At this auspicious time[178] when the standards of victory and conquest were in Kashmir, the province of eternal spring, happily employed in sight-seeing and sport, representations constantly came from the officials in the Southern territories to the effect that when the victorious standards went to a distance from the centre of the Khalifate, the rulers of the Deccan, owing to their wickedness, broke their promises and raised their heads by giving trouble and exciting sedition, and placing their feet beyond their own boundary, took possession of many of the districts of Ahmadnagar and Berar. It was constantly reported that the chief object of these evil-fortuned ones was to plunder and ruin the cultivated fields and the grazing-lands. When at the first time the world-opening standards had proceeded to the conquest of the regions of the south and the overthrow of that band, and K͟hurram, with the vanguard, had gone to Burhanpur, they, by feline tricks suitable to such seditious people, made him their intercessor and evacuated the royal dominions. They also sent by way of tribute large sums in cash and goods, and promised that they would not let loose from their hands the rope of service, and would not place their feet beyond the boundary of respect, as has been recorded in the preceding pages. At the request of K͟hurram, I had halted for a few days at the Fort of S͟hādīʾābād Māndū, and at his intercession, and on their humiliation and bewailing, they were pardoned.
As they had now broken their agreement through evil disposition and quarrelsomeness, and had turned back from the way of obedience and service, I sent off the hosts of good fortune again under his leadership, that they might receive retribution for their evil deeds, and be an example to all those of crooked fortune and turned heads. But as the important business of Kāngṛa had been entrusted to him, he had sent most of his experienced men there. For some days, accordingly, he could not arrange the matter. At last, report followed on report one after another, that the enemy had gathered strength, and that nearly 60,000 vagabond horsemen had collected together and taken possession of royal territory, and wherever there were posts, had removed them, and joined together in the town of Mahakar. For three months the imperialists had passed their days in strife and fighting with their rascally enemies, and during this time three pitched battles had taken place, and each time the self-sacrificing servants (of the State) had proved superior to the evil-fortuned rebels. As grain and provisions could not reach the camp by any road, and the enemy was plundering on all sides of the army of good fortune, a great scarcity of grain resulted, and the animals were in bad plight. Having no choice, they came down from the Bālāg͟hāt, and took up their position at Bālāpūr. The rebels, waxing valiant in their pursuit, engaged in plundering in the neighbourhood of Bālāpūr. Of the servants of the Court 6,000 or 7,000 horsemen, well mounted, were selected, and they made an attack on the enemy’s camp. They (the enemy) numbered about 60,000 cavalry. Briefly, a great fight took place, and their camp was plundered. Having killed and taken prisoners many of them, they returned in safety and with plunder. When they turned back those wretches again attacked them from all sides, and they came on, fighting as far as the camp. On both sides about 1,000 were killed. After this fight they (the imperialists) remained about four months at Bālāpūr. When the scarcity of grain became excessive, many of the qulaqchīs (servants) ran away and joined the enemy, and constantly bands of them, taking to the road of disloyalty, were enrolled among the rebels. On this account, not considering it advisable to delay any longer, they (the imperialists) came to Burhanpur. Again, those wretches followed them and besieged Burhanpur, and they were six months shut up there. Many parganas of the provinces of Berar and Khandesh passed into their possession, and they stretched out the hand of oppression over the cultivators and poor, and engaged in collecting the revenues. As the army had undergone great hardships and the animals had fallen into bad condition, they could not leave the city to inflict substantial punishment. Thus the pride and conceit of those short-sighted ones became greater. Just at this time the royal standards returned to the capital, and by the grace of God Kāngṛa was conquered.
Accordingly, on Friday, the 4th of Dai, I despatched K͟hurram in that direction, bestowing on him a dress of honour, a sword, and an elephant. Nūr Jahān Begam also gave him an elephant. I told him after he had conquered the province of the Deccan he should take as a reward two[179] crores of dams from the conquered country. 650 mansabdars, 1,000 Aḥadīs, 1,000 Turkish musketeers, and 1,000[180] gunners on foot, in addition to the 31,000 horse already in that quarter, and a large force of artillery, and many elephants, were appointed to accompany him. I also gave him a crore of rupees for the expenses of the victorious army. The servants (of the Court) who were appointed on this duty received each, according to his standing as a reward, horses, elephants, and dresses of honour.
