The Sixteenth New Year’s Feast after the Auspicious Accession
On Monday,[1] the 27th Rabīʿu-l-āk͟hir, A.H. 1030 (10 March, 1621), the sun that bestows bounty on the world lit up the abode of fortune of Aries with his world-illuminating light, and gladdened the world and its inhabitants. The sixteenth year of the reign of this suppliant at the throne of Allah commenced with gladness and victory, and at the auspicious hour and blessed time I sat on the throne of success in the capital of Agra. On this joy-enhancing day my fortunate son S͟hahriyār lifted up his head with the honour of the mansab of 8,000 and 4,000 horse. My revered father bestowed, for the first time, this mansab[2] on my brothers. It is hoped that in the shadow of my education and in carrying out my pleasure, he may reach the extreme of life and prosperity. On this day Bāqir K. arrayed his men and passed them before me in order. The great Bakhshis recorded (the number as) 1,000 horse and 2,000 foot, and reported to me. Having promoted him to the mansab of 2,000 personal and 1,000 horse, I entrusted the duties of faujdār of Agra to him.
On Wednesday, together with the ladies seated in a boat, I went to the Nūr-afs͟hān garden, and rested there at night. As the garden belongs to the establishment of Nūr Jahān B., on Thursday, the 4th, she held the royal[3] entertainment and presented great offerings. Of jewels, jewelled ornaments, and all sorts of precious goods, I selected what I approved of, of the value of Rs. 100,000. During these days, every day after midday I embarked in a boat, and went to Samonagar, 4 koss distant from the city, for sport, returning to the palace at night. Sending Rāja Sārang Deo to my prosperous son S͟hāh Parwīz, I sent with him a special dress of honour, with a jewelled belt, which contained a sapphire[4] and several rubies. As I had given Behar to that son in the place of Muqarrab K., I started off a sazāwul to conduct him from Allahabad to Behar. Mīr Zāhid,[5] son-in-law of Muz̤affar K., having come from Thatta, waited on me. As Mīr ʿAẓudu-d-daula[6] had become very old and decrepit, he could not carry out the duties of the camp and his jagir. I released him from the trouble of service and active work. I ordered that he should receive Rs. 4,000 every month out of the public treasury, and living at ease and in comfort at Agra or Lahore, or wherever he wished, should employ himself in prayers for my increased life and welfare.
On the 9th Farwardīn the offering of Iʿtibār K. was laid before me. Of jewels, cloths, etc., the value of Rs. 70,000, was accepted, and I returned the remainder to him. Muḥibb ʿAlī and Āqā Beg, envoys of the ruler of Persia, presented twenty-four horses, two mules, three camels, seven greyhounds (sag-i-tāzī), twenty-seven pieces (t̤āq) of brocade, a s͟hamāma[7] of ambergris, two pairs of carpets, and two namad takya[8] (woollen coverlets). Two mares with foals that my brother had sent with them were also brought before me.
