Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 32.3
A Translation of the Seir Mutaqherin (Haji Mustafa) 32.3
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32.3.1
As to Abool-mansoor-qhan, on the day destined for his departure, he heard that Seyd Hedaiet-aaly-qhan, my father, (in whose company I had the honor to be, being then a very young man) was coming to Feiz-abad-Aood; upon which he sent Semi-beg-qhan, his introductor, to receive him at some distance from the city. My father having embraced Semi-beg-qhan, came with him to Feiz-abad, where he paid his respects to Abool-mansoor-qhan; but as that Viceroy was going to mount, and waited only for the favourable moment, the visit was an abridged one; and my illustrious father landed at Semi-beg-qhan's house. In about an hour after, Abdol-rahim-qhan, Astrologer to the Viceroy, having seen the sun in his astrolabe, sent word that this was the favourable moment; and the Governor mounting immediately, went and took his quarters in his Pish-khana, or set of spare tents, that had been pitched for him in a camp at a short distance from the City of Feiz-abad. There he stopped a few days, and then set out for the Capital, carrying with him, not only the best part of his troops, but also his whole family. Being arrived at a particular spot upon the Ganga, between Cannodje and Mekenpoor, famous for the Monument of Sha-Medar, he stopped four days there, both to pay his respects to that venerable spot, and to throw a bridge over the river, with the boats which he always carried with him over land.
32.3.2
The bridge being ready, he first dismissed his Deputy, Radja Nevol-ray, and then bestowed the Fodjdary of Qhair-abad on my father, to which he added this compliment: "You are already fatigued by a long voyage, and I therefore leave you to take some repose; but should you not agree with Raja Nevol-ray, then you shall come to me again at the Capital." This attention was flattering; but my father, not pleased with his being put under the orders of a Deputy, desired to follow him to Court. Being in the territory of Djan-Siter, on the day ending the fast of the Ramazan, that General stopped one day to fulfil the rites of that festival, which consists in marching armed in procession to some distance in the fields, and in assisting at the Qhootbah, for which purpose he ordered a number of tents to be pitched at some distance from his camp; after this he marched on, and arrived in the territory of Shah-djehan-abad. There he was met by his own Agent at Court, Radja Latchimi-narain, and by Seyd-nessar-mohammed-qhan, the Shir-djung, a Lord of the Court, who was son to Syadet-qhan, brother to the late Saadet-qhan, and of course nearly related to Abool-mansoor-qhan. This spot was at three days' journey from the capital; and thither he proceeded in all haste. But being arrived on the bank of the Djumnah, he thought it incumbent upon him to make his appearance with some pomp and magnificence.
32.3.3
Leaving, therefore, his baggage behind, he marched on in great order, being then within sight of the Citadel. He had with him about ten thousand men of Cavalry, all well mounted, and well armed; the Hindostanies upon horses of value of their own country; the Moghuls, of whom his army mostly consisted, upon Persian horses; all stout and vigorous, all armed to advantage, all dressed in scarlet, and cutting an appearance equally pompous and formidable. This body was interspersed with a number of elephants, carrying Ambaris covered with beaten gold. The General was preceded by the elephants richly caparisoned, which carried superb ensigns, and marched slowly, surrounded by his troops. Luckily for him it had rained the whole night, and the morning proved fair and cool, when he made his appearance before the building, called the Octagonal Tower; which being richly gilt, shone in emulation of the then rising sun. The Emperor was there, although not visible. The General, on approaching the tower, alighted from his elephant, and, according to custom, made a profound bow, and stood awhile in a respectful posture. The Monarch answered his bow by sending him one of the roses then before him, with some fruit which was presented by an eunuch of the presence. The Viceroy mounted again and returned to his camp, leaving the Emperor much pleased with the show and the warlike appearance of his troops. All this was yet on the other side of the Djumna.
