His third son Mír Gadáí, though he held a mançab, adopted the saintly mode of life which his ancestors had followed. In the 46th year, he served in the Dak'hin.

316. Qa´sim Khwa´jah, son of Khwájah 'Abdul Bárí. Vide No. 320.

317. Na´di 'Ali´ Maidání.

In MSS. he is often wrongly called Yád 'Alí.

The word nádi is an Arabic Imperative, meaning call. It occurs in the following formula used all over the East for amulets.

Nádi 'Aliyan mazharal'ajáib,

Tajidhu 'aunan fi kulli-lmaçáib.

Kullu hammin wa ghammin sayanjalí

Binubuwwatika yá Muhammad, biwiláyitika yá 'Alí.

Yá 'Alí, yá 'Alí, yá 'Alí.

Call upon 'Alí, in whom all mysteries reveal themselves,

Thou wilt find it a help in all afflictions.

Every care and every sorrow will surely vanish

Through thy prophetship, O Muhammad, through thy saintliness, O 'Alí.

O 'Alí, O 'Alí, O 'Alí!

The beginning of the amulet suggested the name.

In the 26th year, Nádi 'Alí served against M. Muhammad Hakím, in 993 (the 30th year) in Kábul, and two years later under Zain Kokah (No. 34) against the Táríkís.

In the 6th year of Jahángír's reign, he was made a commander of 1500, chiefly for his services against the Kábul rebel Ahdád. In the 10th year, he served in Bangash, when he was a commander of 1500, 1000 horse. He died in the following year (1026); vide Tuzuk, p. 172. His sons were provided with mançabs.

His son Bízan (or Bízhan) distinguished himself, in the 15th year, in Bangash, and was made a commander of 1000, 500 horse (l. c., pp. 307, 309).

The Pádisháhnámah (I., b., 322) mentions a Muhammad Zamán, son of Nádi 'Alí Arlát, who in the 10th year of Sháhjahán was a commander of 500, 350 horse.

Nádi 'Alí is not to be confounded with the Háfiz Nádi 'Alí, who served under Jahángír as Court Háfiz (Tuzuk, p. 155, and its Díbájah, p. 19), nor with the Nádi 'Alí who served under Sháhjahán (Pádisháhn., II., 749) as a commander of 500, 200 horse.

318. Ni´l Kant'h, Zamíndár of Oṛísá.

319. Ghia´s Beg of Ṭahrán [I'timád-uddaulah].

His real name is Mírzá Ghiásuddín Muhammad. In old European histories his name is often spelled Ayás, a corruption of Ghiás, not of Ayáz (<Arabic>).

Ghiás Beg's father was Khwájah Muhammad Sharíf, who as poet wrote under the assumed name of Hijrí. He was Vazír to Tátár Sulṭán, son of Muhammad Khán Sharafuddín Ughlú Taklú, who held the office of Beglar Begí of Khurásán. After Tátár Sulṭán's death, the Khwájah was continued in office by his son Qazáq Khán, and on Qazáq's death, he was made by Sháh Ṭahmásp Vazír of Yazd.*

Khwájah Muhammad Sharíf is said to have died in A. H. 984. He had two brothers, Khwájah Mírzá Ahmad, and Khwájagí Khwájah. The son of Kh. Mírzá Ahmad was the well known Khwájah Amín Rází (<Arabic>, i. e. of the town of Rai, of which he was kalántar, or magistrate), who travelled a good deal and composed the excellent work entitled Haft Iqlím, A. H. 1002. Khwájagí Khwájah had a son of the name of Khwájah Shápúr, who was likewise a literary man.

Ghiás Beg was married to the daughter of Mírzá 'Alá-uddaulah, son of* A´ghá Mullá. After the death of his father, in consequence of adverse circumstances, Gh. B. fled with his two sons and one daughter from Persia. He was plundered on the way, and had only two mules left, upon which the members of the family alternately rode. On his arrival at Qandahár, his wife gave birth to another daughter, who received the name of Mihrunnisá (‘the Sun of Women’), a name which her future title of Núr Jahán has almost brought into oblivion.* In their misfortune, they found a patron in Malik Mas'úd, leader of the caravan, who is said to have been known to Akbar. We are left to infer that it was he who directed Ghiás Beg to India. After his introduction at Court in Fathpúr Síkrí,* Gh. rose, up to the 40th year, to a command of 300. In the same year, he was made Díwán of Kábul, and was in course of time promoted to a mançab of 1000, and appointed Díwán i Buyútát.

Regarding Mihrunnisá's marriage with 'Alí Qulí, vide No. 394.

In the beginning of Jahángír's reign, Ghiás Beg received the title of I'timáduddaulah. In the second year, his eldest son, Muhammad Sharíf* joined a conspiracy, to set Khusrau at liberty and murder the emperor; but the plot being discovered, Sharíf was executed, and I'timád himself was imprisoned. After some time, he was let off on payment of a fine of two lacs of rupees. At the death of Sher Afkan (p. 497), Mihrunnisá was sent to court as a prisoner “for the murder of Quṭbuddín,” and was handed over to Ruqaiyah Sulṭán Begum,* with whom she lived ‘unnoticed (banákámí) and rejected.’ In the 6th year (1020), she no longer slighted the emperor's proposals, and the marriage was celebrated with great pomp. She received the title of Núr Mahall, and a short time afterwards that of Núr Jahán.*

Ghiás, in consequence of the marriage, was made Vakíl i kul, or prime-minister, and a commander of 6000, 3000 horse. He also received a flag and a drum, and was in the 10th year allowed to beat his drum at court, which was a rare privilege. In the 16th year, when J. was on his way to Kashmír, Ghiás took ill. The imperial couple were recalled from a visit to Kángṛah Fort, and arrived in time to find him dying. Pointing to the Emperor, Núr Jahán asked her father whether he recognized him. He quoted as answer a verse from Anwarí—

‘If one who is blind from birth stood here, he would recognize his majesty by his august forehead.’

He died after a few hours. The Tuzuk (p. 339) mentions the 17th Bahman, 1031, (Rabí' I, 1031) as the day of his death, and says that he died broken-hearted three months and twenty days after his wife, who had died on the 29th Mihr, 1030, i. e., 13th Zí Qa'dah, 1030).

Ghiás Beg was a poet. He imitated the old classics, which ruling passion, as we saw, shewed itself a few hours before he died. He was a clever correspondent, and is said to have written a beautiful Shikastah hand. Jahángír praises him for his social qualities, and confessed that his society was better than a thousand mufarrih i yáqúts.* He was generally liked, had no enemies, and was never seen angry. ‘Chains, the whip, and abuse, were not found in his house.’ He protected the wretched, especially such as had been sentenced to death. He never was idle, but wrote a great deal; his official accounts were always in the greatest order. But he liked bribes, and shewed much boldness in demanding them.*

His mausoleum near A´grah has often been described.