On Thursday, at the request of Āṣaf K., I went to his house with the ladies. Having prepared a grand entertainment, he submitted to me many delicate gems and wonders in cloths, and rare gifts. Choosing out of these to the value of Rs. 130,000, I gave the rest to him. Mukarram K., governor of Orissa, sent by way of offering thirty-two elephants, male and female, and these had the honour of being accepted. At this time I saw a wild ass[9] (gūr-k͟har), exceedingly strange in appearance, exactly like a lion. From the tip of the nose to the end of the tail, and from the point of the ear to the top of the hoof, black markings, large or small, suitable to their position, were seen on it. Round the eyes there was an exceedingly fine black line. One might say the painter of fate, with a strange brush, had left it on the page of the world. As it was strange, some people imagined that it had been coloured. After minute inquiry into the truth, it became known that the Lord of the world was the Creator thereof. As it was a rarity, it was included among the royal gifts sent to my brother S͟hāh ʿAbbās. Bahādur K. Uzbeg had sent as an offering some tipchāq horses and cloth stuffs from ʿIrāq, and they were produced before me. Dresses of honour for the winter were sent for Ibrāhīm K. Fatḥ-jang and the Amirs of Bengal by Mūmin S͟hīrāzī. On the 15th the offering of Ṣādiq K. was produced. It was of all sorts. Having taken what was worth Rs. 15,000, I gave the remainder to him. Fāẓil K. on this day also gave an offering according to his condition. Of this a trifle was taken. On Thursday (19th Farwardīn) the feast of the culmination was held, and when two watches and one g͟haṛī of the day had passed, I took my seat on the throne. According to the request of Madār-ul-mulk Iʿtimādu-d-daula, the feast of the culmination was held in his house. He presented a remarkable offering of rare and choice things from all countries. Altogether I took the value of Rs. 138,000. On this day I gave Zambil Beg, the ambassador, a muhar[10] equal to 200 tolas in weight. At this time Ibrāhīm K. had sent some eunuchs from Bengal. One of these was a hermaphrodite. Among the offerings of the above-mentioned were two boats made in Bengal, of a very pleasant shape, on the decoration of which a sum of Rs. 10,000 had been expended. They were really kingly boats. Having made S͟haik͟h Qāsim K. governor of Allahabad, I honoured him with the title of Muḥtas͟him K. and the mansab of 5,000, and gave an order that the Diwans should give him an increase to his jagir out of the unappropriated (maḥāll-i-ghair-i-ʿamalī) estates. Rāja S͟hyām Singh, Zamindar of Srīnagar (in Garhwāl) was given a horse and an elephant.
At this time it was reported to me that Yūsuf K., s. Ḥusain K.,[11] had died in the victorious army of the Deccan a sudden death. The report said that when he was at his jagir he had become so fat that he got out of breath with the least exertion. One day when he was paying his respects to K͟hurram, in coming and going his breathing[12] became difficult. When a dress of honour was given him, in putting it on and saluting he became helpless, and a trembling affected all his limbs, and with a hundred labours and exertions he saluted and stumbled out and fell under the shelter of the tent enclosure, and became unconscious. His servants placed him in a palanquin, and took him home, and as he arrived, the messenger of death came also. He received his command, and left his heavy lump of earth in the perishable dustbin. On 1st Urdībihis͟ht, I gave a special dagger to Zambil Beg, the ambassador. On the 4th of the same month the feast of the kār-i-khair (consummation of marriage) of my son S͟hahriyār increased the joy of my heart. The Ḥinna-bandī (putting on henna) assembly took place in the palace of Maryamu-z-zamānī. The feast of the nikāḥ (marriage) was held in the house of Iʿtimādu-d-daula. I myself went there with the ladies and adorned the feast of joy. After seven gharis of night had passed, on Friday[13] the marriage took place with rejoicings. I hope that it will be propitious to this daily-increasing State. On Tuesday, the 19th, in the Nūr-afs͟hān garden, I presented my son S͟hahriyār with a jewelled chārqab (coat), with a turban and waist-belt (kamar-band), and two horses, one an ʿIrāqī, with a gold saddle, and the other a Turkī, with an embroidered saddle.
In these days S͟hāh S͟hujāʿ had an eruption so violent that water would not go down his throat, and his life was despaired of. As it had been recorded in his father’s horoscope that his son would die this year, all the astrologers were unanimous that he would not live, but Jotik Rāy said, on the contrary, that the dust of calamity would not settle on the skirt of his life. I asked: “By what proof?” He said that in the horoscope of my destiny it was recorded that in this year no distress or trouble would find its way to the royal mind from any road, and as I had a great affection for the child, it behoved that no calamity should happen to him, and some other child would die. It came to pass as he said, and he carried his life out of this deadly place, and a son that he (S͟hāh Jahān) had by the daughter of S͟hāh-nawāz K., died at Burhanpur. Besides this, many of Jotik Rāy’s judgments (aḥkām) turned out correct. This is not without strangeness, and it is therefore recorded in these memoirs. I accordingly ordered him (Jotik Rāy) to be weighed against money and the weight came to Rs. 6,500. This was given him as a reward.
