Defeat in the Dakhin.

[Affairs in the Dakhin were in a very unsatisfactory state, in consequence of the bad generalship and want of care of Khán-i 'azam, and a defeat had been suffered by 'Abdu-lla Khán. I summoned Khwája Abú-l Hasan to my presence, and after inquiry, I ascertained that the disaster was attributable partly to the conceit and rashness of 'Abdu-lla Khán, and partly to discord and want of co-operation among the amírs.

'Abdu-lla Khán and the officers who had been appointed to serve under him, marched with the army of Gujarát by way of Násik Tirbang. This force was well equipped; its numbers were from 10,000 to 14,000, and the officers serving in it were * *. It had been arranged that another force should advance from the side of Birár under the command of Rájá Mán Singh, Khán-Jahán, the Amíru-l Umará, and other officers. These two armies were to keep up communications, and to be informed of each other's movements, so that they might at an appointed time close in upon the enemy. If this plan had been carried out frankly and cordially without jealousy, it is very probable that under God's grace it would have succeeded.

'Abdu-lla Khán, having passed the Gháts, entered the country of the enemy, but made no arrangements for sending messengers to obtain intelligence of the other force, and to regulate his movements in concert, so as to place the enemy between the two armies. He trusted entirely to his own power, and thought that if he could effect the victory himself, it would be all the better. Acting upon this view, he paid no heed to Rájá Mán Singh when the latter wished to settle a concerted plan.

The enemy kept a sharp watch over his movements, and sent a large force of Mahrattas (bargiyán), who skirmished with him all day, and harassed him at night with rockets and other fiery pro­jectiles, till the main body of the enemy drew near, and he was quite unaware of their proximity, although he approached Daulat-ábád, a stronghold of the Dakhinís. * * 'Ambar the black-faced, who had placed himself in command of the enemy, continually brought up reinforcements till he had assembled a large force, and he constantly annoyed 'Abdu-lla with rockets and various kinds of fiery missiles (átash-bází), till he reduced him to a sad condition. So, as the Imperial army had received no reinforce­ments, and the enemy was in great force, it was deemed expedient to retreat, and prepare for a new campaign. All the chiefs were unanimous in favour of this, and before dawn they began to fall back. The enemy pressed upon them to the boundaries of their own territory, but either side held its own. But a party of our force courted a serious encounter, and 'Alí Mardán Khán, after a valorous conflict, was left wounded in the hands of the enemy.* * * After another day, when they reached the frontier of Rájá Baharjíú, an adherent of the Imperial throne, the enemy retired, and 'Abdu-lla Khán proceeded to Gujarát. It seems clear, that if proper precautions had been taken, and the two forces had been kept in co-operation, the objects of the campaign would have been accomplished. On the retreat of 'Abdu-lla, the army, which marched by way of Birár, had no alternative but to retire; so it retreated and joined the camp of Prince Parwez, near Burhán­púr. On receiving this information, I was greatly excited, and felt inclined to proceed thither myself to retrieve the position. But Khwája Abú-l Hasan remonstrated * *, and I resolved to send Khán-khánán * *.

The Dakhinís now made proposals for peace. 'A'dil Khán pro­fessed amity, and promised, if the affairs of the Dakhinís were left to him, that he would restore sundry districts to the Imperial officers. I did not come to any decision on the matter, but left it to Khán-khánán.]

EIGHTH YEAR OF THE REIGN.

[The eighth New Year's Day of my reign fell on the 26th Muharram, 1022 A.H. (8th March, 1613 A.D.).]

Journey to Ajmír and Campaign against the Ráná.

[On the 2nd Sha'bán I left A'gra, with the intention of paying a visit to Ajmír, having two objects in view. One, to pay a visit to the tomb of Khwája Mu'ínu-d dín Chishtí, whose blessed influence had operated so powerfully on the fortunes of my dynasty. Second, to overcome and subjugate Amar Singh, who was the greatest of the zámíndars and rájás of Hindústán. All the rájás and ráís of the country have acknowledged him and his ancestors to be their chief and head. The sovereignty and government have been held by this family for a long time. For many years they held rule in the east country, and then had the title of Rájá. Afterwards they fell upon the Dakhin, and brought the greater part of that country under their sway, when they took the title of Rúp, “handsome,” instead of that of Rájá. After that they overran the mountain land of Mewat, and still advanc­ing they got possession of the fortress of Jaipúr.

