The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 5.2
The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī (Rogers, Beveridge) 5.2
- Language
- English
5.2.1
My first marriage and that at the commencement of my adolescence was with her. After Khusrau's birth I gave her the title of Shah Begam. When she could not endure the bad conduct of her son and brother towards me she became disgusted with life and died, thereby escaping the present grief and sorrow. In consequence of her death, from the attachment I had for her, I passed some days without any kind of pleasure in life or existence, and for four days, which amount to 32 watches, I took nothing in the shape of food or drink. When this tale was told to my revered father, a letter of condolence of excessive kindness and affection reached this devoted disciple, and he sent me a robe of honour and the auspicious turban tied just as he had taken it off his head. This favour threw water on the flame of my grief and afforded complete quiet and repose to my unquietude and disturbance. My intention in relating these circumstances is to point out that no evil fortune is greater than when a son, through the impropriety of his conduct and his unapproved methods of behaviour, causes the death of his mother and becomes contumacious and rebellious to his father, without cause or reason, but simply through his own imaginations and futile ideas, and chooses to avoid the blessing of waiting upon him.
5.2.2
Inasmuch as the Almighty Avenger lays a proper punishment on each action, of necessity his condition finally came to this, that he was caught under the worst circumstances, and falling from a position of trust became captive to perpetual incarceration. "When the man of sense behaves as if drunk, He puts his foot in a snare, his head in a noose." To sum up, on Tuesday, Zi-l-hijja 10th, I alighted at the station of Hodal. Shaikh Farid Bakhshi and a band of valiant men were chosen to pursue Khusrau and became the vanguard of the victorious army. I sent back Dust Muhammad, who was in attendance on me, on account of his previous service and his white beard, to take charge of the fort of Agra and of the zanana and the treasuries. When leaving Agra, I had placed the city in the charge of I'timadu-d-daula and Waziru-l-mulk. I now said to Dust Muhammad, "As we are going to the Panjab, and that province is in the diwani of I'timadu-d-daula, you will despatch him to us, and will imprison and keep watch over the sons of Mirza Muhammad Hakim who are in Agra; as when such proceedings manifest themselves in the son of one's loins what may one expect from nephews and cousins?" After the dispatch of Dust Muhammad, Mu'izzu-l-mulk became bakhshi. On Wednesday I alighted at Palwal, and on Thursday at Faridabad; on Friday, the 13th, I reached Delhi.
5.2.3
From the dust of the road (i.e. immediately) I hastened to the venerated tomb of Humayun, and there besought help in my purpose, and with my own hand distributed money to poor persons and dervishes. Thence turning to the shrine of the venerable saint Shaikh Nizamu-d-din Auliya, I performed the dues of pilgrimage. After this I gave a portion of money to Jamalu-d-din Husain Anju and another portion to Hakim Muzaffar that they might divide it amongst the poor and dervishes. On Saturday the 14th I stayed in Saray Narela. This rest-house (saray) Khusrau had burned as he went.
5.2.4
The rank of Aqa Mulla, brother of Asaf Khan, who had been exalted by becoming my servant, was fixed in original and increase at 1,000 with 300 horse. He was in close attendance during this journey. Considering that some of the Aimaqs attached to the royal army were in league with Khusrau, and fearing that consequently some fraud or sedition might enter their minds, 2,000 rupees were given to their leaders to distribute amongst their men and make them hopeful of the Jahangiri favour. I gave money to Shaikh Fazlu-llah and Raja Dhirdhar to distribute to faqirs and brahmans on the road. I gave orders that to Rana Shankar in Ajmir should be given 30,000 rupees by way of assistance for his expenditure. On Monday, the 16th, I reached the pargana of Panipat. This station and place used to be very propitious to my gracious father and honoured ancestors, and two great victories had been gained in it. One was the defeat of Ibrahim Lodi, which was won by the might of the victorious hosts of His Majesty Firdaus-makani. The story of this has been written in the histories of the time. The second victory was over the wicked Hemū, and was manifested from the world of fortune in the beginning of the reign of my revered father, as has been described by me in detail. At the time that Khusrau had left Delhi and was proceeding to Panipat, it happened that Dilawar Khan had arrived there.
