The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 7: The Third New Year's Feast from my Accession.
The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī (Rogers, Beveridge) 7
- Language
- English
Contents
The Third New Year's Feast from my Accession.
7.1.1
On Thursday, the 2nd Zi-l-hijja, corresponding with the 1st Farwardin (19th March, 1608), the Sun, which enlightens and heats the world with its splendour, changed from the constellation of Pisces to the joyful mansion of Aries, the abode of pleasure and rejoicing. It gave the world fresh brightness, and being aided by the Spring clothed those who had been plundered by the cold season, and tyrannised over by the Autumn, with the robes of honour of the New Year and the garments of emerald green, and gave them compensation and recuperation. "Again to Not-Being came the world's lord's order, 'Restore what thou hast devoured.'"
7.1.2
The feast of the New Year was held in the village of Rankatta, which is five kos off (from Agra), and at the time of transit (of the sun) I seated myself on the throne with glory and gladness. The nobles and courtiers and all the servants came forward with their congratulations. In the same assembly I bestowed on Khanjahan the rank of 5,000 personal and horse. I selected Khwaja Jahan for the post of bakhshi. Dismissing Wazir Khan from the Viziership of the province of Bengal, I sent in his place Abu-l-hasan Shihabkhani; and Nuru-d-din Quli became kotwal of Agra. As the glorious mausoleum of the late king Akbar was on the road, it entered my mind that if in passing by I should have the good fortune of a pilgrimage to it, it might occur to those who were shortsighted that I visited it because it was the place where my road crossed. I accordingly had determined that this time I would enter Agra, and after that would go on foot on this pilgrimage to the shrine, which is two and a half kos off, in the same way that the Hazrat (my father), on account of my birth, had gone from Agra to Ajmir. Would that I might also traverse the same on my head! When two watches of day had passed of Saturday, the 5th of the month, at an auspicious hour, I returned towards Agra, and scattering with two hands 5000 rupees in small coins on the way, entered the august palace which was inside the fort. On this day Raja Bir Singh Deo brought a white cheeta to show me.
7.1.3
Although other sorts of creatures, both birds and beasts, have white varieties, which they call tuyghdn, I had never seen a white cheeta. Its spots, which are (usually) black, were of a blue colour, and the whiteness of the body was also inclined to bluishness. Of the albino animals that I have seen there are falcons, sparrow-hawks, hawks (shikara) that they call bigu in the Persian language, sparrows, crows, partridges, florican, podna (Sylvia olivacea), and peacocks. Many hawks in aviaries are albinos. I have also seen white flying mice (flying squirrels) and some albinos among the black antelope, which is a species found only in Hindustan. Among the chikara (gazelle), which they call safida in Persia, I have frequently seen albinos. At this time Ratan, son of Bhoj-hara, who is one of the chief Rajput nobles, came to the camp and waited on me, bringing three elephants as an offering. One of these was much approved, and they valued it in the office at 15,000 rupees. It was entered among my private elephants, and I gave it the name of Ratangaj. The value of elephants of the former great Rajas of India was not more than 25,000 rupees, but they have now become very dear. I dignified Ratan with the title of Sarbuland Ray. I promoted Miran Sadr Jahan to the rank of 5,000 personal and 1,500 horse and Mu'azzam Khan to 4,000 personal and 2,000 horse. 'Abdu-llah Khan was promoted to 3,000 and 500 horse.
