On the 22nd Zí-l ka'da, at a chosen moment, the royal departure from the metropolis of Sháhjahánábád to the blessed city of Ájmír took place. On the same date, the Emperor de­spatched 'Allámí, with a large number of nobles and mansabdárs and 1500 musketeers, amounting altogether to 30,000, for the purpose of hurrying on in that direction, and demolishing the fort of Chitor, which was one of the gifts ('atáyá) that had been made by this Imperial dynasty. From the time of the late Emperor Jahángír, it had been settled that no one of the Ráná's posterity should ever fortify it; but Ráná Jagat Singh, the father of Rájá Jai Singh, having set about repairing it, had pulled down every part that was damaged, and built it up very strongly anew. He also directed him, if perchance the Ráná did not tender his obedience, to overrun his territory with the royal forces, and inflict suitable chastisement on him. The triumphant standards then moved on by the regular marches in the rear of the ever-victorious troops. On the 2nd of Zí-l hijja, when the world-subduing banners were planted at Khalílpúr, the Ráná's confiden­tial vakíls waited on the Prince Buland Ikbál, and begged His Royal Highness to act as their intercessor. When, by his mediation, the penitence and humility expressed by the Ráná was reported at the threshold of might and majesty, an order was issued that His Royal Highness should send his Mír-i buyutát to wait upon the Ráná, and deliver the following message, viz. that if, with judicious forethought, he would despatch his eldest son, the Sáhib-i-tíka, to the presence, and a detachment of his people under the command of one of his relatives were stationed in the Dakhin, the same as formerly, to be employed in the royal service, he should be left in security, or otherwise he should be overwhelmed in adversity.

As the Ráná had again in these days humbly forwarded an address to the Prince Buland Ikbál, requesting him to send his díwán, in order that he might start off his sons to Court in company with that individual, His Royal Highness obtained permission from the Imperial threshold, and despatched Shaikh 'Abdu-l Karím, his own díwán, to the Ráná. * *

The exploits of the army that accompanied 'Allámí were as follows. On his arriving within twelve kos of Chitor, which is the frontier of the Ráná's territory, inasmuch as the latter's nego-ciations had not yet been satisfactorily terminated, he commenced plundering and devastating, and depasturing his cattle on the crops. On the 5th of Zí-l hijja, this year, having reached the environs of Chitor, he directed working parties with pickaxes and spades to overthrow that powerful stronghold. Accordingly, in the course of fourteen or fifteen days, they laid its towers and battlements in ruins, and having dug up and subverted both the old and the new walls, levelled the whole to the ground. The Ráná having awoke from his sleep of heedlessness at the advent of the prosperous banners at Ájmír, the irresistible force of the royal arms, the dispersion of the peasantry, and the ruin of his territory, sent off a letter containing the humblest apologies to Court, along with his eldest son, who was in his sixth year, and a number of his principal retainers, in company with Shaikh 'Abdu-l Karím, the Prince Buland Ikbál's Mír-i buyutát. A farmán was then issued to Jamdatu-l Mulk ('Allámí), that since the fort had been demolished, and the Ráná had sent off his son to Court, the pen of forgiveness had been drawn through the register of his delinquencies at the Prince Buland Ikbál's solici­tation, and that he should set out himself with the whole of the victorious army to the royal presence.

Marks of distinction bestowed on Prince Dárá Shukoh.

On the 8th of Rabí'u-s sání this year, being the expiration of the sixty-fifth lunar year of His Majesty's age, a festival was celebrated with exceeding splendour, and was attended with the usual ceremonies. In this sublime assembly the Emperor kindly conferred on the Prince Buland Ikbál a handsome khil'at with a gold-embroidered vest, studded with valuable diamonds round the collar; on both sleeves, and the skirts, pearls had been sewn, and it was worth 50,000 rupees; also a sarband composed of a single ruby of the purest water, and two magnificent pearls, of the value of a lac and 70,000 rupees, and a donation of thirty lacs besides. He also distinguished His Royal Highness by the lofty title of Sháh Buland Ikbál, which had been applied exclusively to himself during his late Majesty's reign; and since in the days of his Princehood a chair had been placed at that Emperor's suggestion opposite to the throne for him to sit on, he now in like manner directed His Royal Highness to seat himself on a golden chair, that had been placed near the sublime throne.

