And another mnemosynon for the date is Darwísh dánishmand “the learned Dervish” (may God have mercy on him!).

In this year Mun'im Khán, the Khán Khánán, and Muḥammad Qásim Khán, the High Admiral, on account of their being accom­plices in the lawless and base act of Adham Khán, and for other reasons, passing the ford of Púyah in a boat at the time of evening prayer, with the connivance of certain poor zamíndárs, in company with two or three horsemen, went towards Ropar* and Bajwárah*

by the skirts of the mountains. Thence they continued their flight towards Kábul, where Ghaní Khán, son of Mun'im Khán, was governor, and eventually came to the pargana of Sarút, which is in the Dóáb, the fief of Mír Muḥammad Munshí. Qásim 'Alí Khán, [and] Asp* Juláb Sístání, governor of that pargana, a donkey of a fellow, recognizing in their mode of action in the jungle signs of flight, with a number of ruffians and whole posse comitatus, came and seized both of them. Then he sent the news to the people of Sayyid Maḥmúd Bárha, who happened to be in the neighbourhood. The latter appointed a number of his sons, and friends, to accom­pany them, and sent them with every mark of honour and respect to Ágra. The Emperor commanded a number of those about his person to meet them, and bring them to his presence. Then at his own request he reinstated the Khán Khánán in his office of Premier under even better conditions than before. So the Khán Khánán, in conjunction with Shíháb Khán and Khwájah Jahán, continued to conduct public affairs.

In this year Mír Muḥammad Khán Atkah,* surnamed Khán Kalán, went with a considerable force to the aid of Kamál Khán* G'hakkar into the territory of the G'hakkars, and after (P. 55) a battle took prisoner Sultán Ádam the paternal uncle of Kámal Khán, who has been already mentioned.* His son, Lashkarí by name, fled to Kashmír, and was afterwards captured, and both father and son* died a natural death. Then the whole district was en­trusted to Kamál Khán, and he hastened to do homage to the Emperor at Ágra.

One day the Emperor made a great feast, and Khán Kalán wished to present a qaçídah, which in his vanity he had called ghazzá [splendid], in the presence of the Amírs and nobles and great poets. As soon as he had recited the first line of the first couplet as follows:—

“Thanks be to God that I have returned
After conquering the G'hakkar”—

suddenly 'Abd-ul-Malik Khán, his relative, (while the Emperor was giving all his attention to the qaçídah, which was in fact the cause of the issue of the invitations, and in return for which Khán Kalán expected a great gift), came forward and shouted out “My Khán you ought to have said we returned, for there were other expectants besides yourself.” At which the whole company fell on the back of their heads* with laughter. Then Khán Kalán threw his turban on the ground and exclaimed “My Liege! satisfaction from this little incapable, who has marred the results of all my labour!” And one of the witticisms of the time is this verse which 'Abd-ul-Malik made for his signet ring:—

“When you increase 'Abd* by Malik
You must put Alif Lám between.”

And Mullá Shírí, the well-known Hindú poet, has a qaçídah of eulogy and satyr dedicated to him; and this is one of the couplets in it:—

“If a rustic* confront you, get out of his way,
For you are a gentleman, and ought not to confront a rustic.”

In this year Mauláná 'Alá-'ud-dín Lárí, author of notes in explana­tion of the “'Aqá'idi (P. 56) nasafí,” came from the Khán Zamán's to Ágra, and applied himself to the study of the sciences, and founded a school of worthless persons, the date of the foundation of which is given by the words Madrasah-e Khas* “A school of the worthless.” Then he went on a pilgrimage, and from that journey he travelled to the other world (God's mercy be upon him!).

In this year the affairs of Kábul fell into confusion, and several Governors, becoming marks for the arrows of promotion, and then of disgrace, in a short space of time felt the effects of the ups and downs of fortune. Ḥaidar Muḥammad Khán, Ákhtah-bégí,* on his coming to Hindústán from his own quarter, had been promoted to the government of Kábul. The Khán Khánán, Mun'im Khán, on account of the bad disposition of Ḥaidar Khán, now wrote for his own son Ghaní Khán to come, and then appointed him to supersede Ḥaidar Khán. But Ghaní Khán, through his depravity, followed in the footsteps of Ḥaidar Muḥammad Khán, and committed many discreditable actions. For instance, without any cause he imprison­ed Tolak Khán Qúchín,* who was one of the chief Amírs. But he in turn fell into his hands, and experienced the lash of the hemistich:—

“The drink, that thou givest other, thou thyself shalt drink.”

