The Afghan History of Khān Jahān 3
Makhzan-i Afghání and Táríkh-i Khán-Jahán Lodí (extracts) 3
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3.1
Sultan Sikandar punishes the governor of Dehli. — His proceedings at Gwálior, Bayána, Dhúlpúr, and Mandraíl. — Foundation of Agra. — Earthquake at Agra. — Proceedings on the Chambal. — Capture of Awantgar. — Disastrous march to Agra. — (A.H. 906-913.) About the same time intelligence of the mal-administration and misconduct of Asghar, the governor of Dehli, reaching the sublime ear, Khawas Khan, governor of Machiwara, was commissioned to apprehend and transmit him to Court. But prior to the arrival of Khawas Khan, Asghar, on the 1st of Safar, 906 H. (27 August, 1500), fled from Dehli to Sambhal, to offer his submission; but by the high command of the Sultan, he was seized and thrown into prison. Khawás Khan repaired to Dehli, and leaving there his son Isma'il Khan, returned, according to orders, to Sambhal. The Sultan received him most graciously, and presented him with an honorary vest. Soon after, Sa'id Khan Sarwani, who belonged to the seditious party, came from Lahore to pay his respects. The Sultan banished him, together with Tátár Khan, Muhammad Shah, and the other disaffected chiefs, from his empire; and they accordingly took the route of Gwálior, and went off in haste to Málwá, and Gujarát.
3.2
Rájá Man, of Gwálior, sent one of his attendants, Nihal, with valuable presents to the Sultan; but when the envoy was admitted to him, he returned such coarse and improper answers to the questions put to him, that the Sultán, in a rage, uttered a threat that he would himself command an expedition against the fort (of Gwálior) and capture it. Meanwhile, the report of the death of Khán-khánán Farmulí, governor of Bayána, having reached the Sultán, he appointed the two sons of the deceased, 'Imád and Sulaimán, to succeed him; but as Bayána, owing to its strong fort and frontier situation, was the seat of sedition and tumult, they both came with their attendants to Sambhal, to consult with the Sultán about some affairs. Deeming their arrival inopportune, he appointed Khawás Khán governor of Bayána; and after some days, Safdar Khán was nominated governor of Ágra, one of its dependencies. To 'Imád and Sulaimán he gave Shamsábád, Jalesar, Manglaur, Sháhábád, and some other districts. After that, he ordered 'Álam Khán Mewattí, and Khán-khánán Lohání, jágírdár of Ráprí, in conjunction with Khawás Khán, to reduce the fort of Dhulpúr, and wrest it from the hands of Rái Mánik-deo. When these chiefs, in execution of the command, directed their route against that place, the rái came out to repel force by force, and much life was daily lost on both sides. Amongst the killed was Khwája Ben, one of the most gallant of combatants.
3.3
On account of these occurrences, Sikandar himself marched on Friday, the 6th Ramazán, 906 (March, 1501), upon Dhulpúr; but Rájá Mánik-deo, placing a garrison in the castle, retreated to Gwálior. This detachment, however, being unable to defend it, and abandoning the fort by night, it fell into the hands of the Muhammadan army. Sikandar, on entering the fort, fell down on his knees, and returned thanks to God, and celebrated his victory. The whole army was employed in plundering, and all the groves which spread their shade for seven kos around Bayána were torn up from the roots. After a residence of one month in Dholpur, the Sultán marched to Gwálior. There he left Ádam Lodi, with most of the nobles, and passing the Chambal, encamped for two months on the banks of the Asi or Mendhi, where his people fell sick, owing to the badness of the water. Rájá Mán not only delegated ambassadors for peace, but expelled from the fort Sa'íd Khán, Bábu Khán, and Rái Ganesh, who had formerly deserted the Sultán, and taken refuge with him. Besides that, he sent his eldest son, Bikramájít, to wait upon the Sultán, who bestowed upon him a robe of honour and a horse, and then allowed him to depart. From thence the Sultán returned towards Ágra; and when he reached Dholpur, he bestowed that district upon Rái Bináik-deo. Afterwards, he set out for Bayána, the seat of the empire, which he honoured with his presence, and spent there the rainy season.
3.4
In Ramazán of the year 910 (1504 A.D.), after the rising of Canopus, he raised the standard of war for the reduction of the fort of Mandráil; but the garrison capitulating, and delivering up the citadel, the Sultán ordered the temples of idols to be demolished, and mosques to be constructed. After leaving Mián Makan and Mujáhid Khán to protect the fort, he himself moved out on a plundering expedition into the surrounding country, where he butchered many people, took many prisoners, and devoted to utter destruction all the groves and habitations; and after gratifying and honouring himself by this exhibition of holy zeal, he returned to his capital Bayána. In the same year the heat of the air became so intense, that almost all the people fell grievously sick of fevers. It had for a long time occurred to the Sultán to found a town on the banks of the Jumna, which was to be the residence of the Sultán, and the head-quarters of the army, and to serve to keep the rebels of that quarter in awe, and deprive them of further opportunity of growing refractory, for frequently the jagirdárs and government servants and the peasantry in general in sarkár Bayána had complained of the violence to which they were subject. With this view, he commissioned, in the year 911 (1505 A.D.), some judicious and intelligent men to explore the banks of the river, and report upon any locality which they might consider the most eligible.
