Helper and protector of the Faith of the Prophet, Dilāwar K͟hān,
Who has been chosen by the most mighty Lord (God),
Founded the Jāmiʿ mosque in the city of Dhār,
At a fortunate, auspicious time, on a day of happy omen.
The date of eight hundred and seven[64] had passed
When the Court of hopes was completed by Fortune.”
When Dilāwar K͟hān gave up the deposit of his life there was no king with full dominion over Hindustan, and it was a time of confusion. Hūs͟hang, son of Dilāwar K͟hān, who was just and possessed of courage, seeing his opportunity, sat on the throne of sovereignty in Malwa. After his death through destiny the rule was transferred[65] to Maḥmūd K͟haljī, son of K͟hān Jahān, who had been Vizier to Hūs͟hang and passed from him to his son G͟hiyās̤u-d-dīn, and after him to Nāṣiru-d-dīn, son of G͟hiyās̤u-d-dīn, who gave his father poison and sat on the throne of infamy. From him it passed to his son Maḥmūd. Sult̤ān Bahādur of Gujarat took from Maḥmūd the province of Malwa. The succession of kings of Malwa ended with the aforesaid Maḥmūd.
On Monday, the 6th, I went to hunt and shot a female nilgaw. Presenting an elephant to Mīrzā S͟harafu-d-dīn Ḥusain Kās͟hg͟harī, I dismissed him to duty in the Subah of Bangash. A present of a jewelled dagger, a muhr of 100 tolas, and 20,000 darbs was made to Ūdā Rām. On Tuesday, the 7th, I shot an alligator in the tank at Dhār. Though only the top of his snout was visible and the rest of his body was hidden in the water, I fired at a guess and hit him in his lungs and killed him with a single shot. An alligator is of the crocodile species and exists in most of the rivers of Hindustan, and grows very large. This one was not so very big. An alligator has been seen (by me) 8 gaz long and 1 gaz in breadth. On Sunday, marching 4½ kos, I halted at Saʿdalpūr. In this village there is a stream over which Nāṣiru-d-dīn K͟haljī built a bridge and erected buildings. It is a place like Kāliyāda, and both are his works. Although his building is not worthy of praise, yet as it has been built in the river-bed and they have made rivulets and reservoirs, it is somewhat remarkable. At night I ordered them to place lamps all round the canals and streams. On Mubārak-s͟hamba (Thursday), the 9th, a feast of cups was held. On this day I made a present to my son S͟hāh Jahān of a ruby of one colour, weighing 9 tanks and 5 surkh, of the value of 125,000 rupees, with two pearls. This is the ruby which had been given to my father at the time of my birth by Ḥaẓrat Maryam-makānī, mother of H.M. Akbar, by way of present when my face was shown, and was for many years in his sarpīch (turban ornament). After him I also happily wore it in my sarpich. Apart from its value and delicacy, as it had come down as of auspicious augury to the everlasting State, it was bestowed on my son. Having raised Mubāriz K͟hān to a mansab of 1,500 personal and horse, I appointed him to the faujdārship of the province of Mewāt, distinguishing him with the present of a dress of honour, a sword, and an elephant. A sword was given to Himmat K͟hān, son of Rustam K͟hān. I gave Kamāl K͟hān, the huntsman, who is one of the old servants and is always present with me on hunting expeditions, the title of S͟hikār K͟hān (hunting-K͟hān). Appointing Ūdā Rām to service in the Subah of the Deccan, I conferred on him a dress of honour, an elephant, and Iraq horses (lit. wind-footed ones), and sent with him for the Commander-in-Chief, Khankhanan, the Ātālīq, a special gilt dagger (zar-nis͟hān). On Friday, the 10th, I halted. On Saturday, the 11th, I marched 3¾ kos and halted at the village of Ḥalwat.[66] On Sunday, the 12th, marching 5 kos, I halted in the parganah[67] of Badnor. This parganah from the time of my father had been in the jagir of Kes͟ho Dās Mārū,[68] and in fact had become a kind of wat̤an (native country) to him. He had constructed gardens and buildings. Out of these one was a well (bāolī) (step-well probably) on the road, which appeared exceedingly pleasant and well made. It occurred to me that if a well had to be made anywhere on a roadside it should be built like this one. At least two such ought to be made.
