He was a liberal man, and gave rich presents to jesters and singers.
His eldest son, Naman Dás, in the 48th year of Akbar's reign, left the court without permission, and went home. At the request of his father, Sháh Qulí Khán's men were to bring him back to court by force. But Naman defied them; a struggle ensued, and he was killed. Rám Dás was so grieved, that Akbar paid him a visit of condolence.
His second son, Dalap Dás, had the same character as his father; but he died young.
In the Tuzuk (p. 312), a villa near a spring called Inch (<Arabic>), between Bánpúr and Kákápúr in Kashmír, is mentioned, which Akbar had given Rám Dás. Vide also Tuzuk, p. 39, l. 3.
239. Muhammad Kha´n Niya´zi´.
Abulfazl ranks him among the commanders of 500. Under Jahángír, he rose to a command of 2000. Like Mírzá Rustam Çafawí and Abul Hasan Turbatí, he refused a title; for he said that his name was Muhammad, than which no better name existed.
He served under Shahbáz Khán (No. 80) in Bengal, and distinguished himself in the fights near the Brahmaputra. It is said that Shahbáz was so anxious to retain his services, that he gave him a lac of rupees per annum. Later, he served under the Khánkhánán in the conquest of T'hat'hah, and inflicted the final blow on Mírzá Jání Beg (No. 47) near Lak'hí,* where he obtained a signal victory, though far outnumbered by the enemies. From that time, the Khánkhánán was his friend.
Under Jahángír, he took a leading part in the Dak'hin wars, especially in the fights with Malik 'Ambar near Kharkí, a famous battle field (vide note to No. 255), and continued to serve there under Prince Sháhjahán.
He died in 1037. The táríkh of his death is <Arabic>, ‘Muhammad Khán, the saint, is dead.’ He was a man of great piety. His day was carefully divided; religious exercises, the reading of commentaries on the Qorán, conversing with holy men, sleeping and eating, each had its fixed time. Nor did he ever depart from his routine except on the march. He never neglected the ablution (wuzú) prescribed by the law. People told many miraculous stories (khawáriq) of him.
During his long stay in the Dak'hin, he held A´shtí (in the Wardah district) as jágír, and made it his home. He adorned the town with several mosques, houses, and gardens. “At present,” says the author of the Maásir, “there is only one of his hundred houses left, the store house where his lamps were kept; the whole town and the neighbourhood are deserted, and do not yield the tenth part of the old revenue. Even among his descendants there is none left that may be called a man of worth (kase namánd kih rushde dáshtah báshad).”*
He was buried in A´shtí. People often pray at his tomb.
The men of his contingent were mostly Niyází Afgháns. If one of them died, he gave a month's pay to his family; or, if he had no children, half a month's pay to his heirs.
His son, Ahmad Khán Niyází, was in the 20th year of Sháhjahán's reign a commander of 2500 (Pádisháhnámah, II., 386, 725).
240. Abul Muzaffar, son of Ashraf Khán (No. 74).
From the Akbarnámah (III., 248) we see that in the 24th year (987) he was stationed in Chanderí and Narwar, and was ordered to assist in suppressing the Bihár rebels (III., 273). In the 28th year, he served in Gujrát (III., 423, and Badáoní II., (323). Vide also p. 389.
241. Khwa´jagi´ Muhammad Husain, Mír Barr.
He is the younger brother of Qásim Khán (No. 59), and had the title of Mír Barr, in contradistinction to that of his brother. He came in the 5th year with Mun'im (No. 11) from Kábul to India. When dissensions broke out between Ghaní Khán, Mun'im's son, and Haidar Muhammad Khán A´khtahbegí (No. 66), whom Mun'im had left as his náibs in Kábul, Haidar was called to court, and Abul Fath,* son of Mun'im's brother, was sent there to assist Ghaní. Muhammad Husain accompanied Abul Fath. He remained a long time in Kábul. After his return to India, he accompanied the emperor on his march to Kashmír. His honesty and punctuality made him a favorite with the emperor, and he was appointed Mír Bakáwal (master of the imperial kitchen), and was also made a commander of 1000.