32.3.4
The eleventh of Shevval having been pointed out to the General as the favourable moment, he early crossed the river, on a bridge which the Emperor had ordered to be thrown over for him, and encamped on a spot on the other side, where he had pitched his camp, and where the Vezir Camer-eddin-qhan had also ordered a number of tents to be pitched for his own retinue, and a magnificent one for himself; that Minister intending to meet the Viceroy, and to bring him to Court. Sometime after the Vezir made his appearance, and having ordered a number of the Viceroy's people who had filled the tents, to withdraw, and to sit without on their Zin-poshes, he filled the largest with his own people, and took his place in it. After tarrying some moments, he came out, with a small number of persons of distinction, and advanced towards a large tent, with a very large enclosure, that embraced a spacious yard. On the Vezir's making his appearance at the gate of the enclosure, the General, who was only attended by a small number of men of distinction, amongst whom was my father, got up from his Mesned, and advanced out to meet him; and the Minister being already in the middle of the yard, they embraced each other, as is the custom in India, and took together their seats on one and the same Mesned. After half an hour's conversation, Paan and several kinds of Aturs were brought in and accepted;
32.3.5
and on the Vezir's getting up, he was presented with a number of qhoans or trays, some covered with curious and costly stuffs, and some with jewels set and unset. After which he departed, and at that very moment he received another present of elephants and horses. And as it had been agreed, that the Minister should precede him to Court, and that the General should follow close, the Vezir was yet within sight, when the General mounted, and, with a deal of pomp and magnificence, he arrived at the gate of the Imperial Palace, where in the evening he had the honour to be presented, and to make his three bows. From thence he repaired to Dara-shecooh's Palace, which had been given by the Emperor to the General's uncle and father-in-law, the famous Saadet-qhan. His army, which was considerable, continued pouring into the city the whole night, and a mighty city it must have been, indeed, where several such Princes, as Abool-mansoor-qhan, Emir-qhan, Zekeriah-qhan, and Nizam-el-mulk, could enter with their numerous armies, and as numerous attendants, without occasioning, in the houses and streets, the least appearance of throng or confusion. The citizens, who had business with those Princes, were obliged to inquire where they had landed ; but the common people knew nothing of either their being come in, or of their being gone out. My forgiven father, also, having hired the seat of Radja Baht-mul, who had been Divan of the Imperial Qhalissah, went into the city.
32.3.6
On the eighteenth of the same month, Shah-nevaz-qhan, son to Zekeriah-qhan, but who was commonly known by the name of Mirza-pahlory, under which he had acquired some character for bravery and military abilities, was in the evening admitted to the honour of paying his bows to the Emperor. A month after, but in the same year, Abed-aaly-qhan, second son to Mir-djemlah, was promoted to the office of Supreme Sadr, and honoured with a Qhylaat ; and four days after Bend-aaly-qhan, son to Ghaïret-qhan the Husseinian, who bore the same title as his maternal-grandfather, namely that of Shir-ef-ken, having been introduced by Emir-qhan, with whom he had come to Court, was graciously received, and presented with a Qhylaat of five pieces. About this time, it being a cool night of the thirteenth Shevval, the nuptials of the Imperial Prince, Ahmed-mirza, with a lady descended from Mehabet-qhan, were celebrated with a deal of magnificence. This same year, 1156, being a Friday, the twenty-fourth of Zilcaadah, a Comet, with a tail half a yard in length, made its appearance, and shone for two-and-twenty days together, beginning with the dusk of the evening, and continuing as late as midnight; it remained motionless betwixt the end of Pisces and the beginning of Aries. At the end of that time, it seemed to move between the two signs towards the south-west;
32.3.7
but then its tail assumed a pike's length, from the fifteenth of the next month of Zilhidja, and the Comet itself became of the bigness and brightness of Vesper, always increasing in magnitude and brilliancy, and inclining towards the east, when it disappeared on the last day of that same month. On the fourth of that month Sheh-saad-ollah, Divan of the musters, departed his life, as did, the next day, Mehr-perver, consort to Bahadyr-shah, and grandmother to Mahmed-shah; and they were both, according to their requests, buried close to Choodja-Cootoob-eddin's monument. This same day the Viceroyalty of Gudjrat was conferred on Fahr-ed-dowlah, brother to Roshen-ed-dowlah.