The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 6.1
The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī (Rogers, Beveridge) 6.1
- Language
- English
6.1.1
On Wednesday the 22nd Zi-l-qa'da, 1015 (10th March, 1607), when 3 gharis of the day had passed, the sun rose to his House of Honour. They decorated the palace after the usual fashion : a great entertainment was prepared, and having seated myself at an auspicious hour on the throne of accession I exalted the nobles and courtiers with kindness and favour. On this same auspicious day it was learned from the reports sent from Qandahar that the army sent under Mirza Ghazi, son of Mirza Jani, to succour (which had been appointed to assist) Shah Beg Khan, had entered the city of Qandahar on the 12th of Shawwal. When the Persians heard of the arrival of the victorious army at the last stage before the aforesaid city, they became surprised and wretched and repentant, and did not draw rein until they had reached the Helmand, fifty or sixty kos distant. In the second place it became known that the governor of Farah and a number of the officers of that neighbourhood had taken it into their heads, after the death of the late king, that in this confusion Qandahar might easily fall into their hands, and without waiting for an order from Shah 'Abbas had collected together and won over the Chief of Sewistan (Sistan). Sending someone to Husain Khan, the governor of Herat, they asked for support from him. He also sent a force. After that they turned to attack Qandahar.
6.1.2
Shah Beg Khan, the governor of that place, seeing that battle has two heads, and that if (which God forbid !) he should be defeated he would lose possession of Qandahar, thought that to confine himself in a fort would be better than to fight. He therefore determined to hold the fort, and sent quick messengers to the Court. It happened that at this time the royal standards had started from Agra in pursuit of Khusrau, and had arrived at Lahore. Immediately on hearing this news (from Shah Beg Khan), a large force was sent off of amirs and mansabdars under Mirza Ghazi. Before the Mirza reached Qandahar the news had been carried to the Shah (of Persia) that the governor of Farah, with some of the jagirdars of that neighbourhood, had proceeded towards the province of Qandahar. Considering this an improper proceeding, he sent Husain Beg, a well-known man and one of his own intimates, to make enquiries. He also sent a farman in their names that they should move away from the vicinity of Qandahar and go to their own places and abodes, because the friendship and amity of his ancestors with the dignified family of Jahangir Padshah were of old standing. That body, before the arrival of Husain Beg and the King's order, not being able to oppose the royal army, considered the opportunity of returning a favourable one. The said Husain Beg censured the men and started off to wait on me, which he had the honour to do at Lahore.
6.1.3
He explained that the ill-fated army which had attacked Qandahar had acted without the order of Shah 'Abbas. God forbid (he said) that in consequence of this any unpleasantness should remain in my mind. In short, after the victorious troops reached Qandahar, they, according to orders, delivered the fort over to Sardar Khan, and Shah Beg Khan returned to Court with the relieving force. On the 27th Zi-l-qa'da, 'Abdu-llah Khan, having brought Ram Chand Bandilah into captivity and chains, brought him before me. I ordered them to take the fetters from his legs, and bestowed on him a robe of honour, and handed him over to Raja Baso that he might take security and release him and a number of his relations who had been captured with him. This through my clemency and kindness came to pass. He had never imagined such clemency and kindness as I showed to him. On the 2nd Zi-l-hijja I gave my son Khurram a tuman u tugh, a flag and drums, and bestowed on him the rank of 8,000 personal and 5,000 horse, and gave an order for a jagir. On the same day, having exalted Pir Khan, son of Daulat Khan Lodi, who had come from Khandesh with the children of Daniyal, with the title of Salabat Khan and honoured him with the rank of 3,000 personal and 1,500 horse, and presented him with a standard and drums, I promoted him to the distinction of sonship (farzandi) beyond his fellows and equals. The ancestors and uncles of Salabat Khan's grandfather had been great and honourable among the tribe of Lodi.
6.1.4
An earlier Daulat Khan, uncle of Salabat Khan's grandfather, when Ibrahim after his father Sikandar's death, began to behave ill to his father's amirs and destroyed many, became apprehensive, and sent his younger son, Dilawar Khan, to wait upon H.M. Babar in Kabul, and suggested to him the acquisition of Hindustan. As Babar also had this enterprise in mind, he at once proceeded in that direction, and did not turn his rein till he reached the neighbourhood of Lahore. Daulat Khan with his followers obtained the good fortune to wait upon him, and performed loyal service. As he was an old man, adorned with inward and outward excellencies, he did much good service. He (Babar) generally called him "father," and entrusting to him as before the government of the Panjab placed its amirs and jagirdars under his jurisdiction. Taking Dilawar Khan with him he (Babar) returned to Kabul. When he (Babar) came a second time into the Panjab with intent to invade Hindustan, Daulat Khan waited on him, and about the same time died. Dilawar Khan was honoured with the title of Khankhanan, and was with Babar in the battle he had with Ibrahim. In the same way he was permanently in waiting on the late king Humayun. In the thana of Mungir, at the time of his (Humayun's) return from Bengal, he fought bravely against Shir Khan Afghan, and was made prisoner on the field of battle.
