Whose name was Farīd and his title Shīr Khān, ascended the throne of empire under the above title, which he assumed. The 357. chronogram Kharābī-i-Mulk-i-Dillī* was invented* to record that year.
Inasmuch as he, by favourable circumstances and his own
cleverness and bravery, rose from the rank of Bēg*
to royal dignity,
it is essential to give a brief account of his career. The father
of Ḥasan Sūr, Ibrāhīm by name,*
in the time of Sulān Buhlūl,
came to Hindūstān from*
Roh, by which is meant Afghānistān,
entered the service of Sulān Buhlūl, and was stationed in the
vicinity of Hissār Fīrūza and Nārnūl. After his death (his son)
Ḥasan became a servant of Jamāl Khān, one of the Amīrs of
Sulān Sikandar, and was granted the jāegīr of the pargana of
Sahsarām and Khawāṣpūr, dependencies of the fortress of Eastern
Rohtās.*
He had five hundred cavalry under his command. In
consequence of the unkindness of his father, and the jealous
enmity of his brothers,*
of whom there were seven, he left his
home and giving up the service of Jamāl Khān spent some time in
Jaunpūr in the acquisition of science, and in perfecting himself*
in knowledge, until he had read the Kāfiyah*
with its commentary
and other epitomes, besides acquiring by heart the Gulistān, Būstān,
Sikandarnāma and other works. He used to go the round of
monasteries and colleges, associating with the learned doctors and
Shaikhs of that country, and busied himself with the improvement
of his character. After some time he was reconciled to his father,
and was entrusted by him with the management of his jāegīrs. This
he carried out with equity and impartiality, using clever devices*
for the punishment of rebels, and kept them in check.*
Later
on circumstances again led to an estrangement between Farīd and
his father, and going to Āgra with his own brother,*
he elected to
enter the service of Daulat Khān,*
one of the chief commanders*
of Sulān Ibrāhīm, and laid a complaint against his father and
brothers*
before the Sulān.*
The Sulān however, was displeased 358.
at this and said, This is a disgraceful and inhuman state of
things that a father should be displeased with his son and that the
son should complain against him.*
Upon the death of Ḥasan,
Daulat Khān made a representation to the Sulān, and obtained
his desire in securing those parganas for Shīr Khān. There he
remained for some time,*
and eventually was led by the enmity
of his brothers to enter the service of Bihār Khān, the son of
Daryā Khān Luḥānī,*
who had read the Khubah and issued the
sikka in his own name in Bihār, and had assumed the title of
Sulān Muḥammad. This was at the time when Sulān lbrāhīm
had taken the field at Pānīpath, and Bābar Pādshah had conquered
Hindūstān and planted*
the banner of sovereignty. Here he
was well received, and as one day, when on a hunting expedition, he
killed a tiger in the presence of Sulān Muḥammad, the title of Shīr
Khān was bestowed upon him by the Sulān, who also appointed
him to be tutor*
to his son Jalāl Khān. After some time
Muḥammad Khān Sūr, governor of the country of Chaund, made an
attempt to turn Sulān Muḥammad against Shīr Khān, with the
object of advancing the interest of his brothers, and having succeeded
in getting an order from Sulān Muḥammad that the
brothers were to have a share in the management of the parganas,
sent Suleimān, son of Ḥasan Sūr who has been mentioned, accompanied
by one of his servants named Shādī to Khawāṣpūr, and
Bhaka the servant of Shīr Khān who was known as the father of
Khawāṣ Khān engaged in battle with Suleimān and was killed.
The remainder fled, and came to Shīr Khān at Sahsarām. Shīr
Khān had no longer the power to cope with Muḥammad Khān,
nor the inclination to serve Sulān Muḥammad, he accordingly
abandoned his position and jāegīr, and having no other resource
betook himself to Sulān Junaid Birlās, who was holding the
Government of Karra and Mānikpūr on behalf of Bābar Padshāh.
359. He remained in his service, and after presenting many valuable
offerings, obtained a fully equipped army as reinforcement from
Sulān Junaid, and fought with Muḥammad Khān, wrested from
him the parganas of Chaund and other parganas, and took possession
of them. Muḥammad Khān fled, and took refuge in the fortress
of Rohtās. Shīr Khān, having wreaked his vengeance on his
brothers, made apologetic overtures to Muḥammad Khān, addressing
him by the title of uncle; having thus earned his gratitude he
handed over*
the parganas he held as jāegīr to him on the same
footing as formerly, and leaving Niẓām his full brother in charge
of the jāegīr, went again to Sulān Junaid, whom he found just
starting to pay his respects to Bābar Padshāh. Taking Shīr
Khān with him, Junaid enrolled him among the servants and well-