The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 3.5
The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī (Rogers, Beveridge) 3.5
- Language
- English
3.5.1
Shaikh Kabir, who was of the family of the venerable Shaikh Salim, I had honoured with the title of Shaja'at Khan when I was prince, on account of his manliness and bravery. I now selected him for the rank of 1,000. On Sha'ban 27th (28th December, 1605) a strange thing was done by the sons of Akhayraj, son of Bhagwan Das, the paternal uncle of Raja Man Singh. These unlucky ones, who bore the names of Abhay Ram, Bijay Ram, and Shyam Ram, were exceedingly immoderate. Notwithstanding that the aforesaid Abhay Ram had done improper (disproportioned) acts, I had winked at his faults. When at this date it was represented to me that this wretch was desirous of despatching his wives and children without leave to his own country and afterwards of himself running away to the Rana, who is not loyal to this family, I referred to Ram Das and other Rajput nobles, and said to them that if any one of them would become security for them, I would confirm the rank and jagir of those wretches, and passing over their offences would forgive them. In consequence of their excessive turbulence and bad disposition no one became security. I told the Amiru-l-umara that as no one would be bound for them, they must be handed over to the charge of one of the servants of the Court until security was forthcoming. The Amiru-l-umara gave them over to Ibrahim Khan Kakar, who was afterwards dignified with the title of Dilawar Khan, and Hatim, second son of Mangli, who held the title of Shahnawaz Khan.
3.5.2
When these wished to disarm these foolish people, they refused, and, not observing the dues of good manners, began, together with their servants, to quarrel and fight. The Amiru-l-umara reported the circumstance to me, and I ordered them to be punished according to their deeds. He betook himself to driving them off, and I sent Shaikh Farid also after him. One Rajput armed with a sword, and another with a dagger stood up to the Amiru-l-umara. One of his attendants named Qutb engaged the man with the dagger and was killed. The Rajput also was cut to pieces. One of the Afghan attendants of the Amiru-l-umara attacked the one who had the sword and killed him. Dilawar Khan drew his dagger and turned towards Abhay Ram, who with two others was holding his ground, and after wounding one of these fell down after receiving wounds from the three. Some of the ahadis and the men of the Amiru-l-umara opposed and slew these doomed men. A Rajput drew his sword and turned to Shaikh Farid; he was met by a Habshi slave, who brought him down. This disturbance took place in the courtyard of the public palace. That punishment served as a warning to many who had not looked to consequences. Abu-n-nabi represented that if such a deed had been done in the Uzbeg country the whole family and connections of that band of men would have been destroyed.
3.5.3
I replied that as these people had been treated kindly and educated by my revered father I carried on the same benevolence to them, and justice demands that many shall not be chastised for the fault of one. Shaikh Husain Jami, who now sits on the cushion of darwishi and is one of the disciples of the dervish of Shiraz, had written to me from Lahore six months before my accession that he had seen in a dream that saints and pious men had delivered over the affairs of the kingdom to that chosen one of the Court of Allah (Jahangir), and that, rejoicing in this good news, he should await the event, and that he hoped that when it had occurred, the faults of Khwaja Zakariyya, who was one of the Ahrariyya, would be pardoned.
3.5.4
I conferred on Tash Beg Furji, who was one of the old servants of the State, and whom my father had honoured with the title of Taj Khan, and who had the rank of 2,000, that of 3,000, and I raised Tukhta Beg Kabuli from the rank of 2,500 to that of 3,000. He is a brave and active man, and was greatly trusted in the service of my uncle, Mirza Muhammad Hakim. I promoted Abu-l-Qasim Tamkin, who was one of my father's old servants, to the rank of 1,500. There are few men such as he for abundance of children; he has thirty sons, and if his daughters do not number so many they must be half that number. I dignified Shaikh 'Ala'u-d-din, grandson of Shaikh Salim, who had strong connections with me, with the title of Islam Khan, and promoted him to the rank of 2,000. He had grown up with me from his childhood, and may be a year younger than I. He is a brave and well-dispositioned youth, and is distinguished in every way above his family. Till now he has never drunk intoxicating drinks, and his sincerity towards me is such that I have honoured him with the title of son.