In the 5th year of Jahángír, he officiated for Háshim (No. 226) as governor of Kashmír. On Háshim's arrival he returned to court, and died in the end of the 7th year (1021; Tuzuk, p. 114).
He had no children. The Tuzuk says that he was quite bald, and had neither moustache nor beard. His voice was shrill like that of a eunuch.
242. Abul Qa´sim, brother of 'Abdul Qádir A´khúnd.
He is not to be confounded with Nos. 199 and 251. Badáoní (II., 323) calls him a native of Tabríz, and says that his brother was Akbar's teacher (ákhúnd). In 991, Abul Qásim was made Díwán of Gujrát.
243. Qamar Kha´n, son of Mír 'Abdullaṭíf of Qazwín (No. 161).
He served under Mun'im (No. 11) in Bengal, and was present in the battle of Takaroí (p. 375). In the 22nd year, he served under Shiháb in Gujrát (Akbarn., III., 190), and in the 24th year, under Todar Mall in Bihár. In the 25th year, he took part in the battle near Sulṭánpúr Bilharí (p. 400, and Akbarn., III., 305).
His son, Kaukab, fell under Jahángír for some fault into disgrace. He was flogged and imprisoned. Regarding his restoration to favour, vide Tuzuk, p. 219.
| 244. | Arjun Singh, | sons of Rájah Mán Singh (No. 30). |
| 245. | Sabal Singh, | |
| 256. | Sakat Singh, |
Some MSS. have Durjan* instead of Arjun. The name of Sakat Singh, moreover, recurs again at No. 342. There is little doubt that at the latter place we should read Himmat Singh, though all MSS. have Sakat.
Nor is it clear why Abulfazl has not entered the name of Bháo Singh, who at Akbar's death was a commander of 1000, and was gradually promoted, during Jahángír's reign, to a mançab of 5000. Like his elder brother Jagat Singh (No. 160), he died from excessive drinking (1030). His name often occurs in the Tuzuk.
Arjun Singh, Sabal Singh, and Sakat Singh, served in the 37th year in the conquest of Oṛísá. Sakat Singh, in the 26th year (989), had served in Kábul. They died before their father.
Himmat Singh distinguished himself under his father in the wars with the Afgháns.
Col. J. C. Brooke in his Political History of the State of Jeypore (Selections from the Records, Government of India, Foreign Department, No. LXV, 1868) mentions six sons of Mán Singh, Jagat, Arjun, Himmat, Sakat, Bhím, and Kalyán Singh. The last two are not mentioned by Muhammadan historians; nor are Bháo and Sabal mentioned by Brooke. Vide ‘A Chapter from Muhammadan History,’ in the Calcutta Review, April, 1871.
246. Mustafa´ Ghilzi´.
A Sayyid Muçṭafá is mentioned in the Akbarnámah (III., 416). He served in the 28th year in Gujrát, and was present in the battle near Maisánah, 18 kos S. E. of Paṭan, in which Sher Khán Fúládí was defeated.
247. Nazar Kha´n, son of Sa'íd Khán, the Gakk'har.
A brother of his is mentioned below, No. 332. Vide Nos. 170, 171.
The Ṭabaqát calls him Nazar Beg, son of Sa'íd Khán, and says that in 1001, he was a Hazárí.
Mughul Historians give the following tree of the Gakk'har chiefs—
| Sulṭán Tatár, the Gakk'har. | |||
| 1. Sulṭán Sárang | 2. Sulṭán A´dam | ||
| 1. Kamál Khán | 2. Sa'íd Khán | 1. Lashkarí | 2. Muhammad Khán |
| Mubárak Khán (No. 171) | 1. Nazar Khán (No. 247) | Jalál Khán (No. 170) | |
| 2. Sháh Muhammad (No. 332) | Akbar Qulí Sulṭán | ||
| Murád Qulí Sulṭán | |||
| Allah Qulí | |||