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[[240]] As the Shahinshah's holy soul searches after knowers of the Truth
and is inquisitive about reputations founded on reality, he determined
on the very hunting-ground to pursue spiritual game, and though his followers
urged that he should not go to remote places, and spoke of the dangers
of them and the numbers of refractory persons there, he did not give heed
to them, for his mind was set upon going, and only became more determined
to make the expedition. On the day of Shahriyar 4 Bahman, Divine month,
corresponding to Wednesday 9th Jamada-al-awwal (14th January, 1562), he
set off to Ajmer with a few attendants who belonged to the hunting-party.
An order was also issued that Maham Anaga should convey the seraglio to
Ajmer by way of Mewat, and in accordance with it she hastened thither.
When His Majesty reached the village of Kalavali (?), Chaghatai Khan, who
as an intimate courtier had means of speaking to him, represented the facts
of the loyalty of Rajah Bihari Mal, who was head of the Kachwaha clan,
which was a distinguished tribe of Rajputs. The Rajah, he said, was eminent
for wisdom and valour and had always been loyal to the sublime family and
had done excellent service. He had in Delhi kissed the threshhold and had
conducted himself as one of those who were firmly bound to the sublime
saddle-straps. For a long time he had been apprehensive on account of his
bad treatment by Sharif-ud-Din Husain Mirza and had taken refuge in the
folds of the hills. If a ray from the sun of the Shah were to fall upon
him and he were raised from the dust and so freed from the tribulations
of the age, perchance his services would be approved of by the holy glance
which is an elixir of auspiciousness.
[[241]] The brief details of the oppression that he had suffered are that when Mewat was made Muhammad Sharif-ud-Din Husain's fief, he wanted to take possession of the town of Amber which is in Marwar and was the seat of Rajah Bihari Mal's ancestors. At this time the son of Puran Mal, the Rajah's elder brother, out of wickedness and because he wanted the chiefship for himself, came and paid his respects to the Mirza and raised troubles. The Mirza led an army against Rajah Bihari Mal, and as the times were unfavourable and the Rajah had not a large force, he came to terms. A fixed contribution was laid upon him, and his son Jagannath, Raj Singh the son of Askaran, and Kangar the son of Jagmal, who were the Rajah's brothers' sons, were taken as hostages, who in Hindi are called ol. The Mirza then went off to Ajmer and Nagor, and this year it was his fixed intention to collect troops and to extirpate the family. When the tale of the loyalty of this old family had been communicated to His Majesty he graciously gave permission for the introduction of the Rajah. When the cavalcade reached Deosa, most of the inhabitants fled from fear. His Majesty said, "We have no other intention than to do good to all mankind. What can be the reason of the flight of those people? Apparently these rustics of the valley of desolation have drawn an inference from the oppression they have undergone from Sharif-ud-Din Husain and so have run away." At the close of the day, Jaimal the son of Rupsi, Rajah Bihari Mal's brother and the headman of this district, came and was introduced by the courtiers and did homage. They represented that the son of the headman was coming into service. His Majesty said, "His coming cannot be taken into account, Rupsi must recognise our advent as a great gift of God and himself come and kiss the threshshold." Of necessity Rupsi came in person and made the dust of fortune's threshhold the antimony of the eye of auspiciousness. He was exalted by royal favours. Next day when the village [[242]] of Sanganir was made the camping ground, Chaghatai Khan introduced Rajah Bihari Mal together with many of his relations and leading men of his clan. Rajah Bhagwant Das, the Rajah's eldest son, was excepted, as he had been left in charge of the families. His Majesty with his discerning glance read devotion and sincerity in the behaviour of the Rajah and his relatives. He captured his [=the Raja's] heart by kindness and exalted his rank. The Rajah, from right-thinking and elevated fortune, considered that he should bring himself out of the ruck [=crowd] of landholders and make himself one of the distinguished ones of the Court. In order to effect this purpose he thought of a special alliance, to wit, that he should by means of those who had the right of entree introduce his eldest daughter, in whose forehead shone the lights of chastity and intellect, among the attendants on the glorious pavilion. Inasmuch as graciousness is natural to His Majesty the Shahinshah, his petition was accepted, and His Majesty sent him off from this station along with Chaghatai Khan, in order that he might arrange for this alliance, which is the material of the eternal glory of the family, and quickly bring his daughter. One of the dominion-increasing events of this time, and [one] which was an instance of the daily-increasing distribution