On Friday, the first day of the second Rabi, I had a jovial* party about afternoon prayers. I bestowed a dress of honour from my own wardrobe on Shah Hassan.
April 2.At daybreak on Saturday morning, I went on board of a boat, and had a morning-party.* At this entertainment, Nūr Beg played on the lute; he had not then adopted a rigid severity of life. At noonday prayers we left the vessel, and amused ourselves in a garden which I had laid out between Kulkineh* and the hill. About afternoon prayers we went to the Bāgh-e-banafsheh,* and sat down to our wine. I returned from Kulkineh over the ramparts into the citadel.
April 3. On the night of Tuesday the 5th, Dost Beg, who had
caught a severe fever on the road, was received into the
mercy of God. I was extremely concerned and grieved at
this event. His body was carried to Ghazni, and buried in
front of the entrance into the Sultan’s Mausoleum.*
Dost
Beg was an admirable man.*
He was rising to the highest
His
character.
rank in the order of nobility. Before he had reached the
rank of Beg, while attending my court, and attached to my
person, he performed several gallant actions. One of these
was when Sultan Ahmed Tambol surprised us by night,
within a farsang of Andejān, at the Rabāt of Zourak.*
With
only ten or fifteen men, I stood my ground, charged him,
and put his party to flight. By the time I came up with the
main body of the enemy, where we found him standing with
about a hundred men drawn up, I had only three men left
with me, the rest having fallen behind; so that we were
but four in number. One of the three was Dost Nāsir,
another Mirza Kuli Gokultāsh, the third Kerīmdād. I had
on my corslet. Tambol, with another person, stood in
front of his troops, about as far in advance as the outer
vestibule of a house is from the door. I advanced right to
Tambol, face to face, and struck him on the helmet with an
arrow. I shot another arrow, which pierced his shield and
plate-mail.*
They discharged an arrow at me, which passed
close by my neck.*
Tambol let fall a heavy sword-blow on
my head. It is a singular fact, that, though not a thread
of my cap of mail was injured, yet my head was severely
wounded. No one coming up to my succour, and finding
myself alone, I was obliged to retreat full gallop. Dost Beg,
who was somewhat behind me, interposed himself, and
engaged him sword in hand, to favour my escape. On
another occasion, at Akhsi, when we were retreating out of
that place, he had a single combat with Bāki Hīz; though
they called him Hīz (the effeminate), yet he was a stern and
sturdy soldier, and wielded his sword right powerfully.
When I retired from Akhsi,*
and had only eight persons left
with me, he was one of them. The enemy, after dismounting
two others, at last dismounted Dost Beg. After he was
elevated to the rank of Beg, too, when Siūnjek Khan came
with the Sultans to Tāshkend, and besieged Ahmed Kāsim,
he broke their ranks, passed through the middle of their
army, and entered the city. He likewise showed great self-devotion
in defending the place.*
Ahmed Kāsim, without
giving him notice, abandoned the city and fled. Under
these circumstances, he manfully attacked the Khans and
Sultans, forced his way out of Tāshkend, broke through the
midst of their army, and bravely effected his escape. After
this, when Shīrīm Taghāi and Mazīd, with their adherents,
A. H. 914.
were in a state of rebellion, Dost Beg having been detached
from Ghazni with a party of two or three hundred men on
a plundering expedition, the Moghuls sent three or four
hundred chosen men, to seek him out and chastise him.
Dost Beg fell in with this force of the enemy in the neighbourhood
of Sherūkān, where he completely beat them,
dismounted and took a number of them prisoners, and
brought back with him a quantity of heads which he had
cut off.*
At the storm of the fort of Bajour, too, Dost Beg’s
people came up and mounted the ramparts before any of
the others; and, at Parhāleh, Dost Beg defeated Hāti, put
him to flight, and took the place.*
After Dost Beg’s death,
I gave his governments to his younger brother, Mīram
Nāsir.
On Friday, the 8th of the latter Rabi, I left the fort, and went to the Chār-bāgh.
April 12.On Tuesday the 12th, Sultānim Begum, the eldest daughter of Sultan Mirza,* who, during the late occurrences,* had been in Khwārizm, where Īsān Kuli Sultan, the younger brother of Yelipars* Sultan, had married her daughter, arrived with her* in Kābul. I assigned her the Bāgh-e-khilwat for her residence. After she had taken up her abode there, I went and waited on them. As I visited them with the same ceremony as if they were my elder sisters, I bowed down as a mark of politeness and respect; they also bowed down. I then went up to them and we embraced each other; and we always afterwards observed the same usage.
April 17.On Sunday the 17th, I released from custody that traitor Bāba Sheikh, who had long been in confinement; forgave his offences, and bestowed on him a dress of honour.
April 19.On Tuesday the 19th, I went out about noon, to make a tour round Khwājeh Sehyārān.* That day I was fasting. Yūnis Ali and some others said with surprise, ‘What! Tuesday, and you fasting! This is a miracle.’ On reaching Behzādi, we halted at the Kazi’s house. That night we had made every preparation for a jolly party, when the Kazi came to me, and said, ‘Such a thing was never yet seen in my house; however, you are Emperor and the Master.’ Although the whole apparatus for our merry-making was ready, yet, to please the Kazi, we gave up our intention of drinking wine.*
April 21.On Thursday the 21st, I directed that an enclosure or fence* should be made on the hill, on the brow of which I had planned out a garden.
April 22.On Friday, I embarked above the bridge on a raft. On coming opposite to the Khāneh Sayādān (sportsmen’s house), a bird called ding* was caught and brought to me. I had never before seen a ding. It has a singular appearance, and will be more particularly mentioned in the account of the animals of Hindustān.
April 23.On Saturday the 23rd, I planted shoots of the plane, and April 24. of the sycamore,* within the enclosure.* At noon-day prayers we had a drinking party. At daybreak next morning, we had an early drinking party within the new enclosed ground. After mid-day we mounted and returned towards Kābul. Reaching Khwājeh Hassan, completely drunk, we slept there. At midnight we mounted again, left Khwājeh April 25 Hassan, and arrived at the Chār-bāgh. At Khwājeh Hassan, Abdallah, being intoxicated, had leaped into the water, arrayed as he was in his robe and dress of honour. As it was late, he was affected with the cold, was unable to move,* and stayed all night at Kutlūk Khwājeh’s estate. Next morning he came to me ashamed and penitent for his excesses, having formed a resolution to abstain from wine.* I said to him, ‘Now, speak out:* Is your repentance to be effectual and profitable for the future or not? You are not to abstain from wine in my presence, and go on drinking everywhere else.’* He adhered to his resolution for some months,* but could not observe it longer.
Hindu BegOn Monday the 25th, Hindu Beg, who had been left in Behreh and the adjoining provinces without sufficient means, in hopes of their remaining peaceable, rejoined me. My back had no sooner been turned than the Afghans and Hindustānis, without listening to any invitations to remain quiet, or paying the slightest attention to me or my orders, instantly assembled in great numbers, and marched against Hindu Beg in Behreh. The Zemīndārs* also joined the party of the Afghans; so that Hindu Beg, being unable to defend himself in Behreh, retired by Khushāb, passed through the country of Dīnkot, and proceeding on by Nilāb, arrived in Kābul. Deo Hindu, with the son of Sektu, and some other Hindus,* had been brought as prisoners from Behreh. We now settled with each of them for a certain contribution, on payment of which these Hindustānis were all presented with horses and dresses of honour, and dismissed, with liberty to return home.
April 29.