I had intended to pass the night in the fort, and the next day to return to camp. As the buildings inside the fort had been built after the fashion of the Hindus, and the rooms were without air and with little space, they did not please me, nor was I disposed to stay there. I saw a bath house, which one of the servants of Dastam* Khān had built near the wall of the fort. A little garden and a lodging (nishīman) which overlooks (mushrif) the open space is not wanting in space and air, and there is no better place in the whole fort.* Dastam K. was one of the Amīrs of the late King (Akbar), and from his early years had been brought up in his service. His connection with him was confidential and intimate. H.M. had entrusted this fort to him from his exceeding confidence in him.
After completing my inspection of the fort and houses,
I ordered that they should bring before me the criminals who
were confined in the fort, so that I might look into the case
of each of them and give an order in accordance with justice.
In brief, with the exception of affairs of murder, and of any
person through whose release disturbance or calamity might
ensue in the country, I freed them all, and to each one in
accordance with his circumstances gave his expenses and
dresses*
of honour. On the eve of Tuesday, the 4th, I
returned to the royal abode after a watch and three gharis
had passed. On Sunday (properly Wednesday), the 5th,
having marched nearly 5 koss, I halted on Thursday, the
6th. On this day the Khān-khānān presented his offering of
jewels, ornamented vessels, cloth, and an elephant. Of these
I chose whatever pleased me, and returned the rest. What
was accepted of his offering was of the value of Rs. 150,000.
On Friday, the 7th, I marched 5 koss. I had before this
captured a sāras with a falcon, but until now I had never seen
the hunting of a durnā*
(crane). As my son Shāh-Jahān had
great pleasure in durnā hunting with the falcon (shāhīn), and
his falcons were well grown, at his request I rode out early in
the morning, and caught one durnā myself, whilst the falcon
my son had on his wrist caught another. Certainly, of all
good hunting amusements, this is the best. I was exceedingly
pleased with it. Although the sāras is large, it is lazy and
heavy on the wing. The chase of the durnā has no resemblance
to it. I praise the heart and courage of the falcon that can
seize such strong-bodied animals, and with the strength of
his talons can subdue them. Ḥasan K., the chief hunstman
of my son, was honoured with an elephant, a horse, and a
dress of honour, as a reward for this exhibition of sport, and
his son also received a horse and a dress of honour. On
Saturday, the 8th, having marched 4 1/4 koss, I halted on
Sunday, the 9th. On this day the Khān-khānān, the Commander-in-Chief,
having raised the head of dignity through
the gift of a special dress of honour, a jewelled waist-sword,
and a private elephant with trappings, was reappointed to
Khandesh and the Deccan. The mansab of that pillar of
the kingdom, original and increase, was fixed at 7,000 personal
and horse. As he did not get on with Lashkar K.,
at his request I assigned to ‘Ābid K. the duty of Dīwān-i-
“My congenial friends have left me:
One by one they've fallen into the hands of death.
They were poor drinkers at the banquet of life.
A moment sooner than us they became drunken.”*
At this time I also heard another quatrain of the same description, which I have recorded because it was very well said:
“Alas! that people of intelligence and wisdom have passed away.
They have been forgotten in the minds of their contemporaries.
Those who spoke with a hundred tongues
Ah! what heard they that they became silent.”
On Thursday, the 13th, I made a halt. ‘Abdu-l-‘Azīz K.,
having come from Bangash, had the good fortune to kiss the
threshold. Ikrām K., who was in charge of the faujdari of
Fathpūr and the neighbourhood, was honoured with waiting
on me. Khwāja Ibrāhīm K., Bakhshī of the Deccan, was
exalted with the title of ‘Aqīdat K. Mīr Ḥājj, who is one of
the auxiliaries attached to that Subah, and one of the brave
young officers, was promoted to the title of Sharza (tiger-