ruler of that region, had not as yet been brought into proper order. Secondly, to bring about the termination of the war in the Deccan, of which a part in the time of my revered father had been acquired, so that it might come into possession, and be incorporated with the Imperial dominions. My hope is that through the favour of Allah both these undertakings will be accomplished. 'Though a king should seize the seven climes, He still would labour to take others."
3.4.6
I promoted Mirza Shahrukh, grandson of Mirza Sulaiman, (once) the ruler of Badakhshan, who was nearly related to my family, and held the rank of 5,000 in my father's service, to the rank of 7,000. The Mirza is a true Turk in disposition and simple-minded. My father conferred great honour on him, and whenever he bade his own sons sit he gratified him also with this distinction. Notwithstanding the mischievous propensities of the people of Badakhshan, the Mirza in this familiarity never left the right road, or undertook anything that might lead to unpleasantness. I confirmed him in the Subah of Malwa just as my father had kindly conferred it on him. I conferred on Khwaja 'Abdu-llah, who is of the Naqshbandi family, and in the commencement of his service was an ahadi, and who had risen by degrees to the command of 1,000, but without reason had gone into my father's service, the rank and jagir my father had conferred on him. Although I considered it best for my own prosperity that my attendants and people should go into his (Akbar's) service, yet this had occurred without my leave, and I was rather annoyed at it. But the fact is that he is a manly and zealous man; if he had not committed this fault he would have been a faultless hero (jawan). Abu-n-nabi, the Uzbeg, who is one of the distinguished inhabitants of Mawara'a-n-nahr and in the time of 'Abdu-l-Mu'min Khan was governor of Mashhad, obtained the rank of 1,500.
3.4.7
Shaikh Hasan is the son of Shaikh Baha. From the days of his childhood to this day he has always been in my service and in attendance on me, and when I was prince was distinguished by the title of Muqarrab Khan. He was very active and alert in his service, and in hunting would often traverse long distances by my side. He is skilful with the arrow and the gun, and in surgery is the most skilful of his time. His ancestors also had been well practised in this profession. After my accession, in consequence of the perfect confidence I had in him, I sent him to Burhanpur to bring the children and dependants of my brother Daniyal to wait on me, and sent a message to the Khankhanan in low and high words and profitable admonitions. Muqarrab Khan performed this service correctly and in a short time, and, clearing off the suspicions which had entered the minds of the Khankhanan and the nobles of that place, brought those who had been left behind by my brother in safety and security, together with his establishment and property and effects, to Lahore, and there presented them before me.
3.4.8
I promoted Naqib Khan, who is one of the genuine Sayyids of Qazwin and is called Ghiyasu-d-din 'Ali, to the rank of 1,500. My father had distinguished him with the title of Naqib Khan, and in his service he had complete intimacy and consideration. Shortly after his accession he (Akbar) had discussed several matters with him, and from this familiarity he called him akhund. He has no equal or rival in the science of history and in biographies. There is in this day no chronologist like him in the inhabited world. From the beginning of Creation till the present time, he has by heart the tale of the four quarters of the world. Has Allah granted to any other person such faculty of memory?