After completing my inspection of the fort and houses, I ordered that they should bring before me the criminals who were confined in the fort, so that I might look into the case of each of them and give an order in accordance with justice. In brief, with the exception of affairs of murder, and of any person through whose release disturbance or calamity might ensue in the country, I freed them all, and to each one in accordance with his circumstances gave his expenses and dresses[148] of honour. On the eve of Tuesday, the 4th, I returned to the royal abode after a watch and three gharis had passed. On Sunday (properly Wednesday), the 5th, having marched nearly 5 koss, I halted on Thursday, the 6th. On this day the K͟hān-k͟hānān presented his offering of jewels, ornamented vessels, cloth, and an elephant. Of these I chose whatever pleased me, and returned the rest. What was accepted of his offering was of the value of Rs. 150,000. On Friday, the 7th, I marched 5 koss. I had before this captured a sāras with a falcon, but until now I had never seen the hunting of a durnā[149] (crane). As my son S͟hāh-Jahān had great pleasure in durnā hunting with the falcon (s͟hāhīn), and his falcons were well grown, at his request I rode out early in the morning, and caught one durnā myself, whilst the falcon my son had on his wrist caught another. Certainly, of all good hunting amusements, this is the best. I was exceedingly pleased with it. Although the sāras is large, it is lazy and heavy on the wing. The chase of the durnā has no resemblance to it. I praise the heart and courage of the falcon that can seize such strong-bodied animals, and with the strength of his talons can subdue them. Ḥasan K., the chief huntsman of my son, was honoured with an elephant, a horse, and a dress of honour, as a reward for this exhibition of sport, and his son also received a horse and a dress of honour. On Saturday, the 8th, having marched 4¼ koss, I halted on Sunday, the 9th. On this day the K͟hān-k͟hānān, the Commander-in-Chief, having raised the head of dignity through the gift of a special dress of honour, a jewelled waist-sword, and a private elephant with trappings, was reappointed to Khandesh and the Deccan. The mansab of that pillar of the kingdom, original and increase, was fixed at 7,000 personal and horse. As he did not get on with Las͟hkar K., at his request I assigned to ʿĀbid K. the duty of Dīwān-i-buyūtāt,[150] and having given him the mansab of 1,000 personal and 400 horse, as well as a horse, an elephant, and a dress of honour, sent him to that Subah. On the same day K͟hān Daurān arrived from Kabul, and had the good fortune to pay his respects, and presented as naẕr 1,000 muhars and Rs. 1,000, as well as an offering of a pearl rosary, fifty horses, ten Persian male and female camels, and some hawks, and china,[151] and porcelain (?), and other things. On Monday, the 10th, I marched 3¼ koss, and on Tuesday, the 11th, 5¾ koss. On this day the K͟hān Daurān arranged his men before me, and passed in review a thousand Mug͟hal cavalry, most of whom had Turkī horses, and some ʿIrāq and some Mujannas[152] horses. Though his troopers had been mostly dispersed, some going into the service of Mahābat K. and remaining in that Subah, whilst a number left him at Lahore and went into different parts of the dominion, yet he could show this body of well-mounted men. Certainly the K͟hān Daurān for valour and generalship is one of the unique of the ages, but alas! I found he had become a decrepit old man, and his sight was very weak. He has two intelligent young sons, who are not wanting in reasonableness, but it will certainly be a great and difficult thing for them to show themselves his equals. On this day I gave him and his sons dresses of honour and swords. On Sunday, the 12th, traversing 3½ koss, I alighted on the bank of the tank of Māndū.[153] In the middle of the tank there is a stone building, and on one of the pillars the quatrain of someone had been engraved. I saw it, and was amazed. In truth, it is a fine verse:
“My congenial friends have left me:
One by one they’ve fallen into the hands of death.
They were poor drinkers at the banquet of life.
A moment sooner than us they became drunken.”[154]
At this time I also heard another quatrain of the same description, which I have recorded because it was very well said:
“Alas! that people of intelligence and wisdom have passed away.
They have been forgotten in the minds of their contemporaries.
Those who spoke with a hundred tongues
Ah! what heard they that they became silent.”