But an officer of Sh.'s usefulness could ill be spared, and when M. 'Azíz in the 28th year applied for transfer from Bihár, Sh. with other Amírs was sent there. He followed up Ma'çúm Khán Kábulí to G'horág'hát, and defeated him. He then followed him to Bháṭí (p. 342), plundered Baktarápúr, the residence of 'I´sá, took Sunnárgáṉw, and encamped on the Brahmaputra. 'I´sá afforded Ma'çúm means and shelter; but being hard pressed by the imperialists, he made proposals of peace: an Imperial officer was to reside as Sunnárgáṉw; Ma'çúm was to go to Makkah; and Sh. was to withdraw. This was accepted, and Sh. crossed the river expecting the terms would be carried out. But the enemies did nothing; and when Sh. prepared to return, his officers shewed the greatest insubordination, so that he had to retreat to Ṭánḍah, all advantages being thus lost. He reported matters to Court, and the tuyúldárs of Bihár were ordered to join him. Sh. then took the field and followed up Ma'çúm. In the 30th year, he and Çádiq Khán (vide No. 43) quarrelled. Sub­sequently, Sh. marched again to Bháṭí, and even sent a detachment ‘to Kokrah (<Arabic>), which lies between Oṛísá and the Dak'hin.’ Modhú Singh, the Zamíndár of the district, was plundered, and had to pay tribute. In the 32nd year, when Sa'íd (No. 25) was made Governor of Bengal, and the disturbances had mostly been suppressed, Sh. returned to Court. In the 34th year, he was made Kotwál of the army. He was then sent against the Afgháns of Sawád; but he left his duties without order, and was again imprisoned.

After two years he was released, was made atálíq to M. Sháhrukh, who had been appointed to Málwah and was on his way to Prince Murád in the Dak'hin. During the siege of Ahmadnagar, the inhabitants of Shahr i Nau, ‘which is called Burhánábád,’ asked the Imperialists for protection; but as they were mostly Shí'ahs, Sh., in his bigotry, fell upon them, plundered their houses, especially the quarter called Langar i Duwázdah Imám, the very name of which must have stunk in Sh.'s nostrils. The inhabitants ‘seeing that they could not rely on the word of the Mughuls,’ emigrated. The Prince was irritated; and when Çádiq Khán (No. 43) was appointed his atálíq, Sh. left without permission for Málwah. Akbar gave his jágír to Sháhrukh, and trans­ferred Shahbáz.

In the 43rd year, Sh. was sent to Ajmír as Commander of the manqalá of Prince Salím (Jahángír), whom Akbar has asked to go from Iláhábád against the Ráná. But Sh. was now above seventy years old, and as he had been in the habit of eating quicksilver, he commenced to suffer from pain in his hands and wrists. He got well again, but had in Ajmír another attack; he rallied again, but died suddenly in the 44th year (1008). Salím took quickly possession of Sh.'s treasures, went back to Iláhábád without having done anything, and continued in his rebellious attitude towards his father.

Shahbáz had expressed a dying wish to be buried in Ajmír within the hallowed enclosure of Mu'ín i Chishtí. But the custodians of the sacred shrine refused to comply, and Sh. was buried outside. At night, however, the saint appeared in the dreams of the custodians, and told them that Shahbáz was his favourite, whereupon the hero was buried inside, north of the dome.

Shahbáz was proverbial for his rigid piety and his enormous wealth. His opposition to Akbar's ‘Divine Faith’ has been mentioned above (p. 188). He would neither remove his beard to please the emperor, nor put the word muríd (disciple) on his signet. His Sunní zeal, no doubt, retarded his promotion as much as his arrogance; for other less deserving officers held higher commands. He observed with great strictness the five daily prayers, and was never seen without the rosary in his hand. One day the emperor took a walk along the tank at Fathpúr and seized Shahbáz's hand to accompany him. It was near the time of the 'açr, or afternoon prayer, and Sh. was restless and often looked up to the sun, not to miss the proper time. Hakím Abul Fath (No. 112) saw it from a distance, and said to Hakím 'Alí who stood near him, “I shall indeed call Shahbáz a pious man, if he insists on saying the prayer, alone as he is with the emperor;” (for the prayer had been abolished by Akbar at Court). When the time of prayer had come, Sh. mentioned it to the emperor. “Oh,” replied Akbar, “you can pray another time, and make amends for this omission.” But Sh. drew away his hand from the grasp of the emperor, spread his dupaṭṭah shawl on the ground, and said not only his prayer, but also his vird (volun­tary daily religious exercise), Akbar slapping all the while his head, saying, ‘Get up!’ Abul Fath stepped up, and interceded for Shahbáz, whose persistency he admired.

Abulfazl says that Shahbáz was an excellent and faithful servant; but he blames him for his bigotry. In liberality, he says, he had no equal, and people whis­pered that he found the Páras stone (vide Book III, Çúbah of Málwah). His mili­tary contingent was always complete and in good order; during his fights near the Brahmaputr he had 9000 horse. Every Thursday evening, he distributed 100 Ashrafís to the memory of the renowned Ghausussiqlain ('Abdul Qádir i Jílání). To Kam­bús he gave so much, that no Kambú in India was in bad circumstances.

During the time he was Mír Bakhshí, he introduced the Dágh law, the most important military reform of Akbar's reign (vide pp. 242, 255, 256).

Shahbáz's brother, Karamullah, was likewise pious. He died in 1002 at Saronj (Maásir). The Maásir mentions a son of Shahbáz, Ilhámullah. He was Wáqi'ahnawís (p. 258) of the Sirkár of Baglánah, where he died.

The Tuzuk (p. 248) mentions another son of his, Ranbáz Khán, who during the reign of Sháhjahán was a Commander of Eight Hundred, 400 horse. he was, in the 13th year, Bakhshí and Wáqi'ahnawís of the corps which was sent to Bangash. He held the same rank in the 20th year of Sháhjahán's reign.*

81. Darwi´sh Muhammad Uzbak.

The Maásir says nothing about this grandee; the MSS. of the Ṭabaqát merely say that he was dead in 1001.

From the Akbarnámah (Lucknow Edition, II, p. 137) we see that he was a friend of Bairám. He was sent by Bairám together with Muzaffar 'Alí (No. 37, and p. 317, l. 3) to Sher Muhammad Díwánah, who despatched both fettered to Court.

His name occurs again in the Akbarnámah (Lucknow Edition, II, p. 250,—where for Darwísh Uzbak Khwájah, read Darwísh Uzbak o Muzaffar Khwájah). From the fact that Abulfazl has given his name in this list, it is evident that Akbar pardoned him on Bairám's submission.

82. Shaikh Ibra´hi´m, son of Shaikh Músá, elder brother of Shaikh Salím of Fathpúr Síkrí.

His father, Shaikh Músá, lived a retired life in Síkrí. As Akbar had at first no children, he asked the Síkrí Shaikhs to pray for him, which they did; and as at that time one of Akbar's wives became pregnant (with Salím), Akbar looked upon the Shaikhs with particular favor. To this lucky circumstance, the Síkrí family owes its elevation.

Shaikh Ibráhím lived at first at Court, chiefly in the service of the princes. In the 22nd year, he was made T'hánahdár of Láḍlái, and suppressed the disturbances. In the 23rd year, he was made Governor of Fathpúr Síkrí. In the 28th year, he served with distinction under M. 'Azíz Kokah (No. 21) in Bihár and Bengal, and was with Vazír Khán (No. 41) in his expedition against Qutlú of Oṛísá. When Akbar, in the 30th year went to Kábul, he was made Governor of A´grah, which post he seems to have held till his death in 999 (36th year).