The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 5.1
The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī (Rogers, Beveridge) 5.1
- Language
- English
5.1.1
Futile ideas had entered the mind of Khusrau in consequence of his youth and the pride youths have, and the lack of experience and the lack of foresight of worthless companions, especially at the time of my revered father's illness. Some of these short-sighted ones, through the multitude of their crimes and offences, had become hopeless of pardon and indulgence, and imagined that by making Khusrau a tool they might conduct the affairs of State through him. They overlooked the truth that acts of sovereignty and world rule are not things to be arranged by the worthless endeavours of defective intellects. The just Creator bestows them on him whom he considers fit for this glorious and exalted duty, and on such a person doth He fit the robe of honour. "He who is seized of Fortune cannot be deprived of it; Throne and diadem are not things of purchase; It is not right to wrest crown and dominion From the head which God, the Crown-cherisher, has indicated." As the futile imaginations of the seditious and short-sighted had no result but disgrace and regret, the affairs of the kingdom were confirmed in the hands of this suppliant at the throne of Allah. I invariably found Khusrau preoccupied and distracted.
5.1.2
However much, in favour and affection for him, I wished to drive from his mind some of his fears and alarms, nothing was gained until, at last, by the advice of those whose fortune was reversed, on the night of Sunday, Zi-l-hijja 8th, of the year mentioned (April 6th, 1605), when two gharis had passed, he made a pretence of going to visit the tomb of His Majesty (Akbar), and went off with 350 horsemen, who were his adherents, from within the fort of Agra. Shortly after, one of the lamp attendants who was acquainted with the Waziru-l-mulk gave him the news of Khusrau's flight. The Vizier took him to the Amiru-l-umara, who, as the news seemed true, came in a distracted state of mind to the door of the private apartments and said to one of the eunuchs, "Take in my request and say that I have a necessary representation to make, and let the king honour me by coming out." As such an affair had not entered my thoughts, I supposed that news had come from the Deccan or Gujarat. When I came out and heard what the news was, I asked, "What must be done? Shall I mount myself, or shall I send Khurram?" The Amiru-l-umara submitted that he would go if I ordered it. "Let it be so," I said. Afterwards he said, "If he will not turn back on my advice, and takes up arms, what must be done?" Then I said, "If he will go in no way on the right road, do not consider a crime anything that results from your action. Kingship regards neither son nor son-in-law. No one is a relation to a king."
5.1.3
When I had said these words and other things, and had dismissed him, it occurred to me that Khusrau was very much annoyed with him, and that in consequence of the dignity and nearness (to me) which he (the Amir) enjoyed, he was an object of envy to his equals and contemporaries. Perhaps they might devise treachery and destroy him. I therefore ordered Muizzu-l-mulk to recall him, and selecting in his place Shaikh Farld Bakhshi-begl commanded him to start off at once, and to take with him the mansabdars and ahaclis who were on guard. Ihtimam Khan the kotwal was made scout and intelligence officer. I determined, God willing, to start off myself when it was day. Mu'izzu-l-mulk brought back the Amlru-l-umara. About this time, Ahmad Beg Khan and Dast Muhammad Khan had been sent off to Kabul, and had got as far as Sikandra, which was on Khusrau's route. On his arrival they came out of their tents with some of their people, and returned and waited on me with the news that Khusrau had taken the Panjab road and was hastening on. It occurred to me that he might change his route and go somewhere else. As his maternal uncle, Man Singh, was in Bengal, it occurred to many of the servants of the State that he might go in that direction. I sent out on every side, and ascertained that he was making for the Panjab. Meantime day dawned, and in reliance on the grace and favour of God Almighty, and with clear resolve, I mounted, withheld by nothing and no one.
5.1.4
"In truth, he who is pursued by sorrow Knows not how the road is or how he may travel it. This he knows, that horror drives him on : He knows not with whom he goes nor whom he leaves behind." When I reached the venerable mausoleum of my revered father, which is three kos from the city, I begged for aid to my courage from the spirit of that honoured one. About this time they captured and brought in Mirza Hasan, son of Mirza Shahrukh, who had proposed to accompany Khusrau. He could not deny it when I questioned him, and I ordered them to tie his hands and mount him on an elephant. This was the first good omen manifested through the kindness and blessing of that venerable one. At midday, as it had become exceedingly hot, having rested awhile under the shade of a tree, I said to the Khan A'zam that we, with all our composure, were in such a state that we had not taken till now our regular allowance of opium, which it was the practice to take the first thing in the morning, and no one had reminded us of the omission. We might imagine from this what was now the condition of that graceless one (Khusrau).
5.1.5
My trouble was this, that my son without any cause or reason should become an opponent and an enemy. If I should make no endeavour to capture him, the fractious or rebellious would have an instrument, or else he would take his own way and go for an asylum to the Uzbegs or the Persians, and contempt would fall upon my government. On this account, having made a special point of capturing him, I went on after a short rest two or three kos beyond pargana Mathura, which is 20 kos from Agra, and I alighted at one of the villages of that pargana where there is a tank. When Khusrau arrived at Mathura, he met Husain Beg Badakhshi, who was of those who had received favours from my revered father and was coming from Kabul to wait on me. As it is the temperament of the Badakhshis to be seditious and turbulent, Khusrau regarded this meeting as a godsend, and made Husain Beg the captain and guide of 200 or 300 Badakhshan Aimaqs, who were with him. Anyone whom they met, they plundered of horses and goods. Merchants and conveyers of goods were plundered by these rascals, and wheresoever they went men's wives and children were not safe from the calamity of these wretches. With his own eyes Khusrau was witnessing the oppression practised in the hereditary dominions of his ancestors, and after being a witness of the improper deeds of these rascals he a thousand times every moment wished death for himself. Finally, he had no remedy but to temporize with and support those dogs.
5.1.6
If good luck and fortune had assisted him in his affairs, he would have made repentance and regret his voucher, and come without any deceit to wait on me. God, who knows the world of secrets, knows that I should have passed over his offences entirely and shown him such favour and affection that to the extent of a hair's point no estrangement or fear would have remained upon his mind. Inasmuch as during the lifetime of the late king (Akbar) an intention of joining in the sedition of some of the rebels had manifested itself in his mind, and he knew that this had come to my knowledge, he placed no reliance on my kindness and affection. His mother, while I was prince, in grief at his ways and behaviour and the misconduct of her brother Madho Singh, killed herself by swallowing opium (tiryāq). What shall I write of her excellences and goodness? She had perfect intelligence, and her devotion to me was such that she would have sacrificed a thousand sons and brothers for one hair of mine. She constantly wrote to Khusrau and urged him to be sincere and affectionate to me. When she saw that it was of no use and that it was unknown how far he would be led away, she from the indignation and high spirit which are inherent in the Rajput character determined upon death. Her mind was several times disturbed, for such feelings were hereditary, and her ancestors and her brothers had occasionally showed signs of madness, but after a time had recovered.
5.1.7
At a time when I had gone hunting, on Zi-l-hijja 26th, 1013 (May 6th, 1605), she in her agitation swallowed a quantity of opium, and quickly passed away. It was as if she had foreseen this behaviour of her unworthy son.