O thou opener of the eyes of the far-seeing
Supplier of those sitting in want,
Stretch out thy hand, for the self-reliant spirit
Has fallen into the abyss of a boundless flood.
By the help of daily-increasing fortune my utterance has come thus* far and the burden on my heart has become somewhat lighter. I hope that by the increasing brightness of the morn of auspiciousness my heart may have new enlightenment and my tongue new strength, and that every moment the difficult task may become easy and suitable.
When my heart's guardian angel beheld me
He exclaimed from the portico of resolve,
Bring up the new Spring from life's fountain
Clothe speech with a newly-woven garment!
The auspicious cortège of the Near Year arrived during the pleasant time when the Shāhinshāh was staying in Ajmīr after the conquest of Citūr. The world-adorning standards of the sun entered Aries—the house of exaltation—and the fortresses of the buds were opened by the alert hands of the vernal gales. The armies of vegetation adorned the parterres of the garden of equability.
They spread a carpet of China brocade
On it were forms from all the seven climes
These adorned the floor of that banquet-hall of joy
They invited the grandees and called for wine
Love showed itself and desire increased
They chose their loves and grasped their cups.
After the passing of three hours and nine minutes of the night of Thursday the 11th Ramẓān 975, 10 March 1568, the auspicious transit (of the sun) took place, and the thirteenth year, to wit, the year Farwardīn, which was the first year of the second revolution, took place. It is to be hoped that thousands of revolutions and cycles (qarn) will possess the qualities of spring for the spiritual and temporal Khedive. H.M., after completing the circumambulations and celebrating the New Year's feast, left Ajmīr for the capital on the day of Isfandārmaẕ 5 Farwardīn Divine month, corresponding to Tuesday 15 Ramẓān, 14 March 1568. He travelled by Mewāt and indulged in hunting by the way. While doing so the huntsmen pointed out a tiger-jungle and H.M. the Shāhinshāh went there to hunt the beast. When he came near the reed-bed, suddenly a formidable tiger came out. The courtiers lost control of themselves and pinned the animal to the earth with life-taking arrows. H.M. the Shāhinshāh did not approve of such haste, and commanded that no one should, without orders, surround any wild beast that came out of the jungle. While H.M. was saying this, another tiger, as formidable as the first one, came out and moved towards him. When the attendants saw this, their hair stood up on their bodies, but on account of the sacred command no one ventured to advance to kill the tiger. H.M. mounted as he was, watched the tiger's eye and shot an arrow at him. The tiger, wounded as he was, daringly advanced, and came out on the high ground and sate there (?) in his wrath. H.M. got off his horse and stood there, while the brave tiger-throwers drew a circle round him. H.M. took aim with a gun and fired at the tiger, so that the ball entered at the corner of his mouth and grazed the skin below the ear. H.M. was endeavouring to discharge another bullet, and was seeking for an opportunity, but to whatever side he turned, the tiger was on the watch there, and a fitting opportunity for shooting did not present itself.
I have heard from the holy lips of the Shāhinshāh that H.M. Jahānbāni Jinnat-Āshiyānī used to relate that God had so ordained it that when a number of persons went tiger-shooting the tiger always kept his eyes on the person who was destined to shoot him. H.M. told me that he had noticed this on many occasions when he went out shooting, and found it come true.* In fine, when he could not get an opportunity he bade Dastam Khān advance, so that on the tiger's attention being drawn to him, H.M. might get a shot. 'Ādil, the son of Shāh Muḥammad Qandahārī, who had been chidden (for shooting the first tiger) thought that the order to advance was given to all the attendants, and he too went on from behind H.M. with a bow and arrow in his hand. The tiger turned towards 'Ādil, and when he came near, 'Ādil shot, and by force of destiny he made a miss. The tiger came on and struck him with his two paws. That strong man attacked the tiger, and put his left hand into his mouth, while with the other he drew his dagger. As fate destined something different, the dagger was fastened to the hilt, and while he was unfastening it the tiger chewed his hand. Then he drew his dagger and inflicted two wounds on the tiger's mouth. Then the tiger seized his right hand with his mouth. Meanwhile the brave men in attendance rushed in from all sides and disposed of the tiger with their swords, and at the same time 'Ādil received a sword-wound. That tiger-hearted brave man lay in agony for four months and at last the poison of the wounds caused his limbs to mortify, and he died in Agra. It would seem that this was a retribution for his disrespect to his father. The circumstances were that the shameless one lusted after the wife of his father's diwān, and that the chaste lady gave her life to death and did not yield her body to him. His father used to restrain him from this improper behaviour, and one day, he being annoyed by his father's remonstrances, struck him with his sword. In fact, if 'Ādil escaped in the judgment-hall of God by such a punishment, from the abyss of his crime he was fortunate. How could so great a transgression receive its retribution by such an event!
