Whenever the world-adorning Deity establishes the pillars of an auspicious one He totally subverts his opponents. He overthrows those who begin by showing wheat, but who sell barley,* together with the open and secret foes, and in order that the rule “the most important and then the next most important*” may be observed, he begins by trampling in the dust of contempt the openly and inwardly perverse and sends them as outcasts to the realm of annihilation. Then He despatches the inwardly worthless to the abyss of ruin and so cleanses the world of those who with vulpine trickery come in the guise of loyalists and do the work of enemies. In brief, when God the world-adorner made such a victory fall to 'Ali Qulī Khān's lot He increased the stock of his infatuation. He did not send to court the spoils of this celestial victory, which was a gift of God. The world-conquering mind of the Shāhinshāh wished to visit the eastern provinces so that the Khān Zamān's infatuation might not become madness. But as he knew that the correction of Adham Khān, who after the Mālwa victory was become seditious, was the most important matter, he determined on visiting and regulating that province which was one of the glorious gifts of God. The excellent idea of the king, who in the beginning of things ever looks to the termination, and his far-sightedness which in the commencement of cases considers how they may be happily ended, demanded that he should, in the first instance, gallop the steed of intention towards Mālwa so that the actions of that evil-doer might not be irremediable. He was occupied with these thoughts when Ṣādīq Khān came to Court and told the real state of affairs. This confirmed His Majesty in his resolution, and the officers were ordered to make the necessary arrangements for the expedition. It was his innate kindness which inclined his heart to the amendment of Adham Khān. The desire to see that delightful country and to arrange its affairs became fixed in his far-seeing mind. He left Mun'im Khān Khān-Khānān, Khwāja Jahān and a number of others in Agra and without informing the great officers and Eyes of the State he went off with a band of special attendants in an auspicious hour of the day of Sarosh 17 Ardībihisht, Divine month, corresponding to Sunday 11th Sh'ābān 968, 27th April, 1561.
In passing near the fort of Rantambhūr, of which Rai Sarjan was the governor, he did not think of taking it but continued his advance. Rai Sarjan, when he heard of the approach of the victorious cavalcade, sent suitable presents by able officers and paid the homage of submission. When he halted near the fort of Gāgraun,* which is one of the strong forts of Mālwa, it transpired that Bāz Bahādūr had made it over to one of his confidants and that it had not yet been captured. It was also reported to His Majesty that Adham Khān intended to take it in person. One day while His Majesty was encamped there, the conquering heroes had been ordered to invest the fort (lit. to inhoop that bezel of strength). When the governor became aware that the Shāhinshāh was casting the shadow of conquest over the fort he, inasmuch as he was able and far-seeing, made the keys of the fort the adminicle of his safety and became exalted by kissing the ground. He was honoured by royal favours. His Majesty left Khāldīn in charge of that strong fort and went on in the end of the same day. He travelled rapidly all night and in the morning, which is the time of expanding hearts, and augmenting life, he arrived in the neighbourhood of Sārangpūr. He made the long march (from Agra), in which there were so many ascents and descents, in sixteen days and planted his darkness-dispelling standards in the district of Sārangpūr on the day of Bahman 2 Khardād, Divine month, corresponding to Tuesday the 27th Sh'ābān (13th May).
One of the wonderful things was that on the same day Adham Khān had marched out from Sārangpūr with the intention of taking the fort of Gāgraun, and had advanced two or three kos. He had no knowledge of the Shāhinshāh's expedition. Though Māham Anaga had sent off swift couriers to inform him of the expedition and to enable him to make proper preparations for service, yet the rapidity of His Majesty was such as dream-messengers could not keep pace with, what then could be done by hard-riding couriers? Adham Khān had arranged his forces and was tranquilly proceeding towards Gāgraun when the world-lighting gilded balls (kaukaba) were seen in the distance. Although but few of the victorious troops were on that night in attendance on His Majesty's stirrup, yet throughout the whole of those plains and deserts there were, by reason of the armies of the Divine favour, such a press and aggregation of soldiers of the invisible world, and horsemen of the heavenly land, that they appeared to the eyes of his companions to be beyond count. Some of Adham Khān's soldiers, who had gone ahead of him, suddenly came upon the royal escort. When their glance fell upon His Majesty they involuntarily threw themselves from their horses and did homage. Adham Khān was amazed when he saw his men so confused and flinging themselves off their horses. “Good God, to whom are they paying such reverence?” In his astonishment he urged on his horse, and came nearer. When his eye fell on the world-illuminating beauty of His Majesty the Shāhinshāh he became confounded, and like a bewildered moth dismounted and did homage. He placed the face of servitude in the dust of supplication and was exalted by kissing the stirrup. As the rule of kindness to servants and of ignoring their faults is innate in His Majesty, he received Adham Khān with favour and dismounted there for a while in order that the latter might be re-assured and also that the other followers who had come with Adham might obtain the bliss of doing homage. Then he remounted and proceeded to Sārangpūr. By alighting at Adham Khān's quarters in that city he made them the envy of heaven's ante-chambers. Adham Khān stood on the carpet of servitude and brought forward things rare and beautiful, but as he had not comprehended the extent of His Majesty's nurturing care and kindness, and had raised his foot above his degree, the enlightened soul, which is a divine and truth-revealing chalice, did not open out towards him.
Devotion's law is that when there is material absence there is real and spiritual presence, and that due respect and reverence are still paid to one's master and that one's private wishes are forgotten in the pleasing of one's benefactor. What am I saying? Devotion is a priceless jewel. It does not deck every head, nor is imparted to every heart. Whither had calculation gone? And what had become of business considerations? What sort of dexterity is it to trick out the booth of disguise and dissimulation in the face of such fostering and kindness? Assuredly, he who out of wickedness plays the game of deceit on the board of honest men casts the dust of destruction into the cup* of his name and fame! When Adham Khān was making his hypocritical fawnings the acute mind of the Shāhinshāh felt no pleasure, and whatever Adham did was not approved of by the holy soul. Among other things he had produced clothes in order that His Majesty, as he had come off a dusty ride, might put on fresh attire. But as Adham's behaviour had not cleansed the fine dust on the skirt of the pure and holy soul His Majesty disdained the garments of hypocrisy. Adham Khān stumbled into the net of agitation and confusion. In the abundance of his distress he sought the aid of each one of the favoured courtiers, and displayed humiliation and self-effacement. At length His Majesty, who is a mine of gentleness and pity, took compassion on his misery, and, yielding to his own magnanimity, he favoured his servant by putting on the fresh clothes which he had brought. He also spoke pleasantly to him. As on that day his chaste ladies had remained behind and had not come with the cavalcade, His Majesty slept that night on the roof of Adham Khān's house. That evil, inauspicious wretch was lying in ambush and was waiting for his opportunity, as perhaps the glance of the holy one might fall on his harem, and so the villain might make this a pretext and slay him. His Majesty's holy mind which is a spiritual rose-garden was void of such thoughts, and as he had made a long march he indulged in a long repose. Adham Khān's ill-omened harem-house was a thing of which that wise and chaste one never thought. As the Divine protection ever watches over that spiritual and material cynosure, that black-hearted and ill-fated one had no power or pretext (for injuring him) and the “Avaunt” of real and spiritual sovereignty protected him in his loneliness.
Next day Māham Anaga brought the zanāna which had remained behind and arranged a great entertainment. Adham Khān was roused from the sleep of negligence by that able dame and recognised the supreme honour of the advent of the Khedive of the world. He tendered gifts and prepared a feast. He produced before His Majesty whatever had come into his hands from Bāz Bahādur's estate, whether moveable or immovable, as well as all the wives, dancing girls and courtezans. His Majesty in accordance with his general benevolence accepted them, and presented him with some of them. He stayed four days in Sārangpūr and on the day of Khardād 6 Khardād, Divine month, corresponding to Saturday, 2 Ramẓān (17th May, 1561), he set out on his return to Agra. At the first stage, which was in the district of Sārangpūr and was called Patāncor, Adham Khān gave way to evil thoughts and disgraced himself for ever and ever. As Māham Anaga was dear to that appreciator of service, and connoisseur of jewels he winked at the affair and said nothing. The details are briefly as follows: As folly and blindness of heart were the confirmed qualities of Adham Khān he intrigued with his mother's servants who waited in the royal harem, and spirited away from the Shāhinshāh's enclosures two special beauties from among Bāz Bahādūr's women and who had been recently exhibited to His Majesty. He indulged in the vain thought that as everyone was at this time engrossed with preparations for departure no one would follow up this trail. From this foolish idea he elected to place such a blot on his fortune's forehead. He became marked with an eternal curse and was disgraced for ever. When this scandalous proceeding came to the royal hearing an order was given to stop the march for this day and to send off swift messengers to search for the lost ones. Able men undertook the service, and by making proper search they caught both of them and brought them back. Māham perceived that if these two women were introduced to His Majesty the veil over her acts would be raised, and her son's treachery be revealed. She therefore caused these two innocent ones to be put to death for “a severed head makes no sound.” The Khedive of the age overlooked this gross outrage, as the veil was not yet removed from his world-illuminating countenance, and regarded the done as not done. I laud the ocean-drinking capacity which in its abundant affection and plenitude of wisdom can regard such shocking crimes as uncommitted!
From the time when the news of the arrival of the sublime cavalcade reached the officers of Mālwa everyone of them came from his fief and carried the countenance of sincerity to the princely threshold. On the day when the tents were pitched outside of Sārangpūr Pīr Muḥammad Khān, Qiyā Khān, Ḥabīb 'Alī Khān and other officers came and were exalted by doing homage. His Majesty the Shāhinshāh distinguished each of them by favours and exalted their rank. Adham Khān, Pīr Muḥammad Khān and the other Mālwa officers obtained leave after doing obeisance and went to their fiefs. The royal cavalcade proceeded towards the centre of sovereignty. His Majesty went on, stage by stage, hunting and shooting, but also going on rapidly. When his crescent standards cast their rays on the territory appertaining to the fort of Narwar, a tiger* such as might terrify the leopard* of heaven came out of the forest with five cubs and on to the track by which the cavalcade was proceeding. His Majesty the Shāhinshāh, who had the strength of the lion of God in his arms and the coat of mail of the Divine protection on his breast, went alone and without hesitation in front of that iron-clawed,* fiery-natured wild animal. When the spectators beheld this the hair on their bodies stood erect and sweat distilled from their pores. His Majesty with swift foot and alert arm attacked the brute and killed it by one stroke of his sword.