(m. Envoys sent to the court in Dihlī.)
(March 3rd) People were always saying, “It could do no harm to send an envoy, for peace’ sake, to countries that once depended on the Turk.” Accordingly on Thursday the 1st of Rabī‘u’l-awwal, Mullā Murshid was appointed to go to Sl. Ibrāhīm who through the death of his father Sl. Iskandar had attained to rule in Hindūstān some 5 or 6 months earlier(?). I sent him a goshawk (qārchīgha) and asked for the countries which from of old had depended on the Turk. Mullā Murshid was given charge of writings (khāt̤t̤lār) for Daulat Khān (Yūsuf-khail) and writings for Sl. Ibrāhīm; matters were sent also by word-of-mouth; and he was given leave to go. Far from sense and wisdom, shut off from judgment and counsel must people in Hindūstān be, the Afghāns above all; for they could not move and make stand like a foe, nor did they know ways and rules of friendliness.Fol. 227. Daulat Khān kept my man several days in Lāhūr without seeing him himself or speeding him on to Sl. Ibrāhīm; and he came back to Kābul a few months later without bringing a reply.
(n. Birth of Hind-āl.)
(March 4th) On Friday the 2nd of the month, the foot-soldiers Shaibak and Darwesh-i-‘alī,—he is now a matchlockman,—bringing dutiful letters from Kābul, brought news also of Hind-āl’s birth. As the news came during the expedition into Hindūstān, I took it as an omen, and gave the name Hind-āl (Taking of Hind). Dutiful letters came also from Muḥammad-i-zamān M. in Balkh, by the hand of Qaṃbar Beg.
(March 5th) Next morning when the Court rose, we rode out for an excursion, entered a boat and there drank ‘araq.[1416] The people of the party were Khwāja Dost-khāwand, Khusrau, Mīrīm, Mīrzā Qulī, Muḥammadī, Aḥmadī, Gadāī, Na‘man, Langar Khān, Rauh-dam,[1417] Qāsim-i-‘alī the opium-eater (tariyākī), Yūsuf-i-‘alī and Tīngrī-qulī. Towards the head of the boat there was a tālār[1418] on the flat top of which I sat with a few people, a few others sitting below. There was a sitting-place also at the tail of the boat; there Muḥammadī, Gadāī and Na‘man sat. ‘Araq was drunk till the Other Prayer when, disgusted by its bad flavour, by consent of those at the head of the boat, ma’jūn was preferred. Fol. 227b.Those at the other end, knowing nothing about our ma’jūn drank ‘araq right through. At the Bed-time Prayer we rode from the boat and got into camp late. Thinking I had been drinking ‘araq Muḥammadī and Gadāī had said to one another, “Let’s do befitting service,” lifted a pitcher of ‘araq up to one another in turn on their horses, and came in saying with wonderful joviality and heartiness and speaking together, “Through this dark night have we come carrying this pitcher in turns!” Later on when they knew that the party was (now) meant to be otherwise and the hilarity to differ, that is to say, that [there would be that] of the ma’jūn band and that of the drinkers, they were much disturbed because never does a ma’jūn party go well with a drinking-party. Said I, “Don’t upset the party! Let those who wish to drink ‘araq, drink ‘araq; let those who wish to eat ma’jūn, eat ma’jūn. Let no-one on either side make talk or allusion to the other.” Some drank ‘araq, some ate ma’jūn, and for a time the party went on quite politely. Bābā Jān the qabūz-player had not been of our party (in the boat); we invited him when we reached the tents. He asked to drink ‘araq. We invited Tardī Muḥammad Qībchāq also and made him a comrade of the drinkers. A ma’jūn party never goes well with an ‘araq or a wine-party; the drinkers began to make wild talk and chatter from all sides, mostly in allusion to ma’jūn and ma’jūnīs. Bābā Jān even, when drunk, said many wild things. The drinkers soon made Tardī Khān mad-drunk, by giving him one full bowl after another. Try as we did Fol. 228.to keep things straight, nothing went well; there was much disgusting uproar; the party became intolerable and was broken up.
(March 7th) On Monday the 5th of the month, the country of Bhīra was given to Hindū Beg.
(March 8th) On Tuesday the Chīn-āb country was bestowed on Ḥusain Aīkrak(?) and leave was given to him and the Chīn-āb people to set out. At this time Sayyid ‘Alī Khān’s son Minūchihr Khān, having let us know (his intention), came and waited on me. He had started from Hindūstān by the upper road, had met in with Tātār Khān Kakar;[1419] Tātār Khān had not let him pass on, but had kept him, made him a son-in-law by giving him his own daughter, and had detained him for some time.
(o. The Kakars.)
In amongst the mountains of Nīl-āb and Bhīra which connect with those of Kashmīr, there are, besides the Jūd and Janjūha tribes, many Jats, Gujūrs, and others akin to them, seated in villages everywhere on every rising-ground. These are governed by headmen of the Kakar tribes, a headship like that over the Jūd and Janjūha. At this time (925 AH.) the headmen of the people of those hill-skirts were Tātār Kakar and Hātī Kakar, two descendants of one forefather; being paternal-uncles’ sons.[1420] Torrent-beds and ravines are their strongholds. Tātār’s place, named Parhāla,[1421] is a good deal below the snow-mountains; Hātī’s country connects with the mountains and also he had made Bābū Khān’s fief Kālanjar,[1422] look towards himself. TātārFol. 228b. Kakar had seen Daulat Khān (Yūsuf-khail) and looked to him with complete obedience. Hātī had not seen Daulat Khān; his attitude towards him was bad and turbulent. At the word of the Hindūstān begs and in agreement with them, Tātār had so posted himself as to blockade Hātī from a distance. Just when we were in Bhīra, Hātī moved on pretext of hunting, fell unexpectedly on Tātār, killed him, and took his country, his wives and his having (būlghāni).[1423]