In fine, after enjoying the hunting, H.M. sent off his camp which had been pitched near Alwār, while he himself went by way of Nārnol and there joined the camp. From there he went on hunting, and on the day of Isfandārmaẕ 5 Ardī bihisht, Divine month, corresponding to Wednesday 15 Shawwāl, 13 April 1568, he arrived at Agra. In this fortunate year Ḥājī Begam returned to the imperial dominions after visiting the two holy places (Mecca and Medīna) and distributing large benefactions and charities to the inhabitants thereof, and was rejoiced by seeing the altar of her heart and soul, and the spiritual and temporal king.
One of the events was the march of the victorious troops to take the fort of Rantanbhōr which, for strength and solidity, was the equal of Citūr. But in the middle of the way the army turned back in accordance with the orders and went off to Mālwa to put down the Mīrzās. The account of this is, that when the world-conquering forces returned to the capital after the victory over Citūr, it occurred to H.M. the Shāhinshāh that some of those leaders who had not had the happiness to serve at Citūr, or who had arrived late, should be appointed to take Rantanbhōr, which was a stumbling-block in the way of peace. In accordance with this good idea Ṣādiq Khān, Bāba Khān Qāqshāl, Samānjī Khān, Ṣafdar Khān, Bahādur Khān, Dost Khān Sahārī, and other great officers were dispatched on this service under the leadership of Ashraf Khān. The army had marched some way and then returned. Messengers brought the news that Ibrāhīm Ḥusain M. and Muḥammad Ḥusain M. had collected a number of vagabonds and had come from Gujrāt to Mālwa. They were besieging Ujjain, which is a great fortress in that province, and thereby had introduced disorder into the territory.
The circumstances of this disturbance are as follows. When Shihābu-d-dīn Aḥmad Khān, together with many of the great officers such as Murād Khān and Shāh Budāgh Khān, were sent against the Mīrzās from the vicinity of Gāgrūn, when H.M. was proceeding against Citūr, the Mīrzās felt that they could not cope with the victorious forces and hastened towards Gujrāt. They joined Cingīz Khān, the slave of Sulān Mahmūd Gujrātī, and who had, after the Sulān's martyrdom, taken possession of Cāmpānīr, Surat and Broach. He was then aiming at getting possession of Aḥmadābād and was wishing to lead an army against I'timād Khān. He regarded the coming of the Mīrzās as a valuable prize, and marched with a large force against I'timad. A hot engagement took place near the city and I'timad Khān was defeated and Aḥmadābād taken. As the Mīrzās distinguished themselves in this battle, Cingīz Khān gave them suitable fiefs in the neighbourhood of Broach. As the clay and water of their bodies were composed of turbulence, there too they extended the arm of oppression. In their presumption they laid hold of several estates and villages and traversed the country with unruly steps. Cingīz Khān sent a large army against them, but it was defeated. As, however, they could not withstand Cingīz Khān, they stirred up the dust of calamity and went off to Khāndes. There too they were not safe and set off for Mālwa, and spread the table of strife on the borders of Ujjain. Murād Khān, the jāgīrdār of Ujjain, and M. 'Azīzu-ullah, the diwāu of Sarkār Mālwa, had heard of their designs two days before, and repaired and strengthened the fort of Ujjain and stood firm.