On the 8th of Jumádá-l-awwal* in the year nine hundred and sixty-nine (969) the Emperor went on a pilgrimage* to the blessed tomb of that Pole-star of Shaikhs and Saints, Khwájah Mu'ín-ud-dín Chishtí (may God sanctify his glorious tomb!), and gave presents (P. 50) and alms to the people who waited there. And at the town of Sámbhar, celebrated for its salt-mines, Rája Pahárah Mall, governor of Ambér,* together with his son Rái Bhagván Dás, came and paid his respects to the Emperor, who then espoused his gentle daughter in honourable wedlock. And Mírzá Sharaf-ud-dín Ḥusain, who held a fief on the confines of Ajmír, he appointed to reduce the fortress of Mírt'ha, which is within 20 cosses of Ajmír, and was held by Jaimall Rájpút; and then returned quickly* to Ágra. Mírzá Sharaf-ud-dín Ḥusain gave quarter to the garrison, but stipulated that they should carry away with them none of their goods, or personal property. So Jaimall evacuated the place. But a certain Deo Dás one of Jaimall's soldiers contrary to the stipula­tions, when the imperial troops were entering, with a considerable number of men set fire to the goods and chattels of the fortress, and offered an obstinate resistance. After raising many of the imperial soldiers to the grade of martyrdom, Jaimall himself went into eternal fire, and 200 of his renowned Rájpúts went to hell.* Thus by the help of Sháh Budágh Khán, and his son 'Abd-ul-muṭ-lab Khán, and other Amírs the fortress was taken.

In those days Pír Muḥammad Khán, who after Adham Khán went to the Court possessed absolute power in Málwah, collected a great force, and led it against Burhánpúr and reduced Bíjágaṛh, a strong fortress, by force of arms, and made a general slaughter. Then he turned towards Khándésh, and was not content with himself, unless he practised to the utmost the Code* of Changíz Khán [the Moghul, viz., no quarter], massacring, or making prisoners of all the inhabitants of Burhánpúr and Asír,* and then crossing the river Narbadah he raised the conflict* to the very heavens, and utterly destroyed many towns and villages of that district, and swept every thing clean and clear:—(P. 51).

‘First they carried off every one from house and home,
All money and chattels, whether hidden or exposed:
They robbed the crown from the pulpit, as well as the turban from the preacher,
They tore, the cupola from the mosque, as well as the lamp from the Mináret.”

Then, while his men were in confusion,* and left far behind him, Báz Bahádur Khán, who fled together with some of the rulers of that country, in conjunction with other zámíndárs made an attack on Pír Muḥammad Khán. He could not sustain the attack, but betook himself towards Mandú. In the course of his retreat, in company with all his Amírs, he rode his horse into the river Nar-badah. It chanced that a string of camels which were passing at the time, attacked his horse, and he went by water to fire.* And so the sighs of the orphans, and weak, and captives were his ruin:—

“Fear thou the arrow-shower* of the weak in the ambush of night,
For, the more he sighs through weakness, the stronger is the blow of his dart.
When you have cast Bízhan* into the well, do not sleep like Afrásyáb,
For Rustam is in ambush, and a crocodile is under his cuirass.”

And the Amírs of Málwah, seeing that their remaining any longer in that district was beyond the bounds of possibility, read the verse of flight,* and came to the Court. For some time they were im­prisoned, but eventually obtained their release. Báz Bahádur Khán again became possessed of Málwah, but 'Abd-ulláh Khán Uzbek, in conjunction with Mu'ín-ud-dîn Aḥmad Khán Farankhúdí and others, brought that country into subjection to the Emperor. Báz Bahádur for some time took refuge in Chitór, and Údípúr, with Rána* Udí Singh, but afterwards went away: and after remain­ing some time in Gujrát he came to the Court, and returned to his allegiance. He was imprisoned for some time, and, though he (P. 52) obtained his release, he did not escape the claw of death:—

“In this many-coloured garden there does not grow a tree,
Which can escape the molestation of the wood-man.”

And 'Abd-ulláh Khán Uzbek remaining at Hándiyah,* the auxiliary* Amírs, went to their fiefs, and Mu'ín-ud-dîn Khán came to the Court.

In this year Khwájagí Muḥammad Çáliḥ of Hirát, grandson of Khwájah 'Abd-ulláh Marwáríd, a well-known Wazír, was appointed to the Çadr-ate.* But he had not such absolute power [as his predecessors] in the matter of conferring and granting Aukáf,* and Madadi ma'ásh: because his jurisdiction was circumscribed by that of the clerks.

In this year Sayyid Bég, son of Ma'çúm Bég, came as ambassador with a letter from Sháh Ṭahmásp [of Persia], containing all the conventional condolences [for the death] of the late Emperor. That letter shall be given hereafter in extenso, if God (He is exalted!) will. He was received with all honour and respect, and the Emperor presented him with a sum of seven lacs of tankahs* and a horse, and dress of honour, besides all the hospitality and kindness, which the Amírs showed him, so that he went back from Hindústán with gifts and presents without number.

On Monday the 12th of Ramzán* of the year 969 Adham Khán through pride, and presuming on his favour with the Emperor, and being jealous because he had taken the premiership from Máhum Ankah* and given it to Atkah Khán (surnamed A'zam Khán, who on his arrival from the Punjáb had been made Prime-minister) at the suggestion of Mun'im Khán and Shiháb-ud-dîn Aḥmad Khán,* and some others, who were jealous of Atkah Khán, cut him in pieces [as he sat] at the head of the Díwán. Then with his sword in his hand he swaggered in, and took his stand at the door of the royal inner apartments. Then the Emperor also seized a sword, and coming out, asked him, “Why did you commit such an act?” He answered, “A disloyal* fellow (P. 53) has met with his deserts.” Then they bound him hand and foot, and cast him down from the top of the terrace of the palace, and since he still breathed the Emperor commanded them to throw him down a second time. By chance it happened that the murderer was buried one day before his victim. And so that disturbance died down. And one date is Two violent deaths took place,* and another, by way of a riddle, is:—

“From his violence A'zam Khán lost his head.”*

The second is exactly correct, but the first is one too many. And some one else said as follows:—

“The army's greatest* Khán, A'zam Khán,
Whose equal none saw in this age,
Went to martyrdom in the month of fasting,
He drank fasting the draught of death.
Would that he had been martyred one year later,
For then the year of his death would have been Khán Shahíd.”*

And when she had presented the food of the fortieth* day of mourning for Adham Khán, Máhim Ankah, through grief, joined her son.

In this year my late, lamented, father (may God have mercy on him!), the Shaikh Mulúksháh, on the 27th of Rajab in Ágrah, through liver-complaint, transferred the baggage of existence from this transitory world to the eternal kingdom. I carried his corpse in a coffin to Basáwar and buried him there. I found the date as follows:—

“The Title-page of the Excellent of the world, Mulúksháh,
That Sea of Knowledge, that Source of Generosity, and Mine of Excellence,
Since in his time there proceeded from him a very World of Excellence,
The date of the year of his death comes out: a World of Excellence.”*

And by a curious coincidence the Pír, who had been his patron, viz., Shaikh Panjú Sambhalí, who had a great following, and a few of whose excellencies will be mentioned, if God will, in the sequel to this work, in this same year attained union with the True Beloved, and the following was found to give the date:—(P. 54)