Muḥammad Ḥusain Jābirī was appointed Bakhshi and newswriter of the Subah of Orissa. The mansab of Lāchīn Munajjim (astrologer) Qāqs͟hāl, at the request of Mahābat K., was fixed, original and increased, at 1,000 personal and 500 horse. Muḥammad Ḥusain, brother of K͟hwāja Jahān, came from Kāngṛa and waited on me. Having presented an elephant to Bahādur K. Uzbeg, I sent it with his Vakil. Hurmuz and Hūs͟hang, grandsons of the asylum of pardon Mīrzā Muḥammad Ḥakīm, by reason of the caution that is fitting to rulers, had been imprisoned in the fort of Gwalior. At this time, having summoned them into my presence, I ordered them to remain in Agra, and a daily allowance sufficient for their expenses was allowed for them. At this time a brahman of the name of Rūdar Bhattachāraj, who was one of the learned ones of this caste, and was engaged at Benares in teaching, had the good fortune to pay his respects to me. In truth, he has studied well, both in the rational and traditional sciences, and is perfect in his own line.
One of the strange events of this time[14] was that on 30 Farwardīn (about 10 April, 1621) in the present year, in a certain village of the pargana of Jālandhar, in the morning, a terrible noise arose from the East, such that its inhabitants, from fright at that terror-increasing sound, nearly deserted their bodies. Whilst this noise and disturbance were going on, a light fell from above on the ground, and the people thought that fire was raining down from heaven. After a moment, when that noise ceased, and their troubled hearts recovered from their bewilderment and terror, they sent a quick runner to the collector (ʿāmil) Muḥammad Saʿīd, and informed him of what had occurred. He immediately rode there himself, and went to look at the spot. For ten or twelve yards in length and breadth the land was so burnt that no trace of any grass or green was left, and there were still signs of heat and burning. He ordered them to dig up the soil, and the more they dug the greater the heat appeared to be till they came to a place where a piece of heated iron appeared. It was as hot as if it had been taken out of a furnace. After a while it became cold, and taking it up, he conveyed it to his house, and placing it in a k͟harīṭa (cover), which he sealed, he sent it to Court. I ordered them to weigh it in my presence, and it came to 160 tolas. I ordered Master (Ustād) Dāʾūd[15] to make a sword, a dagger, and a knife of it, and bring them to me. He represented that it would not stand below the hammer, and fell to pieces. I told him in that case to mix it with other iron and make use of it. As I had told him, he mixed three parts of lightning-iron and one of other iron, and having made two swords, one dagger, and one knife, brought them to me. From the mixing of other iron he had brought out its quality (watering). According to the manner of the excellent swords of Yaman[16] and the South, it could be bent, and became straight again. I ordered them to test it in my presence. It cut very well, equal to true swords. I called one the S͟hams͟hīr-i-qāt̤iʿ (keen sword) and the other Barq-siris͟ht (lightning-natured). Bī-badal K. composed a quatrain which demonstrated[17] these particulars, and recited it:
By S͟hāh Jahāngīr the world acquired order.
There fell in his reign raw iron from lightning.
From that iron were made by his world-taking command,
A dagger, a knife, and two scimitars.
And “Spark of royal lightning” gave the date (A.H. 1030).
At this time Rāja Sārang Deo, who had gone to my fortunate son S͟hāh Parwīz, came and waited on me. Parwīz represented that he, according to order, had proceeded from Allahabad to Behar. I hope he will be prosperous (there). Qāsim K. was dignified with the gift of drums. On this day one ʿAlīmu-d-dīn, a servant of K͟hurram, brought a report from him containing the good news of the victory, with a jewelled thumbstall (s͟hast, perhaps a ring), which he had sent as naẕar. I gave him leave, sending by him a dress of honour. Amīr Beg, brother of Fāẓil Beg. K., was appointed Diwan to my son S͟hahriyār and Muḥammad Ḥusain, brother of K͟hwāja Jahān, was made Bakhshi, and Maʿṣūm was appointed Mīr-Sāmān. Sayyid Ḥājī obtained leave to go as an auxiliary to the army of the Deccan, and I gave him a horse. Muz̤affar K., was also promoted to the post of Bakhshi.