6.1.5
Although Shir Khan urged him to take service with him, he refused and said, " Thy ancestors were always the servants of mine : how, then, could I do this ? " Shir Khan was enraged, and ordered him to be shut up in a wall. 'Umar Khan, the grandfather of Salabat Khan Farzand, who was cousin of Dilawar Khan, had been treated with respect in the time of Salim Khan. After Salim Khan's death and the slaughter of Firuz, his son, at the hand of Muhammad Khan, 'Umar Khan and his brethren became suspicious of Muhammad Khan and went to Gujarat, where 'Umar Khan died. Daulat Khan, his son, who was a brave young man of pleasant appearance, and good at all things, chose the companionship of 'Abdu-r-Rahim, son of Bairam Khan, who had been dignified with the title of Khankhanan in the reign of Akbar, and performed excellent service. The Khankhanan regarded him as his own brother, or even a thousand times better than his brother, and dearer. Most of the Khankhanan's victories were gained through Daulat Khan's valour and manliness. When my revered father, having taken the province of Khandesh and the fort of Asir, returned to Agra, he left Daniyal in charge of that province and of all the provinces acquired from the rulers of the Deccan. At this time Daniyal had separated Daulat Khan from the Khankhanan, and was keeping him in attendance on himself and handing over to him for disposal all the business of the State. He showed him much favour and perfect affection until he died in his service.
6.1.6
He left two sons, one Muhammad Khan, and the other Pir Khan; Muhammad Khan, who was the elder, died a short time after his father. Daniyal, too, wore himself out with drinking. After my accession I summoned Pir Khan to Court. As I discovered in him a good disposition and natural abilities, I raised the pedestal of regard for him to the point that has been described. To-day there is not in my government any person of greater influence than he, so much so that on his representation I pass over faults which are not pardoned at the intercession of any of the other servants of the Court. In short, he is a young man of good disposition, brave, and worthy of favour, and what I have done for him has been done rightly; and he will be exalted by further favours. As I had made up my exalted mind to the conquest of Mawara'a-n-nahr (Transoxiana), which was the hereditary kingdom of my ancestors, I desired to free the face of Hindustan from the rubbish of the factious and rebellious, and leaving one of my sons in that country, to go myself with a valiant army in due array, with elephants of mountainous dignity and of lightning speed, and taking ample treasure with me, to undertake the conquest of my ancestral dominions. In accordance with this idea, I despatched Parwiz to drive back the Rana, and intended to go myself to the Deccan, when just at that moment the improper action of Khusrau took place, and it became necessary to pursue him and put an end to that disturbance.
6.1.7
For the same reason, the undertaking of Parwlz did not assume a promising appearance, and regarding the exigency of the time he gave a respite to the Rana. Bringing with him one of the Rana's sons, he came to wait on me, and had the bliss of attending me in Lahore. When I was at ease about Khusrau's disturbance, and the repulse of the Qizilbashes, who had invested Qandahar, had been brought about in a facile way, it came into my mind to make a hunting tour to Kabul, which is like my native land. After that I would return to Hindustan, when the purposes of my mind would pass from design to action. In pursuance of these steps, on the 7th Zl-1-liijja, at an auspicious hour, I left the fort of Lahore and took up my quarters in the Dil-amlz Garden, which is on the other side of the Ravi, and stayed there four days. Sunday, the 19th Farwardin, which is the culmination of His Majesty the Sun, I passed in the garden, and some of the servants of the Court were favourably and kindly honoured with increased rank. Ten thousand rupees were bestowed on Hasan Beg, the envoy of the ruler of Persia (Shah 'Abbas). Leaving Qillj Khan, Miran Sadr Jahan, and Mir Sharif Amuli in Lahore, I ordered them to settle in consultation any matters that might present themselves. On Monday I marched from the garden mentioned, and encamped at the village of Harhar, 3½ kos distant from the city. On Tuesday the royal standards alighted at Jahangirpur, which is one of my fixed hunting-places.
6.1.8
In this neighbourhood had been erected by my order a manar at the head of the grave of an antelope called Mansaraj, which was without equal in fights with tame antelopes and in hunting wild ones. On a stone of that manar was carved this prose composition, written by Mulla Muhammad Husain of Kashmir, who was the chief of the elegant writers of the day : '" In this enchanting place an antelope came into the world-holding (jahan-giri) net of the God-knowing ruler Nuru-d-din Jahangir Padshah. In the space of one month, having overcome his desert fierceness, he became the head of the special antelopes." On account of the rare quality of this antelope, I commanded that no person should hunt the deer of this plain, and that their flesh should be to Hindus and Muhammadans as is the flesh of cows and pigs. They made the gravestone in the shape of an antelope. I ordered Sikandar Mu'in, the jagirdar of the aforesaid pargana, to build a strong fort in the village of Jahangirpur.