[Advance of an army from Sístán against Kandahár.—Occupa­tion and abandonment of the fort of Khanshí, near Bust.]

[Great fire at the residence of Prince Shujá' in Ágra.—Royal visit to Kashmír.]

In the month of Muharram intelligence came in that Pirthi Ráj, son of Jajhár Bundela, had been taken prisoner. ^{* *} Orders were given for his confinement in the fort of Gwálior.

FOURTEENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN, 1050 A.H. (1640 A.D.).

[Chastisement of the Kolís and Káthís in Gujarát.—Payment of tribute by the Jám of Káthíwár.]

[Rebellion of Jagat Singh, son of Rájá Bású of Kángra.]

[Text, vol. ii. p. 257.] On the 17th Sha'bán Yamínu-d daula Ásaf Khán Khán-khánán, commander-in-chief, departed this life; ^{* *} and on receiving the intelligence, His Majesty was much affected, and gave orders that he should be buried on the west side of the tomb of the late Emperor Jahángír, and that a lofty dome should be raised over his grave. ^{* *} He had risen to a rank and dignity which no servant of the State had ever before attained. By the munificent favour of the Emperor, his mansab was nine thousand personal and nine thou­sand horse, do-aspah and sih-aspah, the pay of which amounted to sixteen krors and twenty lacs of dáms. When these had all received their pay, a sum of fifty lacs of rupees was left for him­self. ^{* *} Besides the mansion which he had built in Lahore, and on which he expended twenty lacs of rupees, he left money and valuables to the amount of two krors and fifty lacs of rupees. There were 30 lacs of rupees in jewels, three lacs of ashrafís equal to 42 lacs of rupees, one kror and 25 lacs in rupees, 30 lacs in gold and silver utensils, and 23 lacs in mis­cellaneous articles.

[Campaign in Jagat Singh's territory. Capture of Mú, Núrpúr, and other forts. Surrender of Tárágarh, and submission of Jagat Singh.]

[Text, vol. ii. p. 376.] At the beginning of Rabí'u-s sání, it was made known to the Emperor that Prince Aurangzeb, under the influence of ill-advised, short-sighted companions, had deter­mined to withdraw from worldly occupations, and to pass his days in retirement. His Majesty disapproved of this, and took from the Prince his mansab and his jágír, and dismissed him from the office of Governor-General of the Dakhin. Khán-daurán Bahádur Nusrat Jang was appointed to succeed him.

EIGHTEENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN, 1054 A.H. (1644 A.D.).

['Alí Mardán Khán Amíru-l Umará sent to chastise Tardí 'Alí Katghán of Balkh.—Successful result.]

[p. 385.] On the 29th Zí-l hijja, Prince Aurangzeb was appointed Governor of Gujarát. ^{* *}

NINETEENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN, 1055 A.H. (1645 A.D.).

[Affairs of Nazar Muhammad Khán of Balkh—Operations in Kábul.]

[p. 411.] On the 29th Shawwál, 1055, died Núr Jahán Begam, widow of the late Emperor Jahángír. After her marriage with the Emperor, she obtained such an ascendency over him, and exercised such absolute control over civil and revenue matters, that it would be unseemly to dilate upon it here. After the accession of the Emperor Sháh Jahán, he settled an annual allowance of two lacs of rupees upon her.*

Campaign against Balkh and Badakhshán.

[Text, vol. ii. p. 482.] Ever since the beginning of his reign, the Emperor's heart had been set upon the conquest of Balkh and Badakhshán, which were hereditary territories of his house, and were the keys to the acquisition of Samarkand, the home and capital of his great ancestor Tímúr Sáhib-Kirán. He was more especially intent on this because Nazar Muhammad Khán had had the presumption to attack Kábul, from whence he had been driven back in disgrace. The prosecution of the Emperor's cherished enterprise had been hitherto prevented by various obstacles; ^{* *} but now the foundations of the authority of Nazar Muhammad were shaken, and his authority in Balkh was precarious. ^{* *} So the Emperor determined to send his son Murád Bakhsh with fifty thousand horse, and ten thousand musketeers, rocket-men and gunners, to effect the con­quest of that country. ^{* *} On the last day of Zí-l hijja, 1055 H., the Emperor gave his farewell to Prince Murád Bakhsh, to Amíru-l Umará ('Alí Mardán Khán),* and the other officers sent on this service. [Plan of campaign. ^{* *} Progress of the Emperor to Kábul.—Details of the campaign.—Capture of the fort of Kahmard and the stronghold of Ghorí.—Conquest of Kunduz and Balkh, and flight of Nazar Muhammad.—Revenues of Nazar Muhammad.]

TWENTIETH YEAR OF THE REIGN, 1056 A.H. (1646 A.D.).

[Prince Murád Bakhsh desires to retire from Balkh.—Dis­pleasure of the Emperor expressed in a despatch.—The Prince persists.] Many of the amírs and mansabdárs who were with the prince concurred in this unreasonable desire. Natural love of home, a preference for the ways and customs of Hindustán, a dislike of the people and the manners of Balkh, and the rigours of the climate, all conduced to this desire. This resolution became a cause of distress among the raiyats, of despondency among the soldiery, and of hesitation among the men who were coming into Balkh from all quarters. The soldiers, seeing this vacillation, began to plunder and oppress the people. So, when the Prince's desire was repeatedly expressed, the Emperor's anger was increased. He deprived the prince of his mansab, and took from him his tuyúl of Multán. Under these circumstances, to settle the confusion in Balkh, the Emperor found it necessary to send there a trustworthy and able manager; so he selected Sa'du-lla Khán, his prime minister. [Fighting in Badakhshán.—Settle­ment of Balkh.] Sa'du-lla Khán returned on the 5th Sha'bán, 1056 H., having settled the affairs of Balkh, and restored order and tranquillity among the soldiers and people, and rescued the country from wretchedness. He had most effectually carried out the orders of the Emperor, and was rewarded with a khil'at, and a thousand increase to his mansab. [Prince Murád Bakhsh restored to his mansab of 12,000.—Much fighting near Balkh and Shaburghán.]*

Aurangzeb sent to Balkh.

[Text, vol. ii. p. 627.] On the 24th Zí-l hijja, 1056, the Emperor bestowed the countries of Balkh and Badakhshán on Aurangzeb, and increased his mansab to 15,000 personal and ten thousand horse, eight thousand being do-aspahs or sih-aspahs. ^{* *} He was directed to proceed to Pesháwar, and on the arrival of spring to march to Balkh, in company with Amíru-l Umará 'Alí Mardán Khán, and a body of Rájpúts, who had left Balkh and Badakhshán in disgust, and had come to Pesháwar, where they were stopped by an Imperial order directing the officers at Atak not to allow them to cross the Indus.

The Emperor proceeds to Kábul.

[Text, vol. ii. p. 637.] By the reports of the commanders in Balkh and Badakhshán, the Emperor was informed that 'Abdu-l 'Azíz Khán, governor of Turán, ^{* *} intended to invade Balkh at the beginning of spring. On the 15th Muharram Prince Aurangzeb was sent on to Balkh with a body of Imperial soldiers, and the Emperor himself determined to leave Lahore and go to Kábul for the third time.

[Long details of fighting in Balkh and Badakhshán, ending abruptly with a statement of the errors made on the Imperial side.]