At the same auspicious hour and favourable time, the standards of the expedition were turned toward Agra, and a halt was made at Naus͟hahr.[181] Muḥammad Riẓā Jābirī was appointed Diwan to Bengal, and K͟hwāja Mulkī to the post of Bakhshi in the same, and were promoted in mansab. Jagat Singh, s. Rānā Karan, came from his native place, and had the good fortune to kiss the threshold. On the 6th of the same month the open space on the bank of Rāja Todar Mal’s tank[182] became the alighting place of the Court of good fortune. Here I halted for four days. On this day some of the mansabdars who had obtained leave to go to the conquest of the Deccan were promoted as follows: Zāhid K. held the mansab of 1,000 and 400 horse; he received that of 1,000 and 500 horse; Hardī Narāyan Hāḍā I promoted to 900 and 600 horse, original and increased; Yaʿqūb, s. K͟hān Daurān, was given that of 800 and 400 horse, and in the same manner a great number of the servants of the State received increase of mansab according to their capabilities. Muʿtamid K. was appointed to the post of Bakhshi and newswriter to the royal army, and was honoured with a tūg͟h. The offering of Lachmī Chand, Raja of Kumaon, consisting of hawks and falcons and other hunting animals, was brought before me. Jagat Singh, s. Rānā Karan, obtained leave to proceed as an auxiliary to the army of the Deccan, being presented with a private horse and saddle. Rāja Rūp Chand, having been honoured with the gift of an elephant and a horse, took leave to go to his jagir. On the 12th my son K͟hān Jahān (Lodī) was made governor of Multan, and was given leave. There were conferred on him a complete dress together with a nādirī (a robe of Jahāngīr’s invention), a jewelled dagger, a special elephant with trappings, a female elephant, a special horse of the name of K͟hadang (i.e., Arrow), and a pair of hawks. Sayyid Hizabr K. held the mansab of 1,000 and 400 horse. Increasing these by 500 and 200 horse, I gave him leave to accompany K͟hān Jahān. Muḥammad S͟hafīʿ was appointed Bakhshi and newswriter to the Subah of Multan. Bhawāl (or Bahwāl), who was one of the old servants, was made As͟hraf-i-tūp-k͟hāna (head of the artillery?), and received the title of Rāy. On the 13th the bank of the river Gobindwāl became the camp of the army of prosperity, and a halt of four days was made. A special elephant called Jai Singh, with a female, were given to Mahābat K., and sent to him by Ṣafiyyā his servant. Robes of honour were also forwarded to the Amirs of the Subah of Bangash by ʿIsā Beg.
On the 17th[183] the feast of my lunar weighing took place. As Muʿtamid K. had been appointed Bakhshi to the army of the Deccan and given leave, the post of ʿArẓ-muqarrir was given to K͟hwāja Qāsim. Mīr S͟haraf was made Bakhshi of the Aḥadīs, and Fāẓil Beg made Bakhshi of the Panjab. As Bahādur K., governor of Qandahar, in consequence of a disease in his eyes, had requested to be allowed to kiss the threshold, entrusting the government of Qandahar this day to ʿAbdu-l-ʿAzīz K., an order was issued to Bahādur K., that when he arrived he should hand over the fort to him and come himself to Court. On the 21st of the same month I took up my quarters at Nūr-sarāy.[184] At this spot the Vakils of Nūr Jahān Begam had built a lofty house, and made a royal garden. It was now completed. On this account the Begam, having begged for an entertainment, prepared a grand feast, and by way of offering, with great pains produced all kinds of delicate and rare things. In order to please her, I took what I approved. I halted two days at this place. It was settled that the officials of the Panjab should send Rs. 200,000, in addition to the Rs. 60,000 already ordered for provisions for the fort of Qandahar. Mīr Qiwāmu-d-dīn, the diwan of the Panjab, obtained leave to go to Lahore, and received a dress of honour. Qāsim K., with a view to punish the seditious in the neighbourhood of Kāngṛa, and to preserve order in those regions, was given leave to go, and I presented him with a special nādirī, a horse, a dagger, and an elephant. His mansab, original and increased, was fixed at 2,000 personal and 500 horse. At his request, I allowed Rāja Sangrām (of Jammu) to proceed to that region, conferring on him a robe of honour, a horse, and an elephant.