7.1.4
Muzaffar Khan and Bhao Singh each obtained the rank of 2,000 personal and 1,000 horse. Abu-l-hasan diwan had 1,000 and 500 horse. I'timadu-d-daulah that of 1,000 personal and 250 horse. On the 25th Raja Suraj Singh, the maternal uncle of my son Khurram, came and paid his respects to me. He brought with him Shyam, the cousin of the turbulent Umra. In truth he possesses some skill and understands well how to ride elephants. Raja Suraj Singh had brought with him a poet who wrote verse in the Hindi tongue. He laid before me a poem in my praise to the purport that if the Sun had a son it would be always day and never would be night, because after his setting that son would sit in his place and keep the world in light. Praise and thanksgiving to God that God gave your father such a son that after his death men should not wear mourning which is like the night. The Sun had envy on this account, saying, "Would I might also have a son who, taking my place, should not allow night to approach the world, for from the light of your rising and the illumination of your justice, notwithstanding such a misfortune, the spheres are so bright that one might say 'night had neither name nor sign.'" Few Hindi verses of such freshness of purport have ever reached my ear. As a reward for this eulogy I gave him an elephant. The Rajputs call a poet Charan (name of a caste who are many of them poets). One of the poets of the age has turned these sentiments into (Persian) verse —
7.1.5
"If the world-illuminator had a son, There would be no night; it would be always day; For when his gold-crowned head was hidden His son would display his tiara peak. Thanks that after such a father Such a son sits in his place. For from the demise of that king No one made black robes for mourning." On Thursday, the 8th Muharram, 1017 (24th April, 1608), Jalalu-d-din Mas'ud, who held the rank of 400 personal and was not wanting in bravery, and who in several battles had done great deeds, died at about the age of 50 or 60 years of diarrhoea. He was an opium-eater, and used to eat opium after breaking it in pieces, like cheese, and it is notorious that he frequently ate opium from the hand of his own mother. When his disease became violent and there was a prospect of his death, his mother from excessive love for him ate more opium than was right out of that which she used to give her son, and two or three hours after his death she also died. I have never heard of such affection on the part of a mother for her son. It is the custom among the Hindus that after the death of their husbands women burn themselves, whether from love, or to save the honour of their fathers, or from being ashamed before their sons-in-law, but nothing like this was ever manifested on the part of mothers, Musulman or Hindu. On the 15th of the same month I presented my best horse by way of favour to Raja Man Singh.
7.1.6
Shah 'Abbas had sent this horse with some other horses and fitting gifts by Minuchihr, one of his confidential slaves, to the late king Akbar. From being presented with this horse the Raja was so delighted that if I had given him a kingdom I do not think he would have shown such joy. At the time they brought the horse it was three or four years old. It grew up in Hindustan. The whole of the servants of the Court, Moghul and Rajput together, represented that no horse like this had ever come from Iraq to Hindustan. When my revered father gave the province of Khandesh and the Subah of the Deccan to my brother Daniyal, and was returning to Agra, he by way of kindness told Daniyal to ask of him whatever he desired. Seizing the opportunity, he asked for this horse, and he accordingly gave it to him. On Tuesday, the 20th, a report came from Islam Khan with the news of the death of Jahangir Quli Khan, the governor of the Subah of Bengal, who was my special slave. On account of his natural excellence and innate merit he had been enrolled in the list of the great Amirs. I was much grieved at his death. I bestowed the rule of Bengal and the tutorship to Prince Jahandar on my farzand Islam Khan, and in his place gave the government of the Subah of Behar to Afzal Khan (son of Abii-l-fazl). The son of Hakim 'Ali, whom I had sent on some duties to Burhanpur, came and brought with him some Karnatic jugglers who had no rivals or equals;
7.1.7
for instance, one of them played with ten balls, each of which was equal to an orange and one to a citron, and one to a surkh, in such a way that notwithstanding some were small and some large he never missed one, and did so many kinds of tricks that one's wits became bewildered. At the same time a dervish from Ceylon came and brought a strange animal called a deonak (or devang). Its face was exactly like a large bat, and the whole shape was like that of a monkey, but it had no tail. Its movements were like those of the black tailless monkey which they call ban manush (jungle man) in the Hindi language. Its body was like that of a young monkey two or three months old. It had been with the dervish for five years. It appeared that the animal would never grow larger. Its food is milk and it also eats plantains. As the creature appeared very strange, I ordered the artists to take a likeness of it in various kinds of movement. It looked very ugly. On the same day Mirza Faridun Barlas was promoted to the rank of 1,500 personal and 1,300 horse. An order was given that Payanda Khan Moghul, as he had reached old age after exerting himself as a soldier, should receive a jagir equal to 2,000 personal. IIf Khan was promoted to the rank of 700 personal and 500 horse. The rank of Islam Khan, my son (farzand), the governor of the Subah of Bengal, was fixed at 4,000 personal and 3,000 horse. The guardianship of the fort of Rohtas was bestowed on Kishwar Khan, son of Qutbu-d-din Khan Koka.
