As I had determined to conquer the Rānā, it occurred
to me that I should send Mahābat Khān. I appointed
12,000 fully armed cavalry under able officers to go with
him, and in addition 500 ahadis, 2,000 musketeers on
foot, with artillery made up of 70 to 80 guns mounted
on elephants and camels; 60 elephants were appointed
to this duty. Two million rupees of treasure were ordered
to be sent with this army. On the 16th of the said
month Mīr Khalīlu-llah, grandson of Mīr Ni‘matu-llah
Yazdī, the whole of whose circumstances and family
history has already been written, died of diarrhœa. In
his appearance the traces of sincerity and dervishhood
were manifest. If he had lived and passed a long time
in my service he would have risen to high rank. The
bakhshi of Burhanpur had sent some mangoes, one of
which I ordered to be weighed; it came to 52 1/2 tolas.
On Wednesday, the 18th, in the house of Maryam-zamānī,
the feast of the lunar weighing of my 40th year
was held. I ordered the money used in weighing
to be divided amongst women and needy persons. On
Thursday, the 4th Rabī‘u-l-ākhir, āhir Beg, the bakhshi
of the Ahadis, was given the title of Mukhliṣ Khān,
and Mullā-i-Taqiyyā Shūstarī,*
who was adorned with
excellencies and perfections, and was well acquainted with
the science of history and genealogy, that of Mu'arrikh
Khān. On the 10th of the same month, having given
Barkhūrdār, the brother of ‘Abdu-llah Khān, the title of
Bahādur Khān, I dignified him among his fellows. Mūnis
Khān, son of Mihtar Khān, presented me with a jug of
jasper (jade), which had been made in the reign of
Mīrzā Ulugh Beg Gūrgān, in the honoured name of that
prince. It was a very delicate rarity and of a beautiful
shape. Its stone was exceedingly white and pure. Around
the neck of the jar they had carved the auspicious name
of the Mīrzā and the Hijra year in riqā‘*
characters.
I ordered them to inscribe my name and the auspicious
name of Akbar on the edge of the lip of the jar. Mihtar*
Khān was one of the ancient slaves of this State. He
had the honour of serving the late king Humāyūn, and
during the reign of my revered father had attained the
rank of nobility. He regarded him as one of his confidential
servants. On the 16th a firman was issued
that the country of Sangrām,*
which had been given for
a year by way of reward to my son (farzand) Islām
Khān, should be handed over for the same purpose for
a year to Afẓal Khān, the governor of the Subah of
Behar. On this day I promoted Mahābat Khān to the
rank of 3,000 personal and 2,500 horse, and Yūsuf Khān,
son of Ḥusain Khān Tukriyah, obtained that of 2,000
personal and 800 horse. On the 24th I gave leave to
Mahābat Khān and the Amirs and men who had been
appointed to subdue the Rānā. The aforesaid Khan
was honoured with a robe of honour, a horse, a special
elephant, and a jewelled sword. afar Khān, having
been honoured with a standard, was presented with a
private robe of honour and a jewelled dagger. Shajā‘at
Khān also was presented with a standard, and I gave
him a robe of honour and a special elephant. Rāja
Bīr Singh Deo received a robe of honour and a special
horse, and Manglī Khān a horse and jewelled dagger.
Narāyan Dās Kachhwāhah, ‘Alī Qulī Darman, and Hizabr
Khān Tahamtan obtained leave. On Bahādur Khān and
Mu‘izzu-l-mulk the bakhshi jewelled daggers were
conferred, and in the same manner all the Amirs and
leaders, each one according to his degree, were honoured
with royal gifts. A watch of the day had passed when
the Khankhanan, who had been selected for the high
honour of my Ātālīq (guardian), came from Burhanpur
and waited on me. Delight and happiness had so overpowered
him that he did not know whether he came
on his head or his feet. He threw himself bewildered
at my feet. By way of favour and kindness I lifted
up his head and held it in an embrace of kindliness
and affection, and kissed his face. He brought me as
offerings two strings of pearls and some rubies and
emeralds. The value of the jewels was 300,000 rupees.
Besides these he laid before me many valuable things.
On the 17th Jumādā-l-awwal Wazīr Khān, the Diwan of
Bengal, came and waited on me, and offered 60 elephants,
male and female, and one Egyptian*
ruby. As he was
one of the old servants and he performed every duty,
I ordered him to remain in attendance on me. As Qāsim
Khān and his elder brother, Islām Khān, could in no way
keep the peace together, I had sent for the former to
my own presence; and he yesterday came and waited
on me. On the 22nd, Āṣaf Khān, made me an offering
of a ruby of the weight of seven ṭānk, which Abū-l-
On this day a female antelope in milk was brought
that allowed itself to be milked with ease, and gave every
day four seers of milk. I had never seen or heard of
anything of the kind before. The milk of the antelope,
of the cow, and the buffalo in no way differs. They say
it is of great use in asthma. On the 11th of the month
Rāja Mān Singh asked for leave to complete the army of
the Deccan to which he had been appointed, as well as to
visit Amber, his native place. I gave him a male elephant
of my own called Hushyār-mast, and gave him leave.
On Monday, the 12th, as it was the anniversary of the
death of the late king Akbar, in addition to the expenses
of that entertainment, which are fixed separately, I sent
4,000 rupees more to be divided among the faqirs and
dervishes who are present in the enlightened mausoleum
of the venerated one. On that day I exalted ‘Abdu-llah,
the son of Khān A‘am, with the title of Sarfarāz Khān,
and ‘Abdu-r-Raḥīm, son of Qāsim Khān, with that of
Tarbiyat Khān. On Tuesday, the 13th, I sent for
Khusrau's daughter, and saw a child so like her father
as no one can remember to have seen. The astrologers
used to say that her advent would not be auspicious to her
father, but would be auspicious to me. At last it became
known that they had augured rightly. They said that
I should see her after three years. I saw her when she
had passed this age. On the 21st of the month Khānkhānān
determined to clear out the province of the Niāmu-l-
“Besmeared with wine Fighānī* went to the dust.
Alas! if the angels* smelt his fresh shroud!’
He left 1,500,000 rupees. He has one very stupid son, called Ri‘āyat. On account of his father's claims for services performed, I gave the superintendence of half the farrashkhana to him and the other half to Tukhmāq Khän. Kamāl Khān was one of the slaves sincerely devoted to my service; he is of the caste of the Kalāls of Delhi. On account of the great honesty and trustworthiness that he had shown I made him bakāwal-begī (chief of the kitchen). Few such servants are ever met with. He had two sons, to both of whom I showed great kindness, but where are there others like him? On the 2nd of the said month La‘l* Kalāwant, who from his childhood had grown up in my father's service, who had taught him every breathing and sound that appertains to the Hindi language, died in the 65th or 70th year of his age. One of his girls (concubines) ate opium on this event and killed herself. Few women among the Musulmans have ever shown such fidelity.