[The Nau-roz of the seventeenth year of my reign fell on — Jumáda-l awwal, 1031 (March, 1622).
A despatch arrived from the son of Khán Jahán, reporting that Sháh 'Abbás, King of Persia, had laid siege to the fort of Kandahár with the forces of 'Irák and Khurásán. I gave orders for calling troops from Kashmír, and Khwája Abú-l Hasan Díwán and Sádik Khán Bakhshí were sent on in advance of me to Lahore, to organize the forces as the princes brought them up from the Dakhin, Gujarát, Bengal, and Bihár, and as the nobles came from their jágírs and assembled, and then to send them on in succession to the son of Khán Jahán at Multán. Artillery, mortars, elephants, treasure, arms, and equipments were also to be sent on thither … For such an army 100,000 bullocks or more would be needed. * *
Zainu-l 'Ábidín, whom I had sent to summon Khurram, returned and reported that the Prince would come after he had passed the rainy season in the fort of Mándú. When I read and understood the contents of the Prince's letter, I was not at all pleased, or rather I was displeased. I consequently wrote a farmán to the effect, that as it was his intention to wait till after the rains, he was to send me the great amírs and officers I had placed under his command, especially the Saiyids of Bárha and Bokhárá, the Shaikhzádas, the Afgháns, and Rájpúts.]
[Intelligence was brought that Khurram had seized upon some of the jágírs of Núr Jahán Begam and Prince Shahriyár. He had fought with Ashrafu-l Mulk, an officer of Shahriyár's, who had been appointed faujdár of Dholpúr and the country round, and several men had been killed on both sides. I had been offended by his delaying at the fort of Mándú, and by his improper and foolish statements in his letters, and I had perceived by his insolence that his mind was estranged. Upon hearing of this further intelligence, I saw that, notwithstanding all the favour and kindness I had shown him, his mind was perverted. I accordingly sent Rájá Roz-afzún, one of my oldest servants, to inquire into the reasons of this boldness and presumption. I also sent him a farmán, directing him to attend to his own affairs, and not to depart from the strict line of duty. He was to be content with the jágírs that had been bestowed upon him from the Imperial Exchequer. I warned him not to come to me, but to send all the troops which had been required from him for the campaign against Kandahár. If he acted contrary to my commands, he would afterwards have to repent. * * * When Khurram's son was ill, I made a vow that, if God would spare his life, I would never shoot an animal again with my own hand. For all my love of shooting, I kept my vow for five years to the present time; but now that I was offended with Khurram, I resolved to go out shooting again.
On the 24th I crossed the Jhelam. On the same day Afzal
Khán, díwán of Khurram, arrived with a letter, in which Khur-
Letters arrived from I'tibár Khán and other of my officers whom I had left at Ágra, stating that Khurram persisted in his perverse course, and preferring the way of disobedience to the path of duty, had taken a decided step in the road to perdition by marching upon Ágra. For this reason, said I'tibár, I have not deemed it advisable to send on the treasure, but have busied myself in making preparation for a siege. A letter from Ásaf Khán also arrived, stating that this ungrateful son had torn away the veil of decency, and had broken into open rebellion; that he (the Khán) had received no certain intelligence of his movements, so, not considering it expedient to move the treasure, he had set out alone to join me.
On receiving this intelligence, I crossed the river at Sultánpúr,
and marched to inflict punishment on this ill-starred son (siyáh-
On the 1st Isfandármuz, I received a letter from I'tibár Khán, informing me that the rebel had advanced with all speed to the neighbourhood of Ágra, my capital, in the hope of getting possession of it before it could be put in a state of preparation. On reaching Fathpúr, he found that his hope was vain, so he remained there. He was accompanied by Khán-khánán (Mirzá Khán) and his son; and by many other amírs who held office in the Dakhin and in Gujarát, and had now entered upon the path of rebellion and perfidy. * * The rebels took nine lacs of rupees from the house of Lashkar Khán, and everywhere they seized upon whatever they found serviceable in the possession of my adherents. Khán-khánan, who had held the exalted dignity of being my tutor, had now turned rebel, and in the seventieth year of his age had blackened his face with ingratitude. But he was by nature a rebel and traitor. His father, at the close of his days, had acted in the same shameful way towards my revered father. He had but followed the course of his father, and disgraced himself in his old age—
“The wolf's whelp will grow a wolf,
E'en though reared with man himself.”