When with a hundred strategems Ghaní Khán effected his escape, and, breaking his word, and oath, brought a considerable force to bear against Tolak Khán, who without waiting to fight made for Hindústán: then Máh Jújak Bégum, (mother of Mirzá Muḥammad Ḥakím, the son of the Emperor Humáyún, who was at that time ten years of age), with the concurrence of Sháh Walí Bég Atkah, and Fazá'il Bég the Blind, brother of Mun'im Khán, whose eyes Mírzá Kámrán* had put out,* and his son Abu-l-Fatḥ Bég, closed the fort of Kábul against Ghaní Khán. So he was com­pelled to go to Hindústán, and, on account of his undutifulness towards his father, being unable to find road or way, fled, as an exile* and wanderer, to Jounpúr, until at last he escaped from the disgrace of existence. Now the afore-mentioned Fazá'il Bég was (P. 57) the Bégum's lieutenant, and his son Abu-l-Fatḥ Bég acted as his deputy, and they by combined tyranny helped themselves to good fiefs, and put off the Prince's suite with inferior ones. Sháh Walí Atkah not being able to stand this, with the assistance of 'Alí Muḥammad Asp (who is now on the list of the Emperor's Courtiers), and by the Bégum's orders, one night made an end of Abu-l-Fatḥ while he was drunk. On which, as his father was making for Hazárah* with his goods and chattels, suddenly the servants of the prince went after him and sent him to his son.* Then Sháh Walí Bég with the Bégum's permission assumed the management of affairs, and gave himself the title of 'Ádil Sháh. On account of these things the Emperor sent Mun'im Khán, with some Amírs, to undertake the guardianship of the Prince, and the government of Kábul. Then the Bégum Máh Jújak taking the Prince with her went with the whole of the forces of Kábul to Jalálábád* intending to offer resistance. Mun'im Khán and all of the auxiliary Amírs, among whose number were Muḥammad Qulí Khán Barlás and Ḥasan Khán brother of Shiháb Khán, on the first attack met with a severe repulse,* and giving his retinue to the wind turned his face towards the Court in such a plight as may no one see [again]! After this victory the Bégum on a suspicion of treachery sent Sháh Walí to the world of non-existence:—

“A partridge eat an ant, a hawk came and asked satisfaction of the partridge,
Afterwards an eagle came, and did the same by the hawk,
A hunter shot an arrow at him, and took his life,
The rolling sphere one day brings down dust on the hunter.”*

When Sháh Abu-l-Ma'álí returned from Mekka he went towards the Court. Suddenly near Jálwar, at the instigation of Mírzá Sharaf-ud-dín Ḥusain, (P. 58) he took to rebellion, and went about laying his hands on everything he came across. This Mírzá Sharaf-ud-dín Ḥusain had at this time fled from Ágra, and Ḥusain Qulí Khán, Çádik Muḥammad Khán, and others had been sent in pursuit of him, as will be mentioned shortly, if God (He is exalted!) will. Then Ismáíl Qulí Khán and Aḥmad Bég and Iskandar Bég, relatives of Ḥusain Qulí Khán, went in pursuit of Abu-l-Ma'álí, who entered the fortress of Nárnoul, and, seizing the treasures of that place, distributed them amongst his own party. And after that his brother Khánzádah (whom they also called “king of libertines”)* was captured in the confines of Nárnoul by Muḥammad Çádiḳ Khán and Ismáíl Qulí Khán, who went in pursuit of him. So, being helpless, he turned from Hindústán and went towards Kábul. And coming into the district of the Panjáb by the jungle­side, with the concurrence* of their attendants, he killed Iskandar Bég and Aḥmad Bég, who had got separated from the Amírs, and then wrote a petition and sent it to the Bégum Máh Jújak Bégum, mother of Mírzá Muḥammad Ḥakím. It contained professions of regard for the late Emperor, and of the sincerity of his own fidelity, and in the beginning of it the following couplet was written:—