On Sunday, the 16th, marching 4 1/2 koss, I came to the stage of Barah.* As the garden and well which had been built by the order of Maryam-zamānī (Jahāngīr's mother) in the pargana of Jūsat was on the road, I went to inspect them. Certainly the bā'olī (step-well) was a grand building, and had been built exceedingly well. I ascertained from the officials that a sum of Rs. 20,000 had been expended on this well. As there was much game in this neighbourhood, I halted on Monday, the 17th.
On Tuesday, the 18th, marching 3 1/8 koss, the host of prosperity halted at the village of Dāyarm'a'ū.* On Wednesday, the 19th, marching 2 1/2 koss, the victorious standards were raised on the bank of the Lake of Fatḥpūr. As at the time when the conquest of the Deccan was meditated, the stages and distances from Ranthambūr to Ujain were recorded, it appears unnecessary to repeat them. From Ranthambūr* to Fatḥpūr by the road by which I came was a distance of 234 koss, in sixty-three marches and fifty-six halts, traversed in 119 days, or, according to solar reckoning, in one day under four months, and by lunar four full months. From the date on which the army of fortune started from the capital for the conquest of the Rānā and the acquisition of the Deccan until now, when the victorious and prosperous standards have been planted again in the centre of the empire, it is five years and four months. The astrologers and astronomers chose the day of Mubārak - shamba (Thursday), the 28th of the Divine month of Dai, in my thirteenth year, corresponding with the last day of the Muḥarram in the Hijrī year 1028 (January 7, 1619), as the proper time at which to enter the capital of Agra.
At this time, again, it appeared from the reports of the loyal that the disease of the plague was prevalent in Agra, so that daily about 100 people, more or less, were dying of it. Under the armpits, or in the groin, or below the throat, buboes formed, and they died. This is the third year that it has raged in the cold weather, and disappeared in the commencement of the hot season. It is a strange thing that in these three years the infection has spread to all the towns and villages in the neighbourhood of Agra, while there has been no trace of it at Fatḥpūr. It has come as far as Amānābād, which is 2 1/2 koss from Fatḥpūr, and the people of that place (Amānābād) have forsaken their homes and gone to other villages. There being no choice, and considering the observance of caution necessary, it was decided that at this propitious * hour the victorious army should enter the inhabited part of Fatḥpūr in all joy and auspiciousness, and after the sickness and scarcity had subsided and another auspicious hour had been chosen, I should enter the capital, please the Almighty and most holy Allah!
The Thursday entertainment took place on the bank of the Lake of Fatḥpūr. As the time for entering the town (of Fatḥpūr) was fixed for the 28th, I halted eight days in this place. I ordered them to measure the circumference of the lake,* and it came to 7 koss. At this stage, with the exception of the revered Maryam-zamānī, who had become very weak, all the Begams and inhabitants of the enclosure of chastity and all the palace employés came out to meet me (istiqbāl). The daughter* of Āṣaf K., deceased, who is in the house of ‘Abdu-llah K.—i.e., is married to ‘Abdu-llah), s. Khān Ā‘am, told me a strange and wonderful tale, and strongly insisted upon its truth. I write it on account of its strangeness. She said: “One day in the courtyard of the house I saw a mouse rising and falling in a distracted state. It was running about in every direction after the manner of drunkards, and did not know where to go. I said to one of my girls: ‘Take it by the tail and throw it to the cat!’ The cat was delighted, and jumped up from its place and seized it in its mouth, but immediately dropped it and showed disgust. By degrees an expression of pain and trouble showed itself in its face. The next day it was nearly dead, when it entered into my mind to give it a little treacle* (tiryāq, opium?). When its mouth was opened, the palate and tongue appeared black. It passed three days in a state of misery, and on the fourth day came to its senses. After this the grain (dāna) of the plague (buboes) appeared in the girl, and from excess of temperature and increase of pain she had no rest. Her colour became changed—it was yellow inclining to black—and the fever was high (tap muḥriq gardīd). The next day she vomited* and had motions, and died. Seven or eight people in that household died in the same way, and so many were ill that I went to the garden from that lodging. Those who were ill died in the garden, but in that place there were no buboes. In brief, in the space of eight or nine days seventeen people became travellers on the road of annihilation.” She also said: “Those in whom the buboes appeared, if they called another person for water to drink or wash in, the latter also caught the infection (sirāyat), and at last it came to such a pass that through excessive apprehension no one would come near them.”
On Saturday, the 22nd, Khwāja Jahān, who had had the charge of Agra, having had the good fortune to kiss the threshold, presented 500 muhars by way of nazr, and Rs. 400* as charity. On Monday, the 24th, a special dress of honour was conferred on him. On Mubārak-shamba* (Thursday), the 28th (? 27th), after four ghaṛī* or nearly two sidereal hours (sā‘at), had passed,
“In an hour which agreed with two almanacs (?) (or which marked two events),”
the royal standards auspiciously and happily entered the inhabited
part of Fatḥpūr. At the same hour the entertainment
(of weighing) for my prosperous and noble son, Shāh-
On this day, going over in detail the buildings of the palace
of the late King (Akbar), I showed them to my son, Shāh-