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The Memoirs of Jahāngīr (Jahāngīrnāma) 9.2

The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī (Rogers, Beveridge) 9.2

Language
English

9.2.1

On Friday, the 21st, Kishwar Khan, who held the rank of 1,500, was promoted to 2,000 personal and horse, and, having been presented with an Iraq horse out of my private stable, a robe of honour and a private elephant, named Bakht-jit, and the Faujdarship of the country of Uch, was dismissed with a view to the punishment of the rebels of that region. Bayazid Mankali, having been honoured with a robe and a horse, was sent off together with his brothers in the company of Kishwar Khan. An elephant from my private stud, by name 'Alam-guman, was entrusted to Habibu-llah for Raja Man Singh and sent. A special horse was sent to Bengal for Kesho Das Maru, and a female elephant was now given to 'Arab Khan, the jagirdar of Jalalabad. At this time Iftikhar Khan had sent an offering of a rare elephant from Bengal. As I approved of it, it was entered among my private elephants. I raised the rank of Ahmad Beg Khan, who had been nominated to the command of the army of Bangash on account of his good service and that of his sons, from his original rank of 2,000 personal and 1,500 horse by 500 more personal. I sent a gold throne of jewelled work for Parwiz, and a sarpīch, which was of rubies and pearls, and made at a cost of 2,000 rupees, was sent for Khan Jahan by the hand of Habīb, son of Sarbarah Khan, to Burhanpur.

9.2.2

At this time it became known that Kaukab, son of Qamar Khan, had become intimate with a Sanyasi, and by degrees his words, which were all blasphemous and impious, made an impression on that foolish fellow. He had made 'Abdu-l-Latīf, son of Naqīb Khan, and Sharif, his cousins, partners in that error. When this affair was discovered, with only a slight frightening they revealed certain circumstances with regard to themselves, the relation of which would be extremely disgusting. Considering their punishment advisable, I imprisoned Kaukab and Sharif after giving them a whipping, and ordered 'Abdu-l-Latīf a hundred lashes in my presence. This special chastisement (was given) for the purpose of carrying out the Divine law in order that other ignorant persons might not be disposed towards the same actions. On Monday, the 24th, Mu'azzam Khan was despatched to Delhi to punish the rebels and disaffected of that neighbourhood. Two thousand rupees were given to Shaja'at Khan Dakhanī. I had ordered Shaikh Husain Darshanī to proceed with certain firmans to Bengal and presents to each of the Amirs of that Subah. I now gave him his orders and despatched him. With an eye on his actions and his approved services, I promoted Islam Khan to the rank of 5,000 personal and horse, and bestowed on him a special dress of honour.

9.2.3

I gave a special dress of honour also to Kishwar Khan, and presented Raja Kalyan with an Iraq horse, and similarly to the other Amirs there were given robes of honour or horses. Faridun Barlas, who held the rank of 1,500 personal and 1,300 horse, I promoted to 2,000 personal and 1,500 horse. On the night of Monday, the 1st Safar, through the carelessness of the servants, a great fire occurred in the house of Khwaja Abu-l-hasan, and before they became aware of it and the fire could be put out many of his properties were burnt. In order to afford consolation to the mind of the Khwaja and to make up for the loss he had sustained, I gave him 40,000 rupees. On Saif Khan Barha, who had been cherished and brought up by me, I bestowed a standard. I increased the rank of Mu'izzu-l-mulk, who had been appointed to the Diwanship of Kabul, from his original of 1,000 personal and 225 horse by 200 personal and 275 horse, and dismissed him. The next day I sent a phul-katara (dagger) studded with valuable jewels to Burhanpur to Khan Jahan.

