At this time Rai Sāl Darbārī was raised to the rank of 2,500 ẕāt and 1,250 horse. He was one of the old servants of the court. He was a good servant and one who jeopardised his life. Rai Singh Rāthor had on account of want of wisdom been unstable, and as a punishment he had for some time been excluded from the kornish. At this time, as marks of repentance appeared in him, he was sum­moned and his offences were pardoned and regarded as not having been committed. An order was given for admitting him to the kornish. A favourable reception of his son (Dalpat)—who continu- ⁸¹⁰ ally acted contrary to his father's wishes—was made conditional on his pleasing his father. H.M. remarked “until he attain the good graces of his father—who is his visible God, and the pleasing of whom is bound up with the pleasing of God—he cannot participate in the favours of the sovereign.”

Reports of the officers of the Deccan arrived stating that Prince Sulān Daniel had taken away the jāgīr of Shāhrukh, and that the Mīrzā was grieved on this account and wished to come to court. An order was issued to the Prince stating that his resumption of the fief was exceedingly disapproved of, and that he must restore it. A gracious letter also was addressed to the Mīrzā, telling him that the composing of the distractions of the province of Mālwa was com­mitted to his judgment, and that he should be fervent in the service, and not come to court without being summoned. He was also honoured by the presentation of a horse. The charge of the province of Multan was made over to S'aīd K., and he was loaded with favours and sent off there. Partāb Singh, the brother of Rajah Mān Singh, came from Bengal and did homage. It was reported that the victorious army had returned after being victorious over Bāsū, and that the fort of Kūlīn (?) had been entrusted after its capture to Rām Dās.

It was reported to H.M. that the Khān-khānān had addressed himself to extirpating the thorn of the sedition of Rājū, and that Prince Sulān Daniel having heard of the misconduct of one of the Fārūqīs in Bābilgarha* had sent a force under the command of Tardī Beg K. and Khwāja Abū-l-ḥasan to punish him, and that he had fled from there to Daulatābād, and that Khwāja Nāir, the eunuch, had shut the gate of the fort against the troops and commenced to fight. They had therefore set themselves to besiege the fort, and had pressed hard upon the garrison. When they had no way of escape they had capitulated and become loyal. An order was issued to 'Allāmī S. Abū-l-faẓl that he should come to court unattended, and that he should make over his army to his son S. 'Abdu-r-raḥmān, and put him in charge of affairs. The Hippocrates of wisdom, the very learned S. Abū-l-faẓl, on account of his abilities and his loyalty and devotion, was rising, from rank to rank of confidence and inti­macy. The envious on beholding this, heated the fire of envy in the furnace of their hearts and sought for opportunities of satisfying their grudge against him. As he was under the protection of God, ⁸¹¹ and the eternal favour was security for that pure-minded one, his advancement continued, and no evil happened to him from any con­tingency. But the spite of the envious constantly gained strength. Gradually Prince Sulān Selīm's mind became prejudiced by the representations of liars against this foremost one of wisdom. As the ways of the prince were displeasing to H.M., and he continually went counter to his father's wishes, his father's neglect of him was increasing daily. Evil-minded persons represented that the aversion of his father was due to the efforts of the Shaikh and that the latter was endeavouring to have him disgraced and distrusted. This had such an effect on the prince, who was of a hot disposition, and had lost his prudence owing to drinking, and to the intoxication of youth and of success, that he set himself to take the life of this unique one of the age. At the time when the prince wanted to come to court without being sent for, and when the secret-discerning sovereign perceived his intent and would not allow him to come, it became known that the Shaikh had been summoned to come quickly to court from the Deccan. The prince thought he had his opportunity, and gave orders to Bīr Singh Deo Bandīla—who had long been a high­way robber, and whose home was on the road from the Deccan, and who for a while had been in the prince's service—that as the Shaikh was proceeding to the court unattended, he should put an end to him. He then despatched that villain after having made him hopeful of many favours. That ignorant partizan ('lwān nādān) went home as quickly as possible and collected a number of bestial, savage Bandīlahs and lay in wait. When the Shaikh received the order of the world's lord, he set out from the Deccan. At Ujjain he heard that that evil plotter was holding the road. He did not attach weight to this statement and disapproved of the suggestion of his well-wishers that he should turn back and proceed by the route of Ghātī Cāndā. Apparently, as the time of death was at hand, the thread of deliberation dropped from his hand! Or perhaps he desired to sever the links of the bodily elements, and his heart was full, from beholding the jugglery of fortune and the ways of his contemporaries! On 1st Rabī-al-awwāl 1011 (9th August 1602), between Serai Bīr and Antrī,* Bir Singh Deo came out from his ambush. That wise and warlike man, with an indignant heart, an open brow, and a soul full of reliance on God, and of courage, prepared for battle. Gadāī K. Afghān—who had been long in his service, and had been nurtured by him, came forward and turned his rein. He in his loyalty represented: “The enemy appears very numerous and ⁸¹² we are too few to be successful. It is proper that I and some others go to face the enemy and that you slowly proceed on your way until the enemy has finished with us. There will be a long interval, and you will arrive comfortably at Āntrī which is three kos distant, and where there are the Rai Rayān and Rajah Singh with 2 or 3,000 horse.” That haughty and brave man replied: “To the noble lovers of their honour it is pleasanter to play away their lives with credit and to die bravely than to spend their days in cowardice, and to bring on themselves the stain of timidity. Accord­ing to the code of the valiant what can be baser than to attach importance to fleeting life and give place to the enemy, and to fix ones heart on the unstable world and so gather eternal disgrace? If this be my last day—and that must happen to every one—what remedy is there, and what counsel can one take?” He also said: “My gra­cious sovereign has raised me from the rank of a student to the lofty position of an amīr, a vizier, and a general. On this day if I act contrary to H.M.'s opinion of me, by what name shall I be called among men, and how shall I have a clear countenance among my rivals.” He said this and proceeded against the enemy. Gadāī again importuned and said: “Soldiers frequently act in this manner. When it is not fitting to engage with the foe, they do not consider it to be a breach in the pillars of courage for them to step aside and turn their rein, and to take vengeance at another time. As yet we have time. You can withdraw yourself from this dangerous spot.” He who was prepared for the last journey, and whose foot was on the path of laying down his life paid no regard to these words and said: “I cannot flee from this unwashed thief.” They were still speaking when Bir Singh Deo arrived. The brave man urged on the steed of bravery on the hostile forces, and died from a spear thrust in the breast. Gadāī K., and some others obtained the boon of sacrificing their lives. Alas for that mine of wisdom, and woe for that ocean of knowledge! The night lamp of science and wisdom was extinguished, and the fountain of eloquence and excellence was stilled. There was an evil day for genius, and the livers of knowledge and perception were torn. Intelligence and discernment were dis­solved and farsight and acuteness removed their baggage from the world!