After I had passed through Sirhind, troops came flocking in from all directions, and by the time I reached Dehlí, such an army had assembled, that the whole country was covered with men as far as the eye could reach. Upon being informed that the rebel had advanced from Fathpúr, I marched to Dehlí.
In this war I appointed Mahábat Khán commander-in-chief of the army, and 'Abdu-lla Khán to the command of the advanced force of chosen and experienced troops. His business was to go on a kos in advance, to collect information, and take possession of the roads. I forgot that he was an old companion of the rebel; but the result was that he communicated information about my army to the rebel.]
[The eighteenth year of my reign commenced on 20th Jumáda-l awwal, 1032 H. (10th March, 1623). On this day intelligence was brought that the rebel had advanced near to Mathurá, and had encamped in the pargana of Sháhpúr. * * The next intelligence was that he had deviated from the direct course, and had gone twenty kos to the left. Sundar Ráí, who was the leader in this rebellion, Dáráb son of Khán-khánán, and many other amírs, had been sent on with the army against me. The command was nominally held by Dáráb, but Sundar was the real commander, and the prop of the revolt. They encamped near Bilúchpúr. I sent forward 25,000 horse under Ásaf Khán, and he was opposed by Kásim Khán and others. * * The Almighty has at all times and in all places been gracious unto me; so when 'Abdu-lla Khán went over to the enemy with 10,000 men under his command, and a great disaster menaced my army, a bullet directed by fate killed Sundar, and his fall made the rebels waver. Khwája Abú-l Hasan drove back the force opposed to him, Ásaf Khán also brought up his division opportunely, and we achieved a great victory. * *
When the rebel passed near Amber,* the birth-place and abode of Rájá Mán Singh, he sent a party of men to plunder it, and lay it waste. * * I also learnt that he had sent Jagat Singh, son of Rájá Bású, to stir up disturbances in his native land in the Panjáb. * *
On the 25th Urdíbihisht, I appointed my son Sháh Parwez to the command of the army operating against the rebel. He was to have the supreme command, but Mu'tamadu-d daula al Káhira Mahábat Khán was charged with the general direction of the army. Khán-i 'álam, Mahárájá Gaj Singh, Fázil Khán, Rashíd Khán, Rájá Giridhar, Rájá Rám Dás, and others were also sent with him. The force consisted of 40,000 horse, with suitable artillery, and twenty lacs of rupees were assigned to it. * * On the 30th, agreeing with 19th Rajab, 1034, I encamped by the tank of Áná-ságar, within sight of Ajmír.
When the Prince's army passed over the mountains of Chándá, and entered Málwá, Sháh Jahán came out of the fort of Mándú with 20,000 horse, 600 elephants, and powerful artillery, with the intention of giving battle. * * Mahábat Khán opened communications with several persons, who, through apprehension or compulsion, had joined the army of the rebel, and they, perceiving that his case was hopeless, wrote to Mahábat, asking for assurances of safety. Sháh Jahán, not daring to risk a general action, and thinking always of his retreat, sent his elephants over the Nerbadda. He then sent his forces against the royal army near the village of Káliya; but he himself, with Khán-khánán and several others, remained a kos in the rear. Barkandáz Khán, who had been in correspondence with Mahábat, and had received his promise, when the opposing armies approached each other, seized the opportunity of coming over to the royal army with the body of matchlockmen that he commanded. Rustam also, one of the chief and most trusted officers of the rebel, received assurances from Mahábat, and came over with several other officers. When Sháh Jahán heard of this, he gave up resistance, and, being unable to place reliance upon any one, he determined to fly. With his forces in disorder, he crossed the Nerbadda, and several of his followers took advantage of the confusion to join the royal army.