Muntakhab al-lubab 29: Dara Shukoh.
Muntakhabu-l Lubáb, of Kháfí Khán (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 29
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Dara Shukoh.
29.1
[vol. ii. p. 80.] The sad circumstances of the remainder of Dara Shukoh's career must now be related. On leaving the mountains of Ajmir, he proceeded with his wife, daughter, some jewels, a little money, and a few domestic servants, towards Ahmadabad. The rest of his treasure, goods, and necessary baggage, with some female servants, borne by twelve elephants and horses, he left behind in charge of servants, some of them old, some new, in the company and under the superintendence of some trusty eunuchs, with orders to follow as quickly as possible. When this party had marched four or five kos, all the servants began to plunder the property, and struggling and fighting with each other, every man seized what he could lay hands on. The baggage was taken from the backs of the elephants and placed on camels, and the women were stripped of their jewels and taken off the camels to be mounted on the elephants; then the plunderers, with camels and horses laden with money and articles of great value, made off for the desert. The eunuchs were unable to prevent the proceedings of their escort. In great distress, and in dread of the pursuit of the victorious troops, they were intent upon preserving their own honour and that of their master; so they led off the women on the elephants, and pursuing all night the track of Dara through the desert, after a night and a day they overtook him.
29.2
That forlorn fugitive, in sore distress, without baggage, and despoiled by plunderers, wandered on through the desert. In eight days' time he approached Ahmadabad. But the officials of the city * * proclaimed Aurangzeb, and took measures to prevent Dara from entering. The fugitive perceived that ill-fortune everywhere awaited him. He gave up all hope of getting possession of the city, and went to Kari, two kos from Ahmadabad. There he sought assistance from Kanji Koli, one of the most notorious rebels and robbers of that country. Kanji joined him, and conducted him through Gujarat to the confines of Kachh. Here he was joined by Gul Muhammad, whom he had made governor of Surat and Broach, and who brought with him fifty horse and two hundred matchlockmen. The zamindar of Kachh, when Dara lately passed through the country, entertained him, treated him with every respect, and affianced a daughter in marriage to his son, all in expectation of future advantage. Dara, in his distress, now looked to him for assistance; but he heeded not, and did not even show the courtesy of a visit. After two days spent in fruitless efforts to soften the zamindar, Dara, with tearful eyes and burning heart, resolved to proceed to Bhakkar.
29.3
On reaching the frontier of Sind, Firoz Mewati, who had hitherto accompanied the unfortunate Prince, seeing how his evil fate still clung to him, abandoned the ill-starred fugitive, and went off to Dehli. Dara, in a bewildered condition, proceeded towards the country of Jawiyan; but the dwellers in the deserts of that country closed the roads with the intention of making him prisoner. With some fighting and trouble he escaped from these people, and made his way into the country of the Makashis. Mirza Makashi, the chief of the tribe, came forth to meet him, took him home with great kindness, and entertained him. After this he proposed to send him towards Iran, under an escort which was to conduct him to Kandahar, twelve marches distant from where he was, and he strongly advised the adoption of this course. But Dara could not give up his futile hopes of recovering his throne and crown, and resolved to go to Malik Jiwan, zamíndár of Dhandar, who had long been bound to him by acts of generosity, and sent to assure him of his devotion and fidelity.
29.4
When Dara reached the land of this evil zamíndár, Malik Jiwan came out like the destroying angel to meet him. As a guest-murdering host he conducted Dara home, and exerted himself to entertain him. During the two or three days that Dara remained here, his wife, Nadira Begam, daughter of Parwez, died of dysentery and vexation. Mountain after mountain of trouble thus pressed upon the heart of Dara, grief was added to grief, sorrow to sorrow, so that his mind no longer retained its equilibrium. Without considering the consequences, he sent her corpse to Lahore in charge of Gul Muhammad, to be buried there. He thus parted from one who had been faithful to him through his darkest troubles. He himself remained, attended only by a few domestic servants and useless eunuchs. After performing the ceremonies of mourning, Dara determined to set out the next morning under the escort of Malik Jiwan for Íran, by way of Kandahar. Jiwan apparently was ready to accompany him to Íran; but he had inwardly resolved to forward his own interests by trampling under foot all claims of gratitude, and of making the wretched fugitive prisoner. So he formed his plan. He accompanied his guest for some kos. Then he represented that it was necessary for him to return, in order to procure some further provisions for the journey, which he would collect, and would overtake Dara after two or three days' march.
29.5
Accordingly he went back, leaving his brother with a party of the ruffians and robbers of the country to attend Dara. This man suddenly fell upon his victim and made him prisoner, without giving him a chance of resistance. Then he carried him back with Sipihr Shukoh and his companions to the perfidious host, and kept him under guard in the place appointed. Malik Jiwan wrote an account of this good service to Rája Jai Singh and Bahádur Khán, who had been sent from Ajmír in pursuit of Dárá, and he also wrote to Bákir Khán, governor of Bhakkar. Bákir Khán instantly sent off Malik Jiwan's letter express to Aurangzeb. Upon the arrival of Bákir Khán's despatch, Aurangzeb communicated the fact to his private councillors, but did not make it public until the arrival of a letter from Bahádur Khán confirming the news. At the end of the month of Shawwál it was published by beat of drum. The public voice spoke with condemnation and abhorrence of Malik Jiwan; but a robe and a mansab of 1000, with 200 horse, were conferred upon him. It was now ascertained that Sulaimán Shukoh had sought refuge with the zamíndár of Srinagar. Rája Rúprúp was therefore directed to write to the zamíndár, and advise him to consult his own interest and bring Sulaimán out of his territory; if not, he must suffer the consequences of the royal anger.
29.6
In the middle of Zí-l hijja, Bahádur Khán brought Dárá Shukoh and his son Sipihr Shukoh to the Emperor, who gave orders that both father and son should be carried into the city chained and seated on an elephant, and thus be exposed to the people in the Chándní chauk and the bázár, after which they were to be carried to Khizrábád in old Dehlí, and there confined. Bahádur Khán, after giving up his prisoner, received great rewards and marks of favour.
29.7
Two days afterwards Malik Jiwan, who had received the title of Bakhtiyár Khán, entered the city, and was passing through the streets of the bázár. The idlers, the partisans of Dárá Shukoh, the workmen and people of all sorts, inciting each other, gathered into a mob, and, assailing Jiwan and his companions with abuse and imprecations, they pelted them with dirt and filth, and clods and stones, so that several persons were knocked down and killed, and many were wounded. Jiwan was protected by shields held over his head, and he at length made his way through the crowd to the palace. They say that the disturbance on this day was so great that it bordered on rebellion. If the kotwál had not come forward with his policemen, not one of Malik Jiwan's followers would have escaped with life. Ashes and pots full of urine and ordure were thrown down from the roofs of the houses upon the heads of the Afghans, and many of the bystanders were injured. Next day the kotwál made an investigation, and it was ascertained that an ahadi (guardsman) named Haibat had taken a leading part in the disturbance. He was condemned by a legal decision, and was executed.
29.8
At the end of Zi-l hijja, 1069 (Sept. 1659), the order was given for Dara Shukoh to be put to death under a legal opinion of the lawyers, because he had apostatized from the law, had vilified religion, and had allied himself with heresy and infidelity. After he was slain, his body was placed on a hauda and carried round the city. So once alive and once dead he was exposed to the eyes of all men, and many wept over his fate. He was buried in the tomb of Humáyún. Sipihr Shukoh was ordered to be imprisoned in the fortress of Gwálior.