As at this time the mother[18] of Imām-qulī K., the ruler of Tūrān, had sent to Nūr Jahān Begam a letter containing expressions of good will and the dues of acquaintanceship, and sent some rarities from that country. K͟hwāja Naṣīr, who was one of the old servants and one of my attendants from the time when I was a prince, was sent by way of embassy on the part of Nūr Jahān Begam with a letter, with choice gifts from this country. At the time when the ladies were staying in the Nūr-afs͟hān garden, a rang (ibex) fawn eight days old, jumped down from the terrace of the palace, which is 8 gaz in height, on to the ground, and began to leap about, no sign of injury or pain being perceptible in it.
On the 4th of the Divine month[19] of K͟hurdād, Afẓal K., K͟hurram’s Diwan brought a letter from him containing the good news of his victory, and kissed the threshold. The details are as follows: When the victorious army reached Ujain, a band of the servants of the Court, who were in the fort of Māndū, sent a report that an army of the rebels, putting forward the foot of audacity, had crossed the Narbadā, and burning several villages that were under[20] the fort, were busy with rapine and plunder. Madāru-l-mahāmm K͟hwāja Abū-l-Ḥasan, with 5,000 cavalry, were appointed to go in all haste and inflict punishment on that vain lot of people. The K͟hwāja made a night march, and at the dawn of day reached the bank of the Narbadā. When the enemy learnt this, they in one moment threw themselves into the river and reached the bank of safety. The brave cavalry galloped after them, and pursued them for nearly 4 koss,[21] and with the sword of vengeance, made many of them travellers on the road of non-existence. The ill-fated rebels did not turn back the reins of haste till they reached Burhanpur. K͟hurram wrote to Abū-l-Ḥasan to remain on that (the South) side of the river till he came. Soon he, with his army, joined this advanced force, and hastened on, march by march, till he reached Burhanpur. The graceless rebels were still keeping[22] their ground, and were encamped round the city. As the imperial servants had been contending with the rebels for two years, they had suffered much hardship from want of land (bī-jāgīrī,[23] non-possession of fiefs, landlessness) and scarcity of corn, and their horses were worn out by continued service. Accordingly, they had to delay nine days in order to recruit. During this period, thirty lakhs of rupees and many cuirasses[24] were distributed among the soldiers, and sazāwuls had been sent out and had brought many men out of the city (Burhanpur). The gallant troops had not yet put their hands to the work, when the black-fated rebels felt that they could not resist, and scattered like “the daughters of the Bier” (the stars of the constellation of the Great Bear, which are dispersed over the heavens, instead of being clustered like the Pleiades). The brave and swift cavaliers followed them, and with the sword of vengeance cast many of them upon the earth of perdition. They gave them no rest, but smiting and slaying them, pursued them as far as Khirkī, which was the residence of the Niz̤āmu-l-mulk and the other rebels. One day before this the ill-starred one (Malik ʿAmbar) had got information of the approach of the imperialists, and had removed the Niz̤āmu-l-mulk and his family and effects to the fort of Daulatābād. There he had encamped, with his back resting on the fort, while in front of him there were marshes and quagmires.[25] Most of his men became scattered in all directions. The leaders of the victorious army, with their vengeance-seeking soldiers, halted three days in the town of Khirkī, and so destroyed a city which had taken twenty years to build, that it is not known if it will regain its splendour in other twenty years. In fine, after throwing down its buildings, all agreed in opinion that as an army of rebels was still besieging Ahmadnagar, they must at once go there, and inflict condign punishment on the originators of the disturbance, renew the supplies (of the Ahmadnagar garrison), and leave assistance there, and then return. With this view they set out, and came as far as the town of Paṭan (in Berar, Jarrett II. 233). Meanwhile, the crafty ʿAmbar[26] sent agents and officers, and said: “After this I will not drop the thread of service and loyalty from my hand, nor put out my foot beyond orders, and will regard whatever tribute and fine be commanded as a favour, and will send it to the government.” It happened that just then there was great scarcity in the camp in consequence of the dearness of provisions, and also that news came that the rebel force which was besieging Ahmadnagar had withdrawn on hearing of the approach of the imperialists. Accordingly, a force was sent to help K͟hanjar K. (the governor of Fort Ahmadnagar), and a sum of money for his charges. Thereupon the imperialists were relieved from all anxiety and returned (across the Narbadā?). After much entreaty and lamentation (on the part of ʿAmbar) it was settled that in addition to the territory which of old had belonged to the empire, the rebels should surrender 14 koss of the adjoining country, and should pay into the public treasury fifty lakhs of rupees as tribute.