7.1.8
Ihtimam Khan was raised to the rank of 1,000 personal and 300 horse, and made mir bahr (admiral) and was appointed to the charge of the nawara (fleet) of Bengal. On the 1st Safar Shamsu-d-din Khan, son of Khan A'zam, made an offering of ten elephants, and, receiving the rank of 2,000 personal and 1,500 horse, was selected for the title of Jahangir Quli Khan, and Zafar Khan received the rank of 2,000 personal and 1,000 horse. As I had demanded in marriage the daughter of Jagat Singh, eldest son of Raja Man Singh, I on the 16th sent 80,000 rupees for the sachaq (a marriage present) to the house of the aforesaid Raja in order to dignify him. Muqarrab Khan sent from the port of Cambay a European curtain (tapestry), the like of which in beauty no other work of the Frank painters had ever been seen. On the same day my aunt, Najibu-n-nisa Begam, died in the 61st year of her age of the disease of consumption and hectic fever. I promoted her son, Mirza Wali, to the rank of 1,000 personal and 200 horse. A man of Mawara'a-n-nahr, of the name of Aqam Haji, who for a long time had been in Turkey and was not without reasonableness and religious knowledge, and who called himself the ambassador of the Turkish Emperor, waited upon me at Agra. He had an unknown writing (? illegible letter). Looking to his circumstances and his proceedings none of the servants of the Court believed in his being an ambassador.
7.1.9
When Timur conquered Turkey, and Yildirim Bayazid, the ruler of that place, fell alive into his hands, he, after levying tribute and taking one year's revenue, determined to hand back into his possession the whole of the country of Turkey. Just at that time Yildirim Bayazid died, and (Timur), having handed over the kingdom to his son Musa Chelebi, returned. From that time until now, notwithstanding such favours, no one had come on the part of the emperors, nor has any ambassador been sent : how, then, can it now be believed that this person from Mawara'a-n-nahr should have been sent by the emperor ? I could in no way understand the affair, and no one could bear witness to the accuracy of his claim : I therefore told him to go wherever he might wish. On the 4th Rabi'u-l-awwal the daughter of Jagat Singh entered the harem, and the marriage ceremony was performed in the house of Her Highness Maryam-zamani. Amongst the things sent with her by Raja Man Singh were 60 elephants.
7.2.1
As I had determined to conquer the Rana, it occurred to me that I should send Mahabat Khan. I appointed 12,000 fully armed cavalry under able officers to go with him, and in addition 500 ahadis, 2,000 musketeers on foot, with artillery made up of 70 to 80 guns mounted on elephants and camels ; 60 elephants were appointed to this duty. Two million rupees of treasure were ordered to be sent with this army. On the 16th of the said month Mir Khalilu-llah, grandson of Mir Ni'matu-llah Yazdi, the whole of whose circumstances and family history has already been written, died of diarrhœa. In his appearance the traces of sincerity and dervishhood were manifest. If he had lived and passed a long time in my service he would have risen to high rank. The bakhshi of Burhanpur had sent some mangoes, one of which I ordered to be weighed;- it came to 52½ tolas. On Wednesday, the 18th, in the house of Maryam-zamani, the feast of the lunar weighing of my 40th year was held. I ordered the money used in weighing to be divided amongst women and needy persons. On Thursday, the 4th Rabi'u-l-akhir, Tahir Beg, the bakhshi of the Ahadis, was given the title of Mukhlis Khan, and Mulla-i-Taqiyya Shustari, who was adorned with excellencies and perfections, and was well acquainted with the science of history and genealogy, that of Mu'arrikh Khan. On the 10th of the same month, having given Barkhurdar, the brother of 'Abdu-llah Khan, the title of Bahadur Khan, I dignified him among his fellows.
