Maʾathir-i Jahangiri 1
Ma-ásir-i Jahángírí, of Kámgár Khán (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 1
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1.1
When the King of Kings (Jahangir) was residing in the city of Allahabad, before he succeeded to the throne, a body of seditious and turbulent people, who had the privilege of addressing the Emperor Akbar in his paradisaical Court, were in the habit of spreading false reports openly and clandestinely against that ornament of the crown the Prince Salim. Sometimes they represented that he had conferred upon his servants the titles of Khan and Sultan, and at other times they said that he had ordered coins to be struck in his name. By such misrepresentations they every day attempted to excite the alarm of the Emperor, who, being endowed with a very enlightened and noble mind, was but little affected by their insinuations. In truth, in the relation of father and son, there were those ties of love and affection between the Emperor and the Prince which existed between Jacob and his son Joseph. One of the events of those days was the murder of Shaikh Abu-l Fazl, who, by his superior wisdom and vast learning, was the most distinguished of all the Shaikhs of Hindustan. The following is a detailed account of this event. The Shaikh, intoxicated by the wine of fortune, and vain of the influence he had obtained over the Emperor’s mind, had lost his senses, and having suffered the thread of wisdom and the knowledge of self to drop from his hands, had become proud of his position, and acted with rancour and animosity against his master’s son.
1.2
He often said to the Emperor, both publicly and privately, that he knew none but His Majesty, and would never entreat or flatter any person, not even the eldest Prince. He had well assured the Emperor of the firmness of his sentiments in this particular. In those days, when the Prince was at Allahabad, some designing people constantly made statements which excited the displeasure of the Emperor against him. If at any time any of the nobles of the Court advanced any excuses, or volunteered any defence in behalf of the Prince, His Majesty would consider that they said it through ill-will towards himself, or too much partiality towards the Prince. But in defiance of all that he heard, he considered that the Shaikh was his friend, and that he was also cordially disposed towards the Prince. A farmán was therefore sent to him, ordering him to leave his son with the army he had under his command in the Dakhin, and to come alone and unattended to the Court. When this news reached the Prince, that master of prudence and scholar of the supreme wisdom at once reflected, that if the Shaikh should ever arrive at Court, he would certainly estrange His Majesty’s mind from the Prince by his misrepresentations. He reflected also that he would never be able to find his way to Court, so long as the Shaikh should remain there, and that he would necessarily be excluded from the enjoyment of that consummate happiness.
1.3
Under these circumstances, it was expedient to take measures to arrest the evil before it could occur. Finding that the only remedy depended entirely upon the Shaikh’s destruction, he called Raja Bir Singh Deo, son of Raja Budhkar, whose territory lay on the road which the Shaikh must take, and who was one of the servants of the throne, and told him that the Shaikh was about to proceed unattended to the Court, and that if he would put an end to his existence, he should obtain great rewards and favours. The Rajá willingly undertook the task, and hastily marched in that direction. Assisted by the divine power, he soon waylaid the Shaikh, while he was passing through his territory. After a short skirmish, the Shaikh’s attendants were dispersed, and he himself was slain. His head was sent to Allahabad by a confidential servant, who communicated all that had transpired. Great fear and consternation prevailed in men’s minds in consequence of this transaction, and as for the Emperor, although it excited his highest indignation, yet the deed done by Nar Singh Deo enabled the Prince to visit his father without any apprehension, and in a short time His Majesty’s sorrow wore off, and he received the Prince with kindness. * * *