A. Hij. 968,
A.D. 1561.

After the murder of Sultán Ahmad in A. Hij. 968, A.D. 1561, Itimád Khán seated Muzaffir on the throne. According to the faith of most historians, Itimád Khán, who had all the power of government in his hands, seeing that there were none of the late Sultán's rela­tions fit for the government, produced a young boy, named Nathú; and having in open assembly taken an oath that such was the son of Sultán Mahmúd II, he explained that his mother, when pregnant, had been delivered over to him, for the purpose of procuring an abortion; but that this child had been brought forth: as, five months of her pregnancy having passed, no abortion could take place. He said, moreover, that he had brought him up in secret, and that there was no heir to the government excepting him. Every one, assent­ing to this, and supporting his claim to the throne, entitled him Muzaffir Sháh.

After a lapse of some months, Itimád Khán carried an army against Músá Khán and Shír Khán Faoládí, at Patan, for the purpose of being revenged on Fat'h Khán Balúch. The nobles, now aware of the circumstances attend­ing the Sultán's murder, were annoyed with Itimád Khán; and only remained attached to him through fear of their own lives. When the minister arrived at Patan, having given Músá Khán and Shír Khán battle, he sustained a defeat: and the nobles, without fighting, came back to Ahmadábád. Itimád Khán resolved again to raise troops, and exerted himself to the utmost, notwithstanding none of the nobles were on his side, and all of them had gone to their own estates. He, at length, proceeded against Músá Khán and Shír Khán, with the army he had; and after sustaining a second defeat, came to Ahmadábád. These events hap­pened

A. Hij. 969,
A.D. 1561-2.

in A. Hij. 969, A.D. 1561-2.

Finally, enmity among the nobles, and a con­test for superiority, happening at this time, Itimád Khán left the capital; and Jangíz Khán took possession of it, when he also was killed by the Abyssinians. An account of these things, and of the anarchy which was thus produced in the kingdom, may be found in the Mirát Sikandarí.

The victories gained in Gujarát by the army of Arsh-Áshiání Akbar Pádsháh, with the ter­mination of Sultán Muzaffir's reign, and the government of Azím Mírzá Azíz Koká, for a

A. Hij. 1000,
A.D. 1591.

second time, in A. Hij. 1000, A.D. 1591, will be yet detailed. But now, please God, we may proceed to give a short account of the conquest of the country by Akbar, and of such things as happened under the rule of the Názims, who from that time were appointed to Gujarát. We, therefore, deem it necessary to write down whatever may have happened under the government of those permanently appointed to the office of Názim, or those acting as deputies for a time. And, as the Mirát Ahmadí principally consists of revenue regulations and assessments, with the greater part of the orders, issued and observed in settling the province in the name of the collectors-general, the several Díwáns, under each individual reign, are there­fore mentioned, along with the Názims, or pro­vincial governors. From a deficiency of infor­mation regarding the Faujdárs and Ámildárs, any lengthened account of them has been omitted. Several of these are, however, occa­sionally mentioned: and, as the offices of revenue minister and governor were akin to each other, the account has been abridged accord­ingly.