7.2.2
Munis Khan, son of Mihtar Khan, presented me with a jug of jasper (jade), which had been made in the reign of Mirza Ulugh Beg Gurgan, in the honoured name of that prince. It was a very delicate rarity and of a beautiful shape. Its stone was exceedingly white and pure. Around the neck of the jar they had carved the auspicious name of the Mirza and the Hijra year in riqa' characters. I ordered them to inscribe my name and the auspicious name of Akbar on the edge of the lip of the jar. Mihtar Khan was one of the ancient slaves of this State. He had the honour of serving the late king Humayun, and during the reign of my revered father had attained the rank of nobility. He regarded him as one of his confidential servants. On the 16th a firman was issued that the country of Sangram, which had been given for a year by way of reward to my son (farzand) Islam Khan, should be handed over for the same purpose for a year to Afzal Khan, the governor of the Subah of Behar. On this day I promoted Mahabat Khan to the rank of 3,000 personal and 2,500 horse, and Yusuf Khan, son of Husain Khan Tukriyah, obtained that of 2,000 personal and 800 horse. On the 24th I gave leave to Mahabat Khan and the Amirs and men who had been appointed to subdue the Rana. The aforesaid Khan was honoured with a robe of honour, a horse, a special elephant, and a jewelled sword. Zafar Khan, having been honoured with a standard, was presented with a private robe of honour and a jewelled dagger.
7.2.3
Shaja'at Khan also was presented with a standard, and I gave him a robe of honour and a special elephant. Raja Bir Singh Deo received a robe of honour and a special horse, and Mangli Khan a horse and jewelled dagger. Narayan Das Kachhwahah, 'Ali Quli Darman, and Hizabr Khan Tahamtan obtained leave. On Bahadur Khan and Mu'izzu-l-mulk the bakhshi jewelled daggers were conferred, and in the same manner all the Amirs and leaders, each one according to his degree, were honoured with royal gifts. A watch of the day had passed when the Khankhanan, who had been selected for the high honour of my Ataliq (guardian), came from Burhanpur and waited on me. Delight and happiness had so overpowered him that he did not know whether he came on his head or his feet. He threw himself bewildered at my feet. By way of favour and kindness I lifted up his head and held it in an embrace of kindliness and affection, and kissed his face. He brought me as offerings two strings of pearls and some rubies and emeralds. The value of the jewels was 300,000 rupees. Besides these he laid before me many valuable things. On the 17th Jumada-l-awwal Wazir Khan, the Diwan of Bengal, came and waited on me, and offered 60 elephants, male and female, and one Egyptian ruby. As he was one of the old servants and he performed every duty, I ordered him to remain in attendance on me. As Qasim Khan and his elder brother, Islam Khan, could in no way keep the peace together, I had sent for the former to my own presence ;
7.2.4
and he yesterday came and waited on me. On the 22nd, Asaf Khan, made me an offering of a ruby of the weight of seven tank, which Abu-l-qasim, his brother, had bought in the port of Cambay for 75,000 rupees. It is of a beautiful colour and well-shaped, but to my belief is not worth more than 60,000 rupees. Great faults had been committed by Dulip Ray, son of Ray Ray Singh, but as he took refuge with my farzand Khan Jahan his offences were pardoned, and I knowingly and purposely passed over his delinquencies. On the 24th the sons of Khankhanan, who had followed after him, arrived and waited on me and produced as an offering the sum of 25,000 rupees. On the same day the said Khan offered 90 elephants. On Thursday, the 1st Jumada-s-sani, the feast of my solar year was celebrated in the house of Maryam-zamani. Some of the money I divided among the women, and an order was given that the balance should be distributed to the poor of the hereditary kingdoms. On the 4th of the month I ordered the Diwans to give a jagir, according to his rank, of 7,000 rupees to Khan A'zam. On this day a female antelope in milk was brought that allowed itself to be milked with ease, and gave every day four seers of milk. I had never seen or heard of anything of the kind before. The milk of the antelope, of the cow, and the buffalo in no way differs. They say it is of great use in asthma.
