The Sultán remained for some time at Broach, busily engaged in collecting the dues of Broach, Kanháyat (Cambay), and Gujarát, which were several years in arrear. He appointed sharp collectors, and rigorously exacted large sums. At this period his anger was still more inflamed against the people, and revenge filled his bosom. Those persons at Broach and Cambay, who had disputed with Malik Makbúl, or had in any way encouraged insurrection, were seized and consigned to punishment. Many persons of all descriptions thus met their ends.
While the Sultán was at Broach he appointed Zín-banda and the middle son of Rukn Thánesarí, two men who were leaders in iniquity and the most depraved men in the world, to inquire into the matters of the disaffected at Deogír. Pisar Thánesarí, the vilest of men, went to Deogír; and Zín-banda, a wicked iniquitous character, who was called Majdu-l Mulk, was on the road thither. A murmuring arose among the Musulmáns at Deogír that two vile odious men had been deputed to investigate the disaffection, and to bring its movers to destruction. One of them was before their eyes, and they heard that the other had arrived at Dhár. It so happened that just about the same time the Sultán sent two well-known noblemen to Deogír with an order to the brother of Katlagh Khán, directing him to send to Broach fifteen hundred horsemen from Deogír with the most noted of the “foreign amírs.” They accordingly proceeded to Deogír, and presented the order to Nizámu-d dín, brother of Katlagh Khán. In accordance therewith, he commissioned fifteen hundred horse, and despatched with them the chief foreign amírs under the conduct of the two nobles who had been sent for them. They marched toward Broach, but at the end of the first stage the foreign amírs, who were attended by their own horsemen, considered that they had been summoned to Broach in order to be executed, and if they proceeded thither not one would return. So they consulted together and broke out into open resistance, and the two nobles who had been sent for them were killed in that first march. They then turned back with loud clamour and entered the royal palace, where they seized Mauláná Nizámu-d dín, the governor, and put him in confinement. The officials, who had been sent by the Sultán to Deogír, were taken and beheaded. They cut Pisar Thánesarí to pieces, and brought down the treasure from (the fort of) Dhárágír. Then they made Makh Afghán, brother of Malik Yak Afghán, one of the foreign amírs, their leader, and placed him on the throne. The money and treasure were distributed among the soldiers. The Mahratta country was apportioned among these foreign amírs, and several disaffected persons joined the Afgháns. The foreign amírs of Díhúí and Baroda left Mán Deo and proceeded to Deogír, where the revolt had increased and had become established. The people of the country joined them.
The Sultán, on hearing of this revolt, made ready a large force and arrived at Deogír, where the rebels and traitors confronted him. He attacked them and defeated them. Most of the horsemen were slain in the action. Makh Afghán, their commander, who had received a royal canopy, and had called himself Sultán, escaped, with his confederates and his wives and children, to the fort of Dhárágír, and there took refuge. Hasan Kángú, and the rebels of Bidar, and the brethren of Makh Afghán, fled before the royal forces to their own countries. The inhabitants of Deogír, Hindus and Musulmáns, traders and soldiers, were plundered. 'Imádu-l Mulk, Sar-tez i Sultání, with several other amírs, was sent by the Sultán to Kulbarga, with instructions to occupy that place and to secure the neighbouring country. He was also directed to hunt up the fugitives who had fled before the royal forces, and to put a stop to their machinations. The Sultán stayed for a while at Deogír, in the royal palace, and on New Year's Day all the Musulmáns in the place went to wait upon him. * * *
While the Sultán was engaged at Deogír in settling the affairs of that place and in providing for the settlement of the Mahratta country, and before he had finished the business of the amírs and the army, news arrived of the revolt, excited by the traitor Taghí, in Gujarát. This man was a cobbler, and had been a slave of the general, Malik Sultání. He had won over the foreign amírs of Gujarát, and had broken out into rebellion. Many of the mukaddims of Gujarát joined him. He marched to Nahrwála, killed Malik Muzaffar, the assistant of Shaikh Mu'izzu-d dín (the governor), and made the latter and his officers prisoners. Taghí then proceeded, at the head of his rebels, to Cambay, and, after plundering that place, he proceeded with a body of Hindus and Musulmáns to the fort of Broach. They attacked the fort, and every day had conflicts with the defenders. The Sultán, upon receiving intelligence of this rising, left the affairs of Deogír half settled, and placing certain officers in charge, departed with all speed towards Broach to meet the rebels. All the Musulmáns of that place who had remained in Deogír, high and low, marched with the royal army to Broach. Grain was very dear, and the army suffered great privations. I, Zíá Barní, the author of this history, just at this time joined the Sultán, after he had made one or two marches from Ghatí-sákún towards Broach. I had been sent from the capital by the present Sultán (Fíroz), Malik Kabír, and Ahmad Ayyáz, with letters of congratulation on the conquest of Deogír. The Sultán received me with great favour. One day, as I was riding in his suite, the Sultán conversed with me, and the conversation turned upon rebellion. He then said, “Thou seest what troubles these traitorous foreign amírs have excited on every side. When I collect my forces and put them down in one direction, they excite disturbances in some other quarter. If I had at the first given orders for the destruction of all the foreign amírs of Deogír, Gujarát, and Broach, I should not have been so troubled by them. This rebel, Taghí, is my slave; if I had executed him or had sent him as a memorial to the King of Eden, this revolt would never have broken out.” I could not help feeling a desire to tell the Sultán that the troubles and revolts which were breaking out on every side, and this general disaffection, all arose from the excessive severity of his Majesty, and that if punishments were suspended for a while, a better feeling might spring up, and mistrust be removed from the hearts of the people. But I dreaded the temper of the king, and could not say what I desired, so I said to myself, What is the good of pointing out to the Sultán the causes of the troubles and disturbances in his country, for it will have no effect upon him?
The Sultán arrived at Broach, and encamped on the banks of the Nerbadda, which flows by the town. When the rebel Taghí was apprized of the approach of the Sultán, he abandoned the town, with a party of his adherents not numbering more than three hundred horse. The Sultán then placed Malik Yúsuf Baghrá in command of two thousand horse, and sent him with some other amírs to Cambay. In four or five days he drew near to that place and encountered Taghí, when he and several other amírs were slain, and the army being routed, fled to Broach. Instantly upon hearing this, the Sultán crossed the river, and remained two or three days in Broach. Although he made every exertion to get to Cambay, Taghí heard of his advance and fled from that place to Asáwal.* Thither the Sultán pursued him, but the rebel again fled and went to Nahrwála. Before the Sultán left Broach, Taghí had executed Shaikh Mu'izzu-d dín and several other officials whom he had made prisoners. * * *