From that date* up to the present year, which is the eighth of my reign, 1471 years have passed. Twenty-six individuals of this race have reigned over a period amounting to 1010 years, who have borne the title of Ráwal. From the time of Rahab, who was the first to assume the title of Ráná, to Ráná Amar Singh, who is the present Ráná, there have been twenty-six persons, who have reigned over a period of 461 years. During all this long period not one of them had bowed the neck in submis­sion to any King or Emperor of Hind. They were nearly always in a state of insubordination and rebellion. So, in the days of the Emperor Bábar, the Ráná Sángá, having assembled all the Rájás and Ráís of this country, with 180,000 horsemen and several hundred thousand infantry, fought a battle in the vicinity of Bayána against the victorious army of the Musulmáns, and suffered a signal defeat. The full particulars of this battle are given in that most trustworthy work, the Wáki'át, written by the Emperor Bábar himself. My father also devoted himself with great ardour to the subjection of this unruly race. Several times he sent expeditions against them, and in the twelfth year of his reign he marched in person to effect the reduction of Chítor, one of the strongest fortresses in the world, and to subdue the country of the Ráná. After a siege of four months and ten days, he overpowered the men of Amar Singh's father, took the fortress, and then returned. Repeatedly he sent armies against the Ráná, and each time they pressed him so hardly that he was reduced to the brink of ruin, when something occurred to save him from destruction. Near the end of his reign, my father, having directed his own attention to the conquest of the Dakhin, sent me with a large army and trusty leaders against the Ráná. For reasons too lengthy to be here entered upon, both these enterprises failed.

When the Empire devolved upon me, as this conquest had been half effected under my leading, the first army I sent upon foreign service after my accession was this army against the Ráná. My son Parwez was appointed to command, and all the resources of my government were applied to the service. Ample treasure and abundant artillery were ready to be sent off, when all was stopped by the unhappy outbreak of Khusrú. I was obliged to pursue him to the Panjáb, and the capital and interior of the country were denuded of troops. I was obliged to write to Parwez, directing him to return to protect A'gra and the neigh­bourhood, and to remain there; so the campaign against the Ráná was suspended. When, by the favour of God, I had quashed Khusrú's rebellion, I returned to A'gra, and I then sent Mahábat Khán, 'Abdu-lla Khán, and other amírs against the Ráná; but until I started from Ajmír, the Imperial forces had not achieved any success of importance. There was nothing to detain me in A'gra, and I felt assured that nothing of any im­portance would be accomplished till I myself went thither.

At the time appointed, I left A'gra and encamped in the garden of Dahra. The next day was the festival of the Dasahra, and according to rule the horses and elephants were decked out and paraded before me. The mothers* (wálidahá) and sisters of Khusrú represented that he was exceedingly contrite and sorry for what he had done. Having thus excited my paternal affec­tion, I called him into my presence, and arranged that he should come every day to pay his respects to me. I stayed in the garden twenty days, and on the 21st day of Mihr I started, having ap­pointed Khwája Jahán to the charge of the capital, with its palaces and treasures. On the 2nd Mihr, intelligence arrived that Rájá Bású had died at Sháhábád, on the Ráná's frontier. On the 10th I encamped at Rúp-bás, now called Amánábád. It was formerly the jágír of Rúp, but after him I gave it to Amánu-lla son of Mahábat Khán, and I ordered that it should be called by his name. It was one of my regular hunting-grounds, so I went out hunting every day. In these few days 158 deer, male and female, and other kinds of game were killed. * * On the 10th Ramazán intelligence arrived of the death of Kalíj Khán, one of the oldest servants of the State, in his eightieth year. He was engaged at Pesháwar in controlling the Afgháns.] * * *

In this month (A'zur) news arrived that the Europeans in Goa, in defiance of their engagements, had plundered four ships engaged in the foreign trade of the port of Surat; and having made a great many Muhammadans prisoners, had at the same time taken possession of their money and goods. It gave me much displeasure. Mukarrab Khán, the governor of that harbour, received a dress of honour, besides an elephant and horse, and was commanded to proceed to put a stop to such outrages. He started on the 18th of A'zur. * * *