3.5
Accordingly, the exploring party left Dehli in boats, and, as they proceeded, examined carefully both sides of the river, until they arrived at the spot where Agra now stands; and having approved of it, communicated their selection to the Sultan. Upon this, he left Dehli and marched to Mathura, where he took boat, amusing himself by the way with various kinds of sport. When he approached the site indicated, he observed two elevated spots which seemed suitable for building; and inquired of Mihtar Mulla Khan, who was called 'Naik,' and commanded the royal barge, which of those two mounds appeared to him the most suitable. He replied, "That which is Agra, or in advance, is the preferable one." The Sultan smiled, and said, "The name of this city then shall be called Agra." He then repeated the fatiha, and in an auspicious moment issued orders for founding the city, when portions of mauza' Pashi and mauza' Poya, pargana Duli, sarkar Bayana, were occupied for that purpose; and the pargana of Agra was henceforward added to the fifty-two parganas which comprised the sarkar of Bayana. From that period this city continued to advance in population, and became the seat of government of the Sultans of Hind. The Sultan, after giving orders for the construction of a fort, went towards Dholpur; and on entering the fort, transferred the charge of it from Rai Binaik-deo to Malik Mu'izzu-d din, and himself returned to Agra, giving his nobles leave to retire to their respective jagirs.
3.6
On Sunday, the 3rd of Safar, 911 (July, 1505 A.D.), a violent earthquake occurred at Agra, and even the very hills quaked, and lofty buildings were thrown down. The living thought the day of judgment had arrived; the dead, the day of resurrection. No such earthquake had been known in Hindustan since the days of Adam, nor is any such recorded in the page of history. One of the able scholars of Hind has traced its date in the word "Kazi." Many people say, that on the self-same day an earthquake was felt throughout most of the provinces of Hindustan.
3.7
When the rains had passed, and some time even after the rising of Canopus, towards the close of the year 911, the Sultan went towards Gwalior. He remained a month and a half at Dhulpur, and then went to the Chambal, where he remained several months encamped near the ferry of Gaur. Having left Prince Jalal Khan and other Khans there, he himself advanced to wage the holy war and to plunder the country of the infidels. He butchered most of the people who had fled for refuge to the hills and forests, and the rest he pillaged and put in fetters. As scarcity was felt in his camp, in consequence of the non-arrival of the Banjaras, he despatched 'Azam Humayun for the purpose of bringing in supplies; but when he was on his march, he was attacked by the Raja of Gwalior in an ambuscade at Chatawar, about ten kos from that place. A bloody action followed, when Daud Khan and Ahmad Khan, the sons of Khan Jahan, displayed signal bravery; and as the Sultan's army came up from the rear to render assistance, the Rajputs were put to flight, and many were either slain or taken captive. The Sultan bestowed the title of Malik Dad upon Daud, and treated him with the greatest kindness. Afterwards, in consequence of the approach of the rainy season, he bent his steps towards Agra, after leaving some of his chief nobles at Dhulpur. At the capital he passed his time in pleasure and amusement.
3.8
In 912, after the rising of Canopus, the Sultan went towards the fort of Awantgar, and sent on 'Imad Khan Farmuli and Mujahid Khan, with several thousand cavalry and 100 elephants, to reconnoitre the place, while he himself remained behind. He conferred the office of chamberlain on Kazi 'Abdu-lla, the son of Tahir, of Kabul, a resident of the town of Thanesar, and on Shaikh 'Umar and Shaikh Ibrahim. Kálpí, after the death of Mahmúd Khán Lodí, had been bestowed upon his son Jalál Khán; but as quarrels arose between him and his brothers, they represented matters to the Sultán. Upon this, the Sultán sent Fíroz Aghwán to bring into his presence Bhíkan Khán and Ahmad Khán, the brothers of Jalál Khán, and on their arrival, they were received by him on the banks of the Chambal with royal favour and kindness. On the 23rd of the month the Sultán invested the fort, and ordered the whole army to put forth their best energies to capture it. At the time which the astrologers had declared to be propitious, he himself advanced to the attack, and the contest raged on every side. The bloodthirsty soldiers hung on the walls like so many ants or locusts, and displayed the most daring courage. All of a sudden, by the favour of God, the gale of victory blew on the standards of the Sultán, and the gate was forced open by Malik 'Aláu-d dín. After making a stout resistance, the garrison begged for quarter, but no one listened to them.
3.9
The Rájpúts, retiring within their own houses, continued the contest, and slew their families after the custom of jauhar. Meanwhile, an arrow pierced the eye of Malik 'Aláu-d dín, and blinded him. After due thanksgivings for his victory, the Sultán gave over charge of the fort to Makan and Mujáhid Khán, with directions that they should destroy the idol-temples, and raise mosques in their places; but on its being represented that Mujáhid Khán had received a bribe from the Rájá of Awantgar, on the understanding that he was to induce the Sultán to retire from that country, the Sultán, on the 16th Muharram, 913 (28th May, 1507), seized Mauláná Juman, who was in the special confidence of Mujáhid Khán, and made over the fort to Malik Táju-d dín, and directed the Kháns who were at Dhúlpur to imprison Mujáhid Khán. The Sultán returned towards Agra at the close of Muharram, 913. During this march he made a halt one day, in consequence of the narrowness and unevenness of the road, in order that the people might pass through without any scramble or precipitation; but here the whole camp was greatly distressed for want of water, and a large number of men perished from that cause, as well as from being trampled and crushed by the beasts of burden, which were all huddled together in a confused mass. A jar of water could not be procured under fifteen Sikandari tankas.
3.10
Some men died from exhaustion, and some, who had found water, quenched their thirst with such avidity that they also fell victims to their excess. When an account was rendered, it was found that 800 men had perished. On the 27th of Muharram, the Sultan reached Dhulpur, and after some days entered Agra, where he spent the season of the rains. On the rising of Canopus, he started on an expedition to Narwar, one of the dependencies of Malwa.