7.2.5
On the 11th of the month Raja Man Singh asked for leave to complete the army of the Deccan to which he had been appointed, as well as to visit Amber, his native place. I gave him a male elephant of my own called Hushyar-mast, and gave him leave. On Monday, the 12th, as it was the anniversary of the death of the late king Akbar, in addition to the expenses of that entertainment, which are fixed separately, I sent 4,000 rupees more to be divided among the faqirs and dervishes who are present in the enlightened mausoleum of the venerated one. On that day I exalted 'Abdu-llah, the son of Khan A'zam, with the title of Sarfaraz Khan, and 'Abdu-r-Rahim, son of Qasim Khan, with that of Tarbiyat Khan. On Tuesday, the 13th, I sent for Khusrau's daughter, and saw a child so like her father as no one can remember to have seen. The astrologers used to say that her advent would not be auspicious to her father, but would be auspicious to me. At last it became known that they had augured rightly. They said that I should see her after three years. I saw her when she had passed this age.
7.2.6
On the 21st of the month Khankhanan determined to clear out the province of the Nizamu-l-mulk, into which, after the death of the late king Akbar, some disturbances had found their way, and stated in writing that "If I do not complete this service in the course of two years, I shall be guilty (of a fault), on the condition that in addition to the force that had been allotted to that Subah 12,000 more horse with 1,000,000 rupees should be sent with me." I ordered that materials for the army and the treasure should be quickly prepared, and he should be despatched. On the 26th Mukhlis Khan, bakhshi of the ahadis, was appointed bakhshi of the Subah of the Deccan, and I bestowed his place on Ibrahim Husain Khan, the Mir Bahr. On the 1st Rajab, Pishrau Khan and Kamal Khan, who belonged to the servants who were in constant attendance on me (ru-shinas), died. Shah Tahmasp had given Pishrau Khan as a slave to my grandfather, and he was called Sa'adat. When he was promoted in the service of the late king Akbar to the daroghahship and superintendence of the farrashkhana (carpet department), he obtained the title of Pishrau. He was so well acquainted with this service that one might say it was a garment they had sewn on the stature of his capacity. When he was 90 years old he was quicker than lads of 14. He had the good fortune to serve my grandfather, my father, and me. Until he breathed his last he was never for a moment without the intoxication of wine.
7.3.1
"Besmeared with wine Fighani went to the dust. Alas! if the angels smelt his fresh shroud!" He left 1,500,000 rupees. He has one very stupid son, called Ri'ayat. On account of his father's claims for services performed, I gave the superintendence of half the farrashkhana to him and the other half to Tukhmaq Khan. Kamal Khan was one of the slaves sincerely devoted to my service; he is of the caste of the Kalals of Delhi. On account of the great honesty and trustworthiness that he had shown I made him bakawal-begi (chief of the kitchen). Few such servants are ever met with. He had two sons, to both of whom I showed great kindness, but where are there others like him? On the 2nd of the said month La'l Kalawant, who from his childhood had grown up in my father's service, who had taught him every breathing and sound that appertains to the Hindi language, died in the 65th or 70th year of his age. One of his girls (concubines) ate opium on this event and killed herself. Few women among the Musulmans have ever shown such fidelity. In Hindustan, especially in the province of Sylhet, which is a dependency of Bengal, it was the custom for the people of those parts to make eunuchs of some of their sons and give them to the governor in place of revenue (mal-wajibi). This custom by degrees has been adopted in other provinces, and every year some children are thus ruined and cut off from procreation. This practice has become common.
7.3.2
At this time I issued an order that hereafter no one should follow this abominable custom, and that the traffic in young eunuchs should be completely done away with. Islam Khan and the other governors of the Subah of Bengal received firmans that whoever should commit such acts should be capitally punished, and that they should seize eunuchs of tender years who might be in anyone's possession. No one of the former kings had obtained this success. Please Almighty God, in a short time this objectionable practice will be completely done away with, and the traffic in eunuchs being forbidden, no one shall venture on this unpleasant and unprofitable proceeding. I presented the Khankhanan with a bay horse out of those sent me by Shah 'Abbas; it was the head of the stable of my private horses. He was so rejoiced over it that it would be difficult to describe. In truth a horse of this great size and beauty has hardly come to Hindustan. I also gave him the elephant Futuh, that is unrivalled in fighting, with twenty other elephants. As Kishan Singh, who was accompanying Mahabat Khan, performed laudable service, and was wounded in the leg by a spear in the fight with the Rana's men, so that about twenty noblemen of his were killed and about 3,000 made captive, he was promoted to the rank of 2,000 personal and 1,000 horse. On the 14th of the same month I gave an order for Mirza Ghazi to betake himself to Qandahar.