I gave Afẓal K. (S͟hāh Jahān’s diwan) leave to return, and sent with him, for K͟hurram, the ruby plume (kalgī-i-laʿlī) which the King of Persia had sent to me, and which has been already described, and I gave to the aforesaid (Afẓal) a dress of honour, an elephant, an inkpot, and a jewelled pen. K͟hanjar K., who, when besieged in the Fort of Ahmadnagar, had performed approved services, and shown proper activity, was promoted to the mansab of 4,000 personal and 1,000 horse.
Mukarram K., having come by order from Orissa, had, with his brothers, the good fortune to wait upon me. He presented a string of pearls by way of offering. Muz̤affaru-l-mulk, s. Bahāduru-l-mulk, was honoured with the title of Nuṣrat K. A standard was conferred on Ūdā Rām, Dakhanī, and to ʿAzīzu-llah, s. Yūsuf K., was given the mansab of 1,000 personal and 500 horse. On Thursday, the 21st, Muqarrab K. arrived from Behar, and had the good fortune to wait upon me. At this time Āqā ʿAlī, Muḥibb ʿAlī Beg, Ḥājī Beg, and Fāẓil Beg, the envoys of the ruler of Persia, who had come at different times, were allowed to depart. To Āqā Beg I made a present of a dress of honour, a jewelled dagger, and Rs. 40,000 in cash; to Muḥibb ʿAlī Beg a dress of honour and Rs. 30,000; and to the others in the same way I presented gifts according to their positions. I also sent a suitable souvenir by them to my brother. On this day Mukarram K. was appointed Subahdar of Delhi, and faujdār of Mewāt. S͟hajāʿat K. ʿArab was dignified with the mansab of 3,000 personal and 2,500 horse, original and increased; S͟harza K. with that of 2,000 and 1,000 horse; Girdhar, s. Rāy Sāl Kachhwāha, with that of 1,200 and 900 horse.
On the 29th, Qāsim Beg, an envoy of the ruler of Persia, came and waited on me, bringing a letter from that brother of lofty dignity, containing expressions of sincerity and friendship. What he had sent by way of royal gifts was laid before me. On the 1st of Tīr, I sent a special elephant called Gaj Ratan, for my son (farzand) K͟hān Jahān. Naz̤ar Beg, a servant of K͟hurram, laid before me a letter from him asking for the gift of horses. I ordered Rāja Kis͟han Dās, the mus͟hrif (accountant) to prepare within fifteen days 1,000 horses from the royal stables, and to send them off with him. I sent to K͟hurram as a present a horse of the name of Rūm-ratan[27] (“the jewel of Turkey”), which the ruler of Persia had sent me out of the spoils of the Turkish camp.
