The same day, I also gave an audience of leave to Khwājeh Muhammed Ali and Tengri Berdi, who held the countries of Khost and Anderāb.*
July 21.On Thursday the 23rd, Muhammed Ali Jeng-Jeng, whom I had left in the neighbourhood of Kacheh-kot and Karlūk,* districts which I had placed under his control, came to me accompanied by Mirza Malvi Karlūk’s son, Shah Hussein and by some of Hāti’s people.
This same day, Mu??a Ali Jān, who had gone to Samarkand to bring his family, having returned, waited on me.
Inroad onThe Abdal-Rahmān Afghans* had settled themselves within the limits of Gerdez, and did not pay their taxes nor demean themselves peaceably. They molested the caravans both in coming and going. In order to chastise these July 27. Afghans, and beat up their quarters, on Wednesday, the 29th of Rajeb, I set out on an expedition against them. We halted and took some food in the neighbourhood of Tang i Waghchān;* and again set out after noon-day prayers. That night we lost our road, and wandered a great deal to the south-east of Panjāb shakhneh,* among hillocks and waste* grounds. After a time we again found the road, passed the kotal (hill-defile) of Chashmeh-e-tīreh,* July 28. and about the time of morning prayers, reached the plain (descending to it by the valley of Yakishlīk, on the side of Gerdez), and sent out our plundering parties to scour the country. One detachment went out to plunder the country, and beat up the enemy’s quarters on the side of the hill of Kirmās,* which lies south-east of Gerdez. I sent Khosrou Mirza Kuli and Syed Ali, with a division under their command, from the right of the centre, to follow and support this body. A considerable party of troops* proceeded on a plundering excursion up the julga (or dale), to the east of Gerdez, Syed Kāsim Ishek-agha,* Mīr Shah Kūchīn, Kiyām and Hindu Beg, Kutlūk Kadem, Hussain, and their followers, were sent to support this second detachment.
As the party that went up the dale was the most considerable, after seeing them pass, I followed them. The inhabitants were a great way up, so that the troops which went to find them out tired their horses, and did not get the slightest thing worth mentioning. Forty or fifty Afghans came in sight on the plain. The party that had been sent to follow and support the troops rode up towards them, and sent a horseman to hasten my advance. I immediately rode briskly forward, but before I could come up, Hussain Hassan, without motive or reason, had spurred on his horse into the midst of the Afghans, and while he was laying about him with his sword, his horse, being wounded with an arrow, threw him. He had no sooner risen than they wounded him in the leg with a sword, threw him down again, dispatched him with their hangers and swords, and cut him in pieces. The Amirs stopped short, and stood looking on, but gave him no assistance. On getting information of this, I ordered Gadāi Taghāi, Payandeh Muhammed Kiplān, Abul Hassan Korchi, Mūmin Atkeh, with my immediate followers, and some chosen troops, to gallop on at full speed. I myself followed them at a quick pace. First of all, Mūmin Atkeh, on getting into action, struck down an Afghan with a spear, and cut off his head, which he brought away. Abdal Hassan Korchi had not arrayed himself in his mail, but he ad vanced bravely, posted himself in the road by which the Afghans were marching, charged among them full speed on horseback, brought down an Afghan with his sabre, and cut off his head, which he brought in as a trophy. He himself received three wounds, and his horse was also wounded in one place. Payandeh Muhammed Kiplān also advanced very gallantly, attacked and wounded an Afghan, sword in hand, made him prisoner,* and brought in his head. Though the courage of Abul Hassan and Payandeh Muhammed Kiplān had been distinguished on former occasions, yet in this affair they gave still more conspicuous proofs of their gallantry. These forty or fifty Afghans were all shot or cut down to a man. After slaying the Afghans, we halted in a cultivated field, and I directed a tower of skulls to be made of their heads. By the time I reached the road, the Begs who had been with Hussain came up. Being very angry, and resolved to make an example of them, I said,—‘As you, though so many in number, have stood by and seen a young man of such distinction and merit killed by a few Afghans on foot, and on plain ground, I deprive you of your rank and station, take from you your commands and governments, direct your beards to be shaven, and that you be led ignominiously round the streets of the town, that no man may henceforward give up a youth of such worth to so contemptible an enemy. On level ground you stood looking on, and never lifted an arm. Be this your punishment.’* That detachment of the army which had gone towards Kirmās brought in some sheep and plunder. Bāba Kashkeh, who was a very resolute man,* while an Afghan was in the act of lifting his sword, and rushing on to come to close quarters with him, stood his ground without flinching, applied his arrow to the string with the greatest coolness, hit the Afghan, and brought him down.
July 29.Next morning we set out on our return towards Kābul. I ordered Muhammed Bakhshi, Abdal-azīz Mīr Akhūr,* and Mīr Khurd Bekāwel,* to remain at Chashmeh-tīreh, and take some karkāwels.* I myself, with a small body, went by the way of Meidān-e-Rustam,* as I had never seen that road. The Meidān-e-Rustam lies in the heart of a hill country, towards the top of the hills. The place is not remarkable for beauty. In the middle of a hill is an open julga, or dale.* To the south, on the skirts of an eminence, is a small fountain of water. It is surrounded with extremely large trees. Along the road leading from Gerdez to this Meidān-e-Rustam there are springs. They also have many trees about them, but these trees are not so lofty as the former. Although the julga is rather narrow, yet below these last-mentioned trees the valley is extremely verdant, and it is a most beautiful little dale. On reaching the top of the hill which rises to the south of Meidān-e-Rustam, the hill-country of Kirmās and the hill-country of Bangash appear under our feet. As the rains do not reach that tract of ground,* there is never a cloud seen on it. About noon-day prayers I reached Hūli, and halted.
July 30.Next morning, I halted at the village of Muhammed Aka, and, indulging myself with a maajūn, made them throw into the water the liquor used for intoxicating fishes, and caught a few fish.
July 31.On Sunday, the third of Shābān, I arrived in Kābul.
August 2.On Tuesday, the 5th of the month, I inquired into the conduct of Darwīsh Muhammed Fazli, and the servants of Khosrou, regarding the surrender of Nilāb,* and it appearing clearly in the course of the examinations that they had behaved ill, I degraded them from their rank and employments. About noon-day prayers, there was a drinking party under a plane tree. I bestowed a dress of honour on Bāba Kashkeh Moghul.
August 5.On Friday the 8th, Kīpek, who had been sent to Mirza Khan, returned back.
August 11.On Thursday, we mounted,* in order to ride round and visit the dāmenkoh (or skirts of the hill-country) of Khwājeh Sehyārān and Bārān. About bed-time prayers, we alighted August 12. at Māma Khātūn.* Next morning, we went as far as Istālīf, where we halted. That day I took a maajūn.
August 13.On Saturday, we had a drinking party at Istālīf.
August 14.Next morning we left Istālīf, and passed through the Sinjid dareh. When we had nearly reached Khwājeh Sehyārān, they killed a large serpent, which was as thick as the arm, and as long as a man.* Out of this large serpent crept a thinner one, which had apparently been caught and swallowed immediately before. All its parts were quite uninjured and sound. The thin serpent might be somewhat shorter than the thick one. Out of the thin serpent came a large rat,* which likewise was perfectly sound; no limb of it was injured. On reaching Khwājeh Sehyārān, we had a drinking party.