On Sunday, the 18th Shawwāl, corresponding to the
8th Ābān,*
the camp equipage of my son Bābā Khurram
left Ajmir for the purpose of the conquest of the provinces
of the Deccan, and it was decided that my son aforesaid
should start by way of advanced guard, followed by the
glorious standards (of Jahāngīr). On Monday, the 19th,
corresponding with the 9th Ābān, when three gharis of
day had passed, the auspicious palace moved in the same
direction in the like manner. On the 10th the mansab
of Rāja Sūraj Mal, who had been appointed to accompany
the prince, was made up, original and increase, to 2,000
personal and horse. On the night of the 19th Ābān,
after my usual custom, I was in the ghusul-khāna. Some
of the Amirs and attendants, and by chance Muḥammad
Riẓā Beg, the ambassador of the ruler of Persia, were
present. When six gharis had passed, an owl came and
sat on top of a high terrace roof belonging to the
palace, and was hardly visible, so that many men failed
to distinguish it. I sent for a gun and took aim and
fired in the direction that they pointed out to me. The
gun, like the decree of heaven, fell on that ill-omened
bird and blew it to pieces. A shout arose from those
who were present, and involuntarily they opened their
lips in applause and praise. On the same night I talked
with the ambassador of my brother Shāh ‘Abbās, and at
last the conversation turned on the slaying of Ṣafī Mīrzā,
his (the Shah's) eldest son. I asked him because this
was a difficulty in my mind. He represented that if
his slaughter had not been carried out at that time he
would certainly have attempted the Shah's life. As this
intention became manifest from his behaviour, the Shah
was beforehand with him and ordered him to be killed.
On the same day the mansab of Mīrzā Ḥasan, son of
Mīrzā Rustam, was fixed, original and increase, at 1,000
personal and 300 horse. The mansab of Mu‘tamad
Khān,*
who had been appointed to the post of paymaster
of the army with Bābā Khurram, was settled at 1,000
personal and 250 horse. The time for the leave-taking
of Bābā Khurram had been fixed as Friday, the 20th
(Ābān). At the end of this day he paraded before me
the pick of his men armed and ready in the public hall
of audience. Of the distinguished favours bestowed on
the aforesaid son one was the title of Shāh, which was
made a part of his name. I ordered that thereafter he
should be styled Shāh Sulān Khurram. I presented
him with a robe of honour, a jewelled chārqab, the
fringe and collar of which were decorated with pearls,
an Iraq horse with a jewelled saddle, a Turki horse,
a special elephant called Bansī-badan,*
a carriage, according
to the English fashion,*
for him to sit and travel about
in, a jewelled sword with a special pardala (sword-belt)
that had been taken at the conquest of the fort of Ahmad-
“In the end a wolf's cub becomes a