The blood of that race is on thy neck,
The hand of that crowd upon thy skirt,
'Twere*
far better to think on peace
And bring to pass the ways of gentleness.
He sent this auspicious rescript along with Naṣib Rammāl.* As the Mīrzā, being drunk with folly, had turned away from fortune and put dominion behind his back, the sage advices were of no avail. In reply to that roll of grace and preamble of knowledge, he uttered* the following verse—
Verse.*Who'd to his bosom strain dominion's bride
Must kiss the gleaming falchion's lip.
Naṣīb Rammāl conveyed to the royal hearing the account of the Mīrzā's recalcitrance and an order was given for strengthening the batteries. Meanwhile, Mīrzās Sulaimān and Ibrāhīm arrived with all their forces and were made partakers of royal favours. Cākar Khān, son of Wais Qibcāq also arrived with the men of Kūlāb and formed a supplement to the army of fortune. During this period of one* month of the siege the gates of victory opened more and more for the imperialists, while the knot of affairs grew tighter for M. Kāmrān, and he became more and more straitened. At last he became hopeless of the success of tricks and stratagems, and also came to despair of the help from Pīr Muḥammad Khān Uzbeg, which he in his short-sightedness looked for. Involuntarily he put his hands to the saddle strips (fitrāk)* of obedience and submission. By means of this device he saved himself this time from the whirlpool of danger and brought the ship of safety from out the tumult of the waves to the shore of salvation. With this design, he made various supplications and cries for help. One day he fastened a letter to an arrow and shot it into the camp. Its purport was that he had not recognised the claims of his Majesty to reverence. I have seen what I have seen, and now I repent of the past and wish that leave may be granted to me to circumambulate the Holy K‘aba so that I may be cleansed from the sin of rebellion and the anguish of ingratitude, and may become fit for proper service. My hope is that this boon may be granted to me through the intervention of Mīr ‘Arab* of Mecca.” The Mīr was distinguished among all. the devotees of the age for honesty and transparency and had applied himself to alchemy. His Majesty Jahānbānī Jinnatāshiyānī had a regard for him, and on this expedition he kept close to the royal stirrup and was adorning the army of prayer (lashkar-i-du‘ā). When the petition of supplication reached the royal hearing, he sent for the Mīr and spoke to him about it. The Mīr said that he would write an answer and send it into the fort. He wrote as follows.* “Know, O men of the fort, that salvation is in sincerity and safety in submission, and peace be upon whoever followeth the right path.” When M. Kāmrān had understood the purport of this writing, he wrote back by the same method that he would submit to whatever the Mīr should order. His Majesty Jahānbānī, inasmuch as kindness and benevolence were of his nature's essence, sent off the Mīr, who proceeded to the fort and expounded the doctrines of verity which in reason's reservoir are more sweet than limpid streams, but more bitter to the sensual taste than the juice of the colocynth. In his exposition and application he did not leave out a single point, and at every sentence of reproof the Mīrzā, as he had received a lesson from the crapulous headaches following on his debauches, held down the head of submission and cried, “I've sinned, I've sinned, I'll do whatever you order.” The Mīr said, “The atonement is that you arise and with a sincere soul and contrite heart come with me and do homage.” The Mīrzā, either from sincerity or deceit set off, but when they got near the gate, the Mīr, who could perceive the temporary nature of the feelings, became aware that they were without root.* He stopped, and said to the Mīrzā, “As you have set out to kiss the threshold and have emerged from the circle of sedition, and have escaped from a state of rebellion, the proper thing for auspiciousness and repentance is that you send the runaway officers to the Court with their necks bound, that you yourself recite the khuba in his Majesty's name, and that you secretly depart and go off to the Ḥijāz.” The Mīrzā accepted the advice and agreed to everything, but added,* “Entreat his Majesty to suffer Bābūs to depart along with me, for he is an old servant, and I am desirous of atoning to him on this journey for what I have done to him.” When the Mīr returned and reported the circumstances to his Majesty, he asked pardon for the Mīrzā's offences, and his Majesty, on account of his constitutional kindness, forgave him and ratified all that the Mīr had arranged.