Among the incidents of the past year, the appointment and despatch of Khalílu-lla Khán during the return from Ájmír, with 8000 men, for the purpose of coercing the Zamíndár of Srínagar, and capturing the Dún, have been already detailed by the historic pen. The particulars of his advance and return are as follows. When the Khán in question set out with the royal forces, the Zamíndár of Sirmor, who had never felt disposed to ally himself with the servants of the crown, came under the guidance of good fortune and joined them. He was then ren­dered conspicuous among his compeers by the promulgation of an edict from the threshold of empire and sovereignty, investing him with the title of Rájá Sabhák Prakás.

Sirmor is a mountainous tract to the north of the new metro­polis, measuring thirty kos in length, and twenty-five in breadth, in which ice-houses had been established for His Majesty's private use; whence, from the beginning of the month of Isfandiár (February) till the end of Mihr (September), an abundant supply of ice was constantly reaching the metropolis during the time that the royal standards were planted there. From these emporia porters used to carry loads of snow and ice on their backs as far as Dhamrás, the name of a place situated on the bank of the river Jumna at a distance of sixteen kos, but the road to which is extremely difficult. There it was packed in boxes, and sent down the stream on rafts to Daryápúr, one of the dependencies of pargana Khizrábád, which is also sixteen kos off from Dhamrás. From that point it was transported to the metropolis on board of boats in the course of three days and nights.

Khalílu-lla Khán, in company with the aforesaid Rájá and some other zamíndárs of those parts, having reached the Dún, which is a strip of country lying outside of Srínagar, twenty kos long and five broad, one extremity of its length being bounded by the river Jumna, and the other by the Ganges, which possesses many flourishing towns in various quarters, laid the foundation of a fieldwork close to Kílághar, and completed it in the course of a week. He then deputed one of the man-sabdárs to keep guard there with 200 matchlockmen, and set out in advance with the whole of his comrades. On reaching Bahádur Khánpúr, which is a place belonging to the Dún, and lies between the rivers Jumna and Ganges, in consequence of the peasantry that dwelt in that neighbourhood having taken refuge in the hills and forests and defiles, and obstinately refusing to return, he despatched the ever-triumphant troops from every side to coerce them, who succeeded in inflicting suitable chastise­ment. A number of the rebels therefore fell by the sword of vengeance, and many more were taken prisoners; after which the remainder tendered their allegiance, and innumerable herds of cattle fell into the hands of the soldiery. Here, likewise, he threw up a fortified post, and left a confidential person with some mansabdárs, and 500 infantry and matchlockmen, to garrison it, so that the passage of travellers to and fro might remain uninterrupted. Having then set out himself from thence, he approached the town of Basantpúr, which is also a dependency of the Dún, and halted half-way up the hill. Opposite the above town, he constructed another redoubt, in which he posted one of the mansabdárs with 250 infantry matchlockmen. From thence he moved to Sahijpúr, a place abounding in streams and fountains, and clothed with flowers and verdure; where he erected a fort on the top of an embankment, measuring 1,000 yards in circumference, and fifteen in height, that had in former times been crowned by a stronghold, inasmuch as some traces of the ancient works were still visible; and he deputed a trusty individual to hold the post, backed by 250 musketeers. On reaching the banks of the Ganges, after crossing which one enters the hill-country, he sent a detachment with the royal artillery to the other side of the stream, with a view to their taking possession of the thána of Chándí, which is one of the dependencies of Srínagar, but lies outside the Dún of Kílághar.