On this day a servant of Irādat K., of the name of G͟hiyās̤u-d-dīn, laid before me a report from him containing the good news of his victory. In the preceding pages there has been written with the pen of demonstration an account of the rebellion of the Zamindars of Kis͟htwār and of the despatch of Jalāl, s. Dilāwar K. As this important matter had not been properly managed by him, an order was given to Irādat K. to hasten to take up that duty, and to inflict severe punishment on the rebels, and make such arrangements in the hill-country that the dust of dispersion and calamity might not settle on its frontiers. He, as ordered, hastened there and did approved service, and the people of sedition and disturbance, having turned their heads towards the desert of exile, escaped half dead. Thus once more was the thorn of calamity and mischief rooted out of that country, and having established the officials and established posts, he returned to Kashmir. As a reward for this service I added 500 horse to his mansab.
As K͟hwāja Abū-l-Ḥasan had done good service and shown proper activity in the affair of the Deccan, I increased his mansab by 1,000 horse. Aḥmad Beg, nephew of Ibrāhīm K. Fatḥ-jang, being exalted to the Subahdarship of Orissa, was dignified with the title of K͟hān, and had given him a standard and drums. His mansab also was raised to 2,000 with 500 horse.
As I had often heard of the virtues and good qualities of Qāẓī Naṣīr of Burhanpur, my truth-seeking mind had a desire for his society. At this time he came, according to summons, to the Court. Doing honour to his learning, I paid him great regard. The Qāẓī is one of the unique of the age for rational and traditional sciences, and there are few books that he has not read, but his exterior did not agree with his interior, and I could not be delighted with his company. As I found him much devoted to being a dervish and seclusion, I respected his feelings, and did not give him the trouble of serving me. I gave him Rs. 5,000, and dismissed him to his native country to pass his days in ease.
On the 1st of the Divine month of Amurdād Bāqir K. was promoted to the mansab of 2,000 personal and 1,200 horse, and of the Amirs and royal servants who had distinguished themselves in the conquest of the Deccan, thirty-two individuals were exalted by having their mansabs raised. ʿAbdu-l-ʿAzīz K. Naqs͟hbandī, who had been appointed to the governorship of Qandahar at the request of my son K͟hān Jahān, was promoted to that of 3,000 personal and 2,000 horse. On the 1st S͟hahrīwar I gave the ambassador Zambil Beg a jewelled sword, and also presented him with a village under the jurisdiction of the capital, the revenue of which was Rs. 16,000.
At this time, knowing that he was unfit for duty on account of his bad temper and want of knowledge, I dismissed Ḥakīm Ruknā,[28] and told him he might go wherever he wished. As it was reported to me that Hūs͟hang, the brother’s son of K͟hān ʿĀlam, had committed an unjust murder, having summoned him to my presence, I investigated the charge, and after it was established, gave an order for his execution. God forbid that in such affairs I should consider princes, and far less that I should consider Amirs. I hope that the grace of God may support me in this. On 1st S͟hahrīwar, at the request of Āṣaf K., I went to his house and bathed in the bath-house that he has lately built. It is beautifully finished. After I had done bathing he laid before me offerings fit for a naẕar. I took what I approved of and gave him the rest. The Waz̤īfa (pension) of K͟hiẓr K͟hān (late ruler) of Khandesh, was fixed at Rs. 30,000,[29] original and increased.
At this time it was reported to me that a blacksmith of the name of Kalyān was much in love with a woman of his own caste, and was always laying his head at her feet, and showing symptoms of infatuation. The woman, though she was a widow, would in no way consent to accept him, and the love of this wretch who had given his heart to her made no impression on her. Having summoned both of them into my presence, I cross-examined them, and however much I advised her to unite herself to him, she did not agree. At this time the blacksmith said that if he could make sure that I would[30] give her to him, he would throw himself down from the S͟hāh-burj of the fort. I said by way of jest: “Never mind the S͟hāh-burj; if your love be genuine, fling yourself from the roof of this house, and I’ll make her submit herself to you.” I had not ended before he ran like lightning and threw himself down. When he fell, blood began to flow from his eyes and mouth. I repented myself greatly of that jest, and was grieved in my mind, and bade Āṣaf K͟hān take him to his house and look after him. As the cup of his life was brimming over, he died from the injury.