On Monday, the 13th, I went to hunt and shot a blue bull. From the day on which the elephant Nūr-bak͟ht was put into the special elephant stables, there was an order that he should be tied up in the public palace (court). Among animals elephants have the greatest liking for water; they delight to go into the water, notwithstanding the winter and the coldness of the air, and if there should be no water into which they can go, they will take it from a water-bag (mas͟hk) with their trunks and pour it over their bodies. It occurred to me that however much an elephant delights in water, and it is suited to their temperament, yet in the winter the cold water must affect them. I accordingly ordered the water to be made lukewarm (as warm as milk) before they (the elephants) poured it into their trunks. On other days when they poured cold water over themselves they evidently shivered, but with warm water, on the contrary they were delighted. This usage is entirely my own.
On Tuesday, the 14th, marching 6 kos, I halted at Sīlgaṛh (Sabalgaṛh ?). On Wednesday, the 15th, crossing the Mahī River, a halt was made near Rāmgaṛh. A march of 6 kos was made on Thursday, the 16th, and a halt was made and a feast of cups held at a waterfall near the camp. Distinguishing Sar-buland K͟hān with a standard and giving him an elephant, I dismissed him to do duty in the Deccan. His mansab, original and increase, was fixed at 1,500 personal and 1,200 horse. Rāja Bhīm Narāyan, Zamindar of Gadeha, who had been promoted to the mansab of 1,000 horse, obtained leave to go to his jagir. Having raised Rāja Bharjīv, Zamindar of Baglāṇa, to the mansab of 4,000, I gave him leave to go to his native country, and an order was given that when he arrived there he should send to Court his eldest son, who was his successor, that he might do duty in my presence. I honoured Ḥājī Balūch, who was the chief of the huntsmen and was an active and old servant, with the title of Balūch K͟hān. On Friday, the 17th, marching 5 kos, I alighted at the village of Dhāvala. On Saturday, the 18th, which was the feast of Qurbān, after the Qurbān rites had been performed, marching 3¼ kos, I halted on the bank of the tank of the village of Nāgor.[69] On Sunday, the 19th, marching about 5 kos, the royal standards were erected on the bank of the tank of the village of Samriya. On Monday, the 20th, marching 4¼ kos, we alighted at the chief place of the Doḥad[70] parganah. This parganah is on the boundary between Malwa and Gujarat. Until I passed Badnor the whole country was a jungle, with an abundance of trees and stony land. On Tuesday, the 21st, I halted. On Kam-s͟hamba (Wednesday), the 22nd, marching 5¼ kos, I halted at the village of Ranyād (Renāv ?). On Thursday, the 23rd, I halted and held a feast of cups on the bank of the village tank. On Friday, the 24th, marching 2½ kos, the royal standards were hoisted at the village of Jālot. At this halt some jugglers from the Carnatic came and showed their tricks. One of them placed one end of an iron chain, 5½ gaz in length and weighing 1 seer and 2 dams,[71] in his throat and slowly swallowed it with the aid of water. It was for a while in his stomach; after this he brought it up. On Saturday, the 25th, there was a halt. On Sunday, the 26th, marching 5 kos, I alighted at the village of Nīmdah. On Monday, the 27th, also marching 5 kos, I pitched on the bank of a tank. On Tuesday, the 28th, marching 3¾ kos, the royal standards alighted near the township of Sahrā[72] on the edge of a tank. The flower of the lotus, which in the Hindi language they call kumudinī, is of three colours—white, blue, and red. I had already seen the blue and white, but had never seen the red. In this tank red flowers were seen blooming. Without doubt it is an exquisite and delightful flower, as they have said—