7.3.3
A strange occurrence was that as soon as the aforesaid Mirza started from Bakhar for that province the news of the death of Sardar Khan, the governor of that place, came. Sardar Khan was one of the permanent and intimate attendants of my uncle Muhammad Hakim, and was known as Tukhta Beg. I gave half his rank (the pay of it) to his sons. On Monday, the 17th, I went on foot on my pilgrimage to the enlightened mausoleum of the late king. If it had been possible, I would have traversed this road with my eyelashes and head. My revered father, on account of my birth, had gone on foot on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Khwaja Mu'Inu-d-dln Sanjarl Chishti, from Fathpur to Ajmir, a distance of 120 kos: if I should traverse this road with my head and eyes, what should I have done? When I was dignified with the good fortune of making this pilgrimage, I saw the building that had been erected in the cemetery. It did not come up to my idea of what it ought to be, for that would be approved which the wayfarers of the world should point to as one the like of which was not in the inhabited world. Inasmuch as at the time of erecting the aforesaid building the affair of the ill-starred Khusrau took place, I started for Lahore, and the architects had built it after a design of their own. At last a certain expenditure was made until a large sum was expended, and work went on for three or four years.
7.3.4
I ordered that experienced architects should again lay the foundations, in agreement with men of experience, in several places, on a settled plan. By degrees a lofty building was erected, and a very bright garden was arranged round the building of the shrine, and a large and lofty gateway with minarets of white stone was built. On the whole they told me the cost of this lofty edifice was 1,500,000 rupees, equivalent to 50,000 current tumans of Persia and 4,500,000 kharris, according to the currency of Turan. On Sunday, the 23rd, I went with a band of courtiers who had not seen it to look at the reservoir in the house of Hakim 'All, like one that had been made at Lahore in the time of my father. The reservoir is 6 gaz by 6 gaz. At its side has been erected a well-lighted room, the entrance to which is through the water, but the water does not get into it. Ten or twelve people could meet in it. He made an offering of some of the cash and jewels that had accumulated in his time. After looking at the room, and the entering of a number of courtiers therein, I raised him to the rank of 2,000, and returned to the palace. On Sunday, the 14th Sha'ban, the Khankhanan was honoured with a jewelled sword for the waist, a robe of honour, and a special elephant, and was given leave to go to his duty in the Deccan. Raja Suraj Singh, who was attached to him in that service, was raised to the rank of 3,000 personal and 2,000 horse.
7.3.5
As it was again represented to me that oppression was being committed by the brethren and attendants of Murtaza Khan on the ryots and people of Ahmadabad in Gujarat, and that he was unable properly to restrain his relations and people about him, I transferred the Subah from him and gave it to A'zam Khan, and it was settled that the latter should attend at court, and that his eldest son Jahangir Quli Khan should go to Gujarat as his deputy. The rank of Jahangir Quli Khan was fixed at 3,000 personal and 2,500 horse. An order was given that in company with Mohan Das diwan and Mas'ud Beg Hamazani bakhshi he should carry on the business of the province. Mohan Das was promoted to the rank of 800 with 500 horse, and Mas'ud Beg to 300 with 150 horse. Tarbiyat Khan, one of the personal servants, was given the rank of 700 with 400 horse, and Nasru-llah the same. Mihtar Khan, whose circumstances have been related, died at this time, and I promoted his son Munis Khan to the rank of 500 personal and 130 horse. On Wednesday, the 4th Zi-l-hijja, Khusrau had a son born to him by the daughter of the Khan A'zam, and I gave him the name of Buland-akhtar. On the 6th of the same month Muqarrab Khan sent a picture (with a report) that the belief of the Franks was this, that the picture was that of Timur.
7.3.6
At the time when Yildirim Bayazid was taken prisoner by his victorious army, a Nazarene, who at that time was ruler of Constantinople, had sent an ambassador with gifts and presents in token of submission and service, and an artist who had been sent with the ambassador took his likeness and brought it away. If this story were true, no better gift could be presented to me. But as the picture had no resemblance to any of his descendants I was not satisfied of the truth of the statement.