On Friday, 12th Rajab, 955, 12th August, 1548, Maulānā ‘Abdul Bāqī the Ṣadr recited the khuba in his Majesty Jahānbānī's name, and his Majesty went off from there to a garden* in the neighbourhood. The batteries were dismantled, and an order was given that Ḥājī Muḥammad should be present with a body of troops, that the Mīrzā was departing with a few men, as had been arranged, and that until his exit from the dominions they should guard the borders. ‘Alī Dōst Khān Bārgbegī, ‘Abdal Wahhāb, Sayid Muḥammad Pakna, Muḥammad Quli Shaikh Kamān, Laifī Sahrindī and a number of others were appointed to guard the gate of the fort and to bring in the runaway officers and to let the Mīrzā pass with the sanctioned companions. The Mīrzā came out in accordance with the compact. On the way, one of M. Ibrāhīm's servants recognised as his own a horse which one* of M. Kāmrān's servants was riding, and told this to M. Ibrāhim, who sent people to bring away the horse. When this was brought to his Majesty's ears, he, in his courtesy, disapproved of the proceeding and censured M. Ibrāhīm, and he, out of shame and narrowness of disposition went off without leave to Kishm. Ḥājī Muḥammad, too, was blamed as the insult to the Mīrzā had been committed with his knowledge. A gracious firmān containing apologies, with a robe of honour and a horse were sent along with Khwāja Jalālu-d-dīn Maḥmūd the Mīr Bīyūtāt (to Kāmrān). When the night was somewhat advanced, Qarāca Khān was produced with a sword tied to his neck. When he came in front of the torches an order* was issued for removing the sword; his guilt was forgiven, and he was honoured by being allowed to do homage. And his Majesty said* in Tūrkī, “'Tis the fortune of war, such accidents as this must happen.” He was ordered to stand on the left, below Tardī Beg Khān.
Next they brought Muṣāḥib Beg with a quiver and a sword at his neck. When he came near the torches an order was given for removing the weapons. Similarly they brought Sardār Beg the son of Qarāca Khān. His Majesty said “'Tis the elders' fault, what fault have the children committed?” In this manner the other officers were brought in one after the other and heard the news of pardon. Last, came Qurbān Qarāwal, a personal servant of his Majesty and with shame and downcast looks did obeisance. His Majesty said in Tūrkī, “What ailed you, and what made you go away.” He replied in the same language, “What is the use of inquiring about the complexion of those who have been made black by the hand of God's power”?* Ḥasan Qulī Sulān Muhrdār, who was always allowed liberty of speech, recited this verse in the assembly.
Verse.*When a lamp has been lighted by God
Who puffs at it burns his own beard.
All the officers felt uneasy at the appropriateness* (of the quotation) to Qarāca Khān who had a long beard. Next day his Majesty marched from there and encamped in a pleasant meadow on the bank of the Tālīqān* river. On Wednesday, 17th Rajab, M. Kāmrān came back, under divine guidance, and did homage. The explanation of this remarkable occurrence is as follows. In Bādāmdarah* M. Kāmrān was expatiating to M. ‘Abdullah in thanksgiving for the royal favours and was expressing his surprise at his Majesty's passing over so many crimes and acts of disrespect. M. ‘Abdullah asked him what he would have done if he had been in his Majesty's place. Kāmrān replied that he would not have forgiven or forgotten Then, said M. ‘Abdullah, you have an opportunity of making atonement, how would it be if you availed yourself of it? The Mīrzā asked what he meant, and M. ‘Abdullah* said, “We are this day in a place where the king's arm cannot reach us. The right thing is for us to go post haste with a few men and make our submission, return thanks to his Majesty and beg pardon for our offences, and render acceptable service.” M. Kāmrān approved of the idea and set off with a few men; when he came nigh the camp he sent Bābūs to do obeisance and to report his coming. His Majesty Jahānbānī rejoiced at the coming of the Mīrzā and ordered that first Mun‘im Khān, Tardī Beg Khān, Mīr Muḥammad Munshī, Ḥasan Qulī Sulān Muhrdār, Bāltū Beg, Tuwācī Begī, Tākhcī Beg and many others should go forth, and after them that Qāsim Ḥusain Sulān Shaibānī, Khiẓr Khwāja Sulān, Iskandar Sulān, ‘Alī Qulī Khān, Bahādur Khān and many others should go, and thirdly, that M. Hindāl, M. ‘Askarī, and M. Sulaimān should go to welcome him. And on the same day he ordered that the chains should be taken off M. ‘Askarī's feet.