3.5.5
I have bestowed on 'Ali Asghar Barha, who has not a rival in bravery and zeal, and is the son of Sayyid Mahmud Khan Barha, one of my father's old nobles, the title of Saif Khan, and thus distinguished him amongst his equals and connections. He is evidently a brave youth. He was always one of the confidential men who went with me to hunt and to other places. He has never in his life drunk anything intoxicating, and as he has abstained in his youth he probably will attain high dignities. I granted him the rank of 3,000. I promoted Faridun, son of Muhammad Quli Khan Barlas, who held the rank of 1,000, to that of 2,000. Faridun is one of the tribe of Chaghatay, and is not devoid of manliness and courage. I promoted Shaikh Bayazid, grandson of Shaikh Salim, who held the rank of 2,000, to that of 3,000. The first person who gave me milk, but for not more than a day, was the mother of Shaikh Bayazid.
3.5.6
One day I observed to the Pandits, that is, the wise men of the Hindus, "If the doctrines of your religion are based on the incarnation of the Holy Person of God Almighty in ten different forms by the process of metempsychosis, they are virtually rejected by the intelligent. This pernicious idea requires that the Sublime Cause, who is void of all limitations, should be possessed of length, breadth, and thickness. If the purpose is the manifestation of the Light of God in these bodies, that of itself is existent equally in all created things, and is not peculiar to these ten forms. If the idea is to establish some one of God's attributes, even then there is no right notion, for in every faith and code there are masters of wonders and miracles distinguished beyond the other men of their age for wisdom and eloquence." After much argument and endless controversy, they acknowledged a God of Gods, devoid of a body or accidents, and said, "As our imagination fails to conceive a formless personality (zat-i-mujarrad), we do not find any way to know Him without the aid of a form. We have therefore made these ten forms the means of conceiving of and knowing Him." Then said I, "How can these forms be a means of your approaching the Deity?"
3.5.7
My father always associated with the learned of every creed and religion, especially with Pandits and the learned of India, and although he was illiterate, so much became clear to him through constant intercourse with the learned and wise, in his conversations with them, that no one knew him to be illiterate, and he was so acquainted with the niceties of verse and prose compositions that his deficiency was not thought of. In his august personal appearance he was of middle height, but inclining to be tall; he was of the hue of wheat; his eyes and eyebrows were black, and his complexion rather dark than fair; he was lion-bodied, with a broad chest, and his hands and arms long. On the left side of his nose he had a fleshy mole, very agreeable in appearance, of the size of half a pea. Those skilled in the science of physiognomy considered this mole a sign of great prosperity and exceeding good fortune. His august voice was very loud, and in speaking and explaining had a peculiar richness. In his actions and movements he was not like the people of the world, and the glory of God manifested itself in him. "Greatness in his manner, kingship in his lineage, As if Solomon would have put the ring on his finger."
3.5.8
Three months after my birth my sister, Shahzada Khanam, was born to one of the royal concubines ; they gave her over to his (Akbar's) mother, Maryam Makani. After her a son was born to one of the concubines, and received the name of Shah Murad. As his birth occurred in the hill country of Fathpur, he was nicknamed Pahari. When my revered father sent him to conquer the Deccan, he had taken to excessive drinking through associating with unworthy persons, so that he died in his 30th year, in the neighbourhood of Jalnapur, in the province of Berar. His personal appearance was fresh-coloured ; he was thin in body and tall of stature. Dignity and authority were evident in his movements, and manliness and bravery manifested themselves in his ways. On the night of Jumada-l-awwal 10th, a.h. 979 (September, 1572), another son was born to one of the concubines. As his birth took place at Ajmir in the house of one of the attendants of the blessed shrine of the reverend Khwaja Mu'inu-d-din Chishti, whose name was Shaikh Daniyal, this child was called Daniyal.