The Bégum wrote in answer to him:—

“Show kindness and alight, for the house is thy house.”

He married the Bégum's little daughter; and then, assuming the management of affairs, at the instigation of some conspirators, such as Shúkún son of Qaráchah Khán and others, slew the helpless Bégum, and martyred Ḥaidar Qásim Kóhbar, who for some time had been Sháh Wáli Bég's successor as [the Mirzá's] irresponsible lieutenant. (P. 59). His brother Muḥammad Qásim Kóhbar he imprisoned. And when a considerable body of men bound on their girdles to avenge the Bégum, and punish him, a savage fight took place within the fortress of Kábul, in which he drove them out. And Muḥammad Qásim, having effected his escape, went to Ba-dakhshán, and instigated Mírzá Sulaimán to expel Sháh Abu-l-Ma'álí; Mírzá Muḥammad Ḥakím, also, sent some of his people to urge him to come: as will appear later on.

In this year Mírzá Sharaf-ud-dín Ḥusain—who is of the fourth generation from his Reverence:—

“He, who is acquainted with the Freedom of God,
Is the Lord of the Free, (though) the Servant of God”:* —

after the return from Mekka of his illustrious father Khwájah Mu'ín-ud-dín (son of Khwájah Khávind, son of Khwájah Yaḥá, son of Khwájah Aḥrár, God rest their souls!), and after his father's receiving all honours went from Nágór to Ágra the metropolis. And through the baseness of some envious persons (may their names and marks be blotted out from the page of the world!), without any apparent reason conceiving a suspicion, he went off towards Nágór.* Then the Emperor sent Çádiq Muḥammad Khán, and a body of men, together with Ḥusain Qúlí Khán* in pursuit of him, with instructions to try first conciliatory measures, and, if those failed, to extirpate him. Then he, handing over the empty fortress of Ajmír to Tír Khán Díwánah, hastened to Nágór.* But Díwánah deserted the fortress, and went and followed his principal. Then Mírzá Sharaf-ud-dín, having meet with Sháh Abu-l-Ma'álí at Jálor (who was passing by on his road from Mekka to the Court), they so arranged matters together, that Sháh Abu-l-Ma'álí should go against the people* of Ḥusain Qulí Khán, who were at Ḥájípúr, (P. 60) and passing that way, should bring Mírzá Muḥammad Ḥakím from Kábul, while Mírzá Sharaf-ud-dín should do what he could [to prevent rebellion] where he was. But Sháh Abu-l-Ma'álí, on hearing the news of the pursuit of Çádiq Muḥammad Khán and the other Amírs, turned aside and betook himself to Narnoul, where Mír Gesú was governor. Him he made prisoner, but not meeting with any further success, except being able to seize some gold, since he saw the way to the Panjáb and Kábul open to him, he pursued his original design. And Aḥmad Bég and Iskander Bég,* separating from the army of Çádiq Muḥammad Khán and Ismáíl Qúlí Khán,* went after him without delay, and overtook him. And a body of the servants of Mírzá Sharaf-ud-dín Ḥusain, whom these two leaders had attached to their cause and perfectly trusted,* sent a rascal named Zamánah Qulí to Sháh Abu-l-Ma'álí in great haste, with a message to the effect that if he would remain at a certain place, they would make an end of these two leaders as soon as ever they arrived:—

“You may ascertain in one day the attainments of a man,
Up to what point on the ladder of sciences he has reached;
But be not confident as to his heart, and be not deceived,
For the wickedness of the heart may remain unknown for years.”

When they drew near, Sháh Abu-l-Ma'álí on the one side, and these domestic enemies on the other, sprang out of ambush, and brought both the Amírs under the pitiless sword. And their old retainers, when they saw what had taken place, fled like frightened deer or wild animals. When news of this came to the Emperor, he happened to be enjoying himself hunting in the neighbourhood of Mat'hurá.* Nevertheless he marched at once towards Dihlí with the intention of quelling the disturbance.

And it was at that place that his Majesty's intention of connect­ing himself by marriage with the nobles of (P. 61) Dihlí was first broached, and Qawwáls* and eunuchs were sent into the harems for the purpose of selecting daughters of the nobles, and of investi­gating their condition. And a great terror fell upon the city. Now it was the suggestions* of Shaikh Badah, and Lahrah, lords of Agra, which set in motion this train of events. The circumstances are as follows: A widowed daughter-in-law of Shaikh Badah, Fá-timah * by name (though unworthy of such an honourable appella­tion), through evil passions and pride of life, which bear the fruits of wantonness, by the intervention of her tire-women lived in adultery with Báqí Khán, brother of Buzurg Adham Khán, whose house was near hers. And this adultery was afterwards dragged into a mar­riage. She used to bring with her to festive gatherings, another daughter-in law of Shaikh Badah, who had a husband living, whose name was 'Abd-ul-Wási'. And the story of the pious cat,* which is told in the beginning of the Anwár-i-Sohailí, came true. Now this woman, whose husband was still living, was wonderfully beauti­ful, and altogether a charming wife without a peer. One day it chanced that the eyes of the Emperor fell upon her, and so he sent to the Shaikh a proposal of union, and held out hopes to the hus­band. For it is a law of the Moghul Emperors* that, if the Em­peror cast his eye with desire on any woman, the husband is bound to divorce her, as is shown in the story of Sulṭán Abú Sa'íd and Mír Chobán and his son Damashq Khwájah. Then 'Abd-ul-Wási', reading the verse:* “God's earth is wide”:—

“To a master of the world the world is not narrow”*

bound three divorces* in the corner of the skirt of his wife, and went to the city of Bídar in the kingdom of the Dakkan, and so was lost sight of; and that virtuous lady entered the Imperial Ḥaram. Then Fátimah, at the instigation of her own father-in-law urged that the Emperor should become connected in marriage with other nobles also of Agra and Dihlí, that the relation of equality [between the different families] being manifested, any necessity for unreasonable preference might be avoided.

At this time, when one day the Emperor was walking and came near the Madrasah-e Bégum, a slave named Fúlád, whom Mírzá Sharaf-ud-dín Ḥusain, when he fled and went to Makka, had set free, shot an arrow* at him from the top of the balcony of the Madrasah, which happily did no more than graze his skin. When the full significance of this incident was made known to the Em­peror by supernatural admonition and the miracles of the Pírs of Dihlí, he gave up his intention.* The Emperor ordered the wretched man to be brought to his deserts at once, although some of the Amírs wished him to delay a little until the affairs should be investigat­ed, with a view to discovering what persons were implicated in the conspiracy. His Majesty went on horseback to the fortress, and there the physicians applied themselves to his cure, so that in a short time he was healed of his wound, and mounting his royal litter* went to Ágra.