On Thursday the camp was pitched outside the town of Sihrind. I halted one day, and amused myself with going round the garden. On Sunday, the 4th, Abū-l-Ḥasan was sent on service for the conquest of the Deccan. A dress of honour, with a nādirī, a special shawl, an elephant named Ṣubḥ-dam (breath of morn), a horsetail banner, and drums, being given him. I gave leave to Muʿtamid K., presenting him with a dress of honour, and a special horse called Ṣubḥ-i-ṣādiq (the true dawn). On the 7th of the same month the bank of the river Sarasatī (Saraswatī) was the place of encampment of good fortune in the neighbourhood of the qaṣba of muṣṭafāʾābād. The next day I encamped at Akbarpūr,[185] whence I sat in a boat on the river Jumna, to reach my object. On this day ʿIzzat K. Chāchī,[186] with the faujdār of that region, had the good fortune to kiss the threshold. Giving Muḥammad S͟hafīʿ leave to proceed to Multan, I presented him with a horse, a dress of honour, and a nūr-s͟hāhī muhar, and sent by him a special turban (chīra) to K͟hān Jahān, my son (farzand).
Thence, in five marches, I reached the pargana of Kirāna, the native country of Muqarrab K., and the Court encamped there. By way of offering, his Vakils laid before me 91 rubies[187] and 4 diamonds, 1,000 gaz of mik͟hmal (satin) as a pā-andāz (foot-carpet), with a petition from him, presenting also 100 camels as charity. I ordered them to be distributed among deserving people. From this place, in five marches Delhi became the halting-place of the standards of good fortune I sent Itʿimādu-d-daula to my fortunate son S͟hāh Parwīz with a special farjī (a dress), for him, and it was settled that he should return in the space of one month and wait on me. Having halted for two days at Salīmgaṛh, on Thursday, the 23rd, I passed through the district of Delhi with the intention of hunting in the pargana of Pālam, and halted on the bank of the S͟hamsī tank. On the road I scattered 4,000 charans (Rs. 1,000) with my own hand. Twenty-two elephants, male and female, had arrived from Bengal as an offering from Allah-yār, s. Iftik͟hār K., and were passed before me.
Ẕū-l-Qarnain[188] obtained leave to proceed to the faujdārship of Sambhar. He is the son of Iskandar, the Armenian, and his father had the good fortune to be in the service of ʿArs͟h-ās͟hyānī (Akbar), who gave him in marriage the daughter of ʿAbdu-l-Ḥayy,[189] the Armenian, who was in service in the royal harem. By her he had two sons. One was Ẕū-l-Qarnain, who was intelligent and fond of work, and to him, during my reign, the chief diwans had entrusted the charge of the government salt works at Sambhar, a duty which he performed efficiently. He was now appointed to the faudjarship of that region. He is an accomplished composer of Hindi songs. His method in this art was correct, and his compositions were frequently brought to my notice and were approved. Laʿl Beg[190] was selected for the daroghahship of the records in the place of Nūru-d-dīn Qulī. I passed four days pleasantly in sporting in the neighbourhood of Pālam and returned to Salīmgaṛh. On the 29th, 19 elephants, 2 eunuchs,[191] 1 slave, 41[192] fighting cocks, 12 bullocks, and 7 buffaloes were brought before me as offerings from Ibrāhīm K. Fatḥ-jang. On Thursday, the 30th, corresponding with the 25th Rabīʿu-l-awwal, the ceremony of my lunar weighing[193] was performed. I had sent Koka K. to the K͟hān-k͟hānān, and forwarded some messages by him. On this day a petition from him arrived. Mīr Mīrān, who had been appointed to the faujdārship of Mewāt, on this day came and paid his respects, and was dignified with the governorship of Delhi, in the room of Sayyid Bahwa.
On this day Āqā Beg and Muḥibb ʿAlī, the envoys of the ruler of Persia, paid their respects, and presented a loving letter from that noble brother, together with a black and white plume (kalgī-i-ablaq), valued by the jewellers at Rs. 50,000. My brother also sent me a ruby weighing 12 tānks,[194] which had belonged to the jewel-chamber of M. Ulug͟h Beg, the successor of M. S͟hāh-ruk͟h. In the course of time, and by the revolutions of fate, it had come into the hands of the Ṣafawī family. On this ruby there were engraved in the Nask͟h[195] character the words: “Ulug͟h Beg b. M. S͟hāh-ruk͟h Bahādur b. Mīr Tīmūr Gūrgān.” My brother, S͟hāh ʿAbbās, directed that in another corner they should cut the words:
Banda-i-S͟hāh-i-Wilāyat[196] ʿAbbās