9.2.4

A widow woman complained that Muqarrab Khan had taken her daughter by force in the port of Cambay, and after some while, during which he had kept her in his own house, when she enquired for the girl had said that she had died by an unavoidable death. I ordered an enquiry to be made into the affair. After much search I discovered that one of his attendants had been guilty of this outrage, and had him put to death, and reduced Muqarrab Khan's mansab by one half, and made an allowance to the woman who had been thus injured. As on Sunday, the 7th of the month, a qiran-i-nahsin (an unlucky conjunction) had occurred, I gave alms of gold and silver and other metals, and different kinds of cereals, to faqirs and indigent people to be divided in most parts of the dominion. On the night of Monday, the 8th, having sent for Shaikh Husain Sirhindi and Shaikh Mustafa, who were celebrated for the adoption of the ways of dervishdom and the state of poverty, a party was held, and by degrees the assembly engaged warmly in sama' and wajd (dervish dancing and ecstasy). Hilarity and frenzy were not wanting. After the meeting was over I gave money to each and gave him leave. As Mirza Ghazi Beg Tarkhan repeatedly made representations with regard to provisions for Qandahar and the monthly pay of the musketeers of the said fort, I ordered 200,000 rupees to be sent there from the treasury of Lahore.

9.2.5

On the 19th Urdibihisht, in the fifth year of my reign, corresponding with the 4th Safar, there occurred a strange affair at Patna, which is the seat of government of the province of Behar. Afzal Khan, the governor of the Subah, went off to the jagir to which he had just been appointed, and which was at a distance of 60 kos from Patna, and handed over the fort and the city to the charge of Shaikh Banarasi and Ghiyas Zain-khani, the Diwan of the Subah, and to a number of other mansabdars. With the idea that there were no enemies in that region he did not satisfy himself as he should have with regard to the protection of the fort and city. By chance, at that time an unknown man of the name of Qutb belonging to the people of Uch, who was a mischievous and seditious fellow, came to the province of Ujjainiyya, which is in the neighbourhood of Patna, with the look of a dervish and the clothes of a beggar, and having made acquaintance with men of that part, who were always seditious, represented to them that he was Khusrau, who had escaped from prison and conveyed himself there; saying that if they would accompany and assist him, after the affair had been completed they would be the ministers of his State. In short, deceiving those simpletons with foolish words he brought them over to him and persuaded them that he was Khusrau.

9.2.6

He showed those deceived ones the parts about his eyes, where at some time he had produced scars, of which the marks were still apparent, and told them that in the prison they had fastened cups (katori) on them and those were the marks. Through these falsehoods and deceit a number of foot- and horsemen had collected round him, and had obtained information that Afzal Khan was not at Patna. Considering this a great opportunity, they made a raid, and when two or three hours of the day had passed on Sunday came to the city, and being hindered by nothing went for the fort. Shaikh Banarasi, who was in the fort, obtaining news of this, went in a disturbed state to the gate of the fort. The enemy, who came on with speed, did not give him time to close the gate of the fort. Together with Ghiyas, he betook himself to the side of the river by a wicket gate, and procuring a boat proposed to go to Afzal Khan. Those rebels came with ease into the fort and took possession of Afzal Khan's property and the royal treasury; and some of those wretched creatures who wait on events, who were in the city and its neighbourhood, joined them. This news reached Afzal Khan at Gorakhpur (Kharakpur), and Shaikh Banarasi and Ghiyas also came to him there by way of the river. Letters came from the city that this wretch, who called himself Khusrau, was in reality not Khusrau.

9.2.7

Afzal Khan, placing his trust on the grace and mercy of Allah, and through my good fortune, started without delay against those rebels. In five days he reached the neighbourhood of Patna. When the news of Afzal Khan's coming reached those scoundrels, they entrusted the fort to one of those whom they had confidence in, and the horse and foot arraying themselves went out for four kos to meet Afzal Khan. A fight took place on the bank of the river Pun Pun, and after a slight skirmish the array of those ill-fated ones was broken and they became scattered. In great bewilderment a second time that wretch was coming into the fort with a few men. Afzal Khan followed him, and did not allow them to close the gate of the fort. Going to Afzal Khan's house in a state of confusion, they fortified the house and remained there for three watches, and fought. They wounded about thirty people with arrows. After his companions had gone to jahannam (hell) he himself became helpless, and asked for quarter, and waited upon Afzal Khan. In order to put a stop to this affair, Afzal Khan executed him on the same day, and imprisoned some of his companions who had fallen alive into his hand. These items of news one after another reached the royal ear.

9.2.8

I summoned to Agra Shaikh Banarasi and Ghiyas Zain-khani and the other mansabdars who had made default in holding the fort and protecting the city, and ordered their hair and beards to be cut off, and that they should be clothed in women's clothes, seated on asses, and paraded round the city of Agra and in the bazars, as a warning and example to others.