5.2.5
When shortly before Khusrau's arrival he heard of this affair, he sent his children across the Jumna and bravely determined to hasten on and throw himself into the fort of Lahore before Khusrau should arrive. About this time 'Abdu-r-Rahīm also reached Panipat from Lahore, and Dilawar Khan suggested to him that he too should send his children across the river, and should stand aside and await the victorious standards of Jahāngīr. As he was lethargic and timid, he could not make up his mind to do this, and delayed so much that Khusrau arrived. He went out and waited on him, and either voluntarily or in a state of agitation agreed to accompany him. He obtained the title of Malik Anwar and the position of vizier. Dilawar Khan, like a brave man, turned towards Lahore, and on his road informed everyone and everybody of the servants of the court and the karoriyan, and the merchants whom he came across, of the exodus of Khusrau. Some he took with him, and others he told to stand aside out of the way. After that, the servants of God were relieved of the plundering by robbers and oppressors. Most probably, if Sayyid Kamal in Delhi, and Dilawar Khan at Panipat, had shown courage and determination, and had blocked Khusrau's path, his disorderly force would not have been able to resist and would have scattered, and he himself would have been captured.
5.2.6
The fact is that their talents (himmat) were not equal to this, but afterwards each made amends for his fault, viz., Dilawar Khan, by his rapid march, entered the fort of Lahore before Khusrau reached it, and by this notable service made amends for his earlier shortcoming, and Sayyid Kamal manfully exerted himself in the engagement with Khusrau, as will be described in its own place. On Zu-l-hijja 17th the royal standards were set up in the pargana of Karnal. Here I raised 'Abidin Khwaja, son of Khwaja Kalan Juybari and pirzada (spiritual adviser), son of 'Abdu-llah Khan Uzbeg, who had come in the time of my revered father, to the rank of 1,000. Shaikh Nizam Thaneswari, who was one of the notorious impostors (shayyadan) of the age, waited on Khusrau, and having gratified him with pleasant news, again led him out of the (right) path, and then came to wait on me. As I had heard of these transactions, I gave him his road expenses and told him to depart for the auspicious place of pilgrimage (Mecca). On the 19th the halt was in pargana Shahabad. Here there was very little water, but it happened that heavy rain fell, so that all were rejoiced. I promoted Shaikh Ahmad Lahori, who from my princehood had filled the relationship of service and discipleship and the position of a house-born one (khanazada) to the office of Mir-i-'Adl (Chief Justice).
5.2.7
Disciples and sincere followers were presented on his introduction, and to each it was necessary to give the token and the likeness (shast u shabah). They were given on his recommendation (?). At the time of initiation some words of advice were given to the disciple : he must not confuse or darken his years with sectarian quarrels, but must follow the rule of universal peace with regard to religions ; he must not kill any living creature with his own hand, and must not flay anything. The only exceptions are in battle and the chase. "Be not the practiser of making lifeless any living thing, Save in the battlefield or in the time of hunting." Honour the luminaries (the Sun, Moon, etc.), which are manifesters of God's light, according to the degree of each, and recognize the power and existence of Almighty God at all times and seasons. Be careful indeed that whether in private or in public you never for a moment forget Him. "Lame or low or crooked or unrefined, Be amorous of Him and seek after Him." My revered father became possessed of these principles, and was rarely void of such thoughts. At the stage of Aluwa (?) I appointed Abu-n-nabl(?) Uzbeg with fifty-seven other mansabdars to assist Shaikh Farid, and gave the force 40,000 rupees for its expenses. To Jamil Beg were given 7,000 rupees to divide among the Aimaqs (cavalry). I also presented Mir Sharif Amuli with 2,000 rupees.