of justice by the Shahinshah and a cause of tranquilizing a crowd of the terrified inhabitants of the district, was the punishment of a leopard-keeper. The brief account of this is that as the Shahinshah made the hunting with the leopard one of the veils of his world-adorning beauty, and showed a strong passion for it and often indulged in it, one of the leopard-keepers waxed proud in his ignorance, and forcibly took off a man's pair of shoes and appropriated them. The owner was lamenting, and accidentally his cries came to His Majesty's ears and the truth was discovered. The redresser of injustice, as soon as he heard of the tyranny, ordered that the leopard-keeper should be seized and brought to him. An order was issued for cutting off his feet, and this was a warning to men of the world, and a lesson in wisdom to the savages of the fields of heedlessness. It became known in the country, and afterwards no one thought of [[243]] running away or becoming a vagabond. Peace and tranquility appeared in the country. When the standards were pitched at Sambhar, Sharif-ud-Din Mirza had the bliss of doing homage, and brought suitable gifts. His Majesty the Shahinshah demanded Jagannath, Raj Singh, and Kangar, whom the Mirza had taken as hostages, in order that Rajah Bihari Mal might be entirely free from apprehensions. The Mirza agreed to surrender them, but put off the time of doing so by subterfuges. His Majesty thought the excuses were genuine and waited in expectation of the arrival of the hostages. At this stage Adham Khan came from behind and joined the camp. From here the expedition went with all possible speed to Ajmer, and arrived at that bliss-conferring city in an auspicious hour. The visit to the illustrious shrine of his holiness the Khwaja [Mu'in-ud-din Chishti] was performed, and the persons in charge of that sacred city were the recipients of fortune. Maham Anaga brought the ladies by way of Mewat and had the bliss of accomplishing her service. His Majesty decided that the return journey should be quickly undertaken. Sharif-ud-Din Husain Mirza, to whom the task of taking Mirtho had been entrusted, ignorantly suggested that in order to aid in his accomplishing this work, His Majesty should go thither to hunt. When he was convinced that this plan was impracticable, he fell into the notion that His Majesty would remain encamped at Ajmer for some days. But as the holy heart was bent upon returning to the capital, all the officers who held Jagirs [=land-holdings] in the neighborhood... were appointed to assist the Mirza, and His Majesty moved toward Agra. A stringent order was issued for the production of the hostages, and when the camps had been pitched at Sambhar, the Mirza brought before His Majesty Jagannath, Raj Singh, and Kangar. Rajah Bihari Mal, in the sincerity of his disposition, made the arrangements for the marriage in the most admirable manner, and brought his fortunate daughter to this station and placed her among the ladies of the harem. For the purpose of holding the marriage-feast, the imperial cavalcade halted for a day in Sambhar. At the same place leave to depart was given to Sharif-ud-Din Husain, and His Majesty set off rapidly on his march. When [[244]] he came near Ranthambhore, Rajah Bihari Mal and all his children and other relatives were exalted by doing homage. Man Singh, the son of Rajah Bhagwant Das, the heir of Rajah Bihari Mal, was then exalted by the auspicious ray of His Majesty's glance, and was made a permanent servant. Rajah Bihari Mal wished that His Majesty the Shahinshah should honor his house by visiting it, so that the promotion of his family's glory might obtain completion. As His Majesty was fixed in his intention of returning to Agra, and was in a great hurry, the fulfillment of this wish was put off to another time. The Rajah was encompassed with favours and given leave to depart. Rajah Bhagwant Singh, Man Singh, and a number of their officers and relatives attached themselves to the stirrup of fortune and proceeded on to the capital. The long distance was accomplished in less than three days, and on the day of Isfandarmaz, Divine month, corresponding to Friday 8 Jamadi-al-Akhiri, His Majesty arrived alone at the capital. The city received celestial exaltation by the halo of the advent, and the eyes of the spectators gained the glory of stars from the rays of his. The camp proceeded in his wake, stage by stage, and all, high and low, uttered congratulations and thanks to God for the advent. The Khedive of the age sat on the masnad of rule, and undertook the discharge of the intricacies of administration. As the daily-increasing fortune glorifies the state, every new day confers a special blessing. Wonderful regulations were promulgated. As the principles of the rule of the Lord of the Age were good, the results appeared in the return of a time of auspiciousness. Every class obtained a career suitable to its condition, and worldly aspirants had their desires gratified. ===========
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== Akbar-nama
vol. 2 == Abu'l-Fazl == Glossary
== fwp's main page ==