A concise account of the Ancestors of Hydur Alí Khan Bahadúr.
IN the reign of Mahmúd Adil Shah, King of Bijapoor, who was the son* of Ibrahim Adil Shah, surnamed Juggut Gooru,* and celebrated for his profound knowledge of music,— a certain Shaikh, Wulí Muhammad, of the tribe of Kureish, a man devoted to religion,* compelled by accidental circumstances arrived from the neighbourhood of Delhi at the noble* city of Kalberga. He took up his abode there; and, as he was a man of mild temper and strictly pious, the servants* of the Durgah, or Tomb of Huzrut Bundah Nawáz,* received him with great respect, and made him a small monthly allowance to provide for his subsistence.
Having with him a grown up son, whose name was Shaikh Muhammad Alí, who was a learned young man, and also endowed with considerable talent, the Shaikh determined to seek a wife for him here. After much search and difficulty, a suitable bride was demanded for him, from the house of one of the servants of the Durgah, and they were shortly after married.
At this place they remained, in ease and comfort, till the reign of Alí Adilshah the II., when the Shaikh having obeyed the summons of his maker Alí Sáhib left Kalberga with his wife, and proceeded to Bijapoor. There he took up his residence in Mushaikhpoora, in the house of his wife’s brethren, who were seven in number, between whom and their sister there existed a sincere and hearty affection; they were all of them engaged in the service of the Ameer of the Dukkun, Shaikh Minhaj, at a liberal rate of pay, and all lived together. The whole of the seven brothers received their sister and her husband with the greatest warmth and affection.
It happened, a short time after, that the army of Hindustan advanced,* with a view to the conquest of Bejapoor; and the Ameers of the Dukkun, that is, the Shaikh above-mentioned, and Afzul Khan, Rustum Khan, and Surmust Khan, with a large force, were therefore dispatched to oppose the army of Hindustan; and, in the vicinity of Kalberga they met and fought a fierce battle. The Ameer of the Huráwul,* or advanced guard, (of the Dukkunees), who was Shaikh Minhaj, charged his enemies with the greatest bravery, and defeated them; but, after fighting gallantly, not less than seven hundred brave fellows of his party or troop were slain by the arrow or musket; and it was so ordained that, one after another, the seven brothers having arrayed their bodies in the glorious jewels of sword-wounds, and opened to their enemies the doors of grief and dismay in this hired mansion, the world, at once sped on their way to view and enjoy the eight gardens of Paradise.
When this painful intelligence reached their beloved sister, she was so overwhelmed with grief at the loss of her dear brothers, that, giving up for them the peace of her heart, and the strength of her mind, she took to her bed and, refusing all sustenance, determined to die; thus, inconsolable and incessantly weeping and lamenting the loss of her brethren, and, in her sorrow, letting fall the reins of hope and trust from her hands, her affections were alienated from friend and stranger, and she inscribed the elegy of her brethren on her broken heart.
When Alí Sáhib saw his wife in this miserable condition, it appeared to him that his remaining where he was, must continually open afresh the wounds grief had inflicted on his mourning partner. He, therefore, with his wife, property and relations, left Bijapoor, and turned his steps towards the Karnatic Balaghaut, and there took up his abode in the town of Kolar.
The Chief of this place was Shah Muhammad Dukkuni, who was Governor on the part of Kasim Khan, the Souba of Sura. Having had some previous acquaintance with Shaikh Alí, he received him with great respect, assigned him a house for his residence and treated him with every attention, insomuch that, in order that he might remain there in peace and comfort, and trusting to his honour, he allowed him the charge of all his dependents and workmen. But, besides this occupation, Shaikh Alí afterwards cultivated the soil, and rented fields and gardens.
Shaikh Alí had four sons; 1st. Shaikh Muhammad Ilias; 2nd. Shaikh Muhammad; 3rd. Shaikh Muhammad Imám, and 4th, Futteh Muhammad. When these four sons had grown up to manhood, they determined to seek a respectable service, and gain a worthy rank and name in the world, and they, therefore, sought permission of their father to depart, Shaikh Alí, however, by advice and instruction endeavoured to divert them from their purpose, saying to them, “Our forefathers were pious and holy men, and, though they were competent to distinguish themselves in the world, they nevertheless strove to separate themselves from its ties and connexions;— for this reason, that the desire of the world involves the relinquishment of spiritual comfort and a distaste for eternal happiness;— and, therefore, it is incumbent in you to follow in their steps, and put no faith in the allurements of this uncertain state of existence— for, what fate has from eternity assigned for your subsistence arrives without labour or search— (verses)— ‘If thou couldst sew heaven and earth together— thou couldst not obtain from them more than thy daily subsistence’*— moreover, perfect minded independent men are never grieved at the narrowness of their worldly circumstances, and, although they may have earthly ties, they pride themselves on disengaging* themselves from them, and resigning such connexions.” In short, while Shaikh Alí lived he would not allow his children to leave him, but still supported them. At length, in the year 1109, he bid adieu to this life, in the town of Kolar and proceeded to Paradise. Shaikh Ilias his eldest son was selected to succeed him, he, also, used his best efforts to console his brethren, and to provide for them, and the wants of his family, relations and connexions.
About this time, Shah Muhammad, the Chief of Kolar, resigned his being into the hands of the creator of life, and another Chief was appointed, and took his charge. Apparently from this cause, Futteh Muhammad, divesting himself of all regard for his relations, departed, without the permission of his elder brother, to the Karnatic Payanghaut, and resided for a short time in the Talooka of Turnamul, a very pleasant part of that country; but he afterwards changed his abode to the Souba of Arkat, where, through the interest of Ibrahim Khan Killadár, he was introduced to the Nawaub Saudut Ullah Khan, the Sáhib Souba, and appointed to the command of two hundred foot and fifty horse, in the service of the said Nawaub, and was styled a Jemadár.
Muhammad Ilias, being offended at the conduct of his brother, and thinking it derogated from his own respectability and character, also left Kolar alone, under pretence that he was going to visit Syud Búrhan-ud-dín, a Peerzadeh at Tanjore, leaving his wife, with his son, named Hydur Sáhib, who was about fourteen years old, at home with his brethren.
Muhammad Ilias dying at Tanjore, in the year 1115 H., Futteh Muhammad who resided at Arkat, after sometime sent for Búrhan-ud-dín, the Peer Zadeh before mentioned, from Tanjore, and married his daughter, who was the sister of Ibrahim Sáhib. The bride’s niece, who was grown up to womanhood, he gave to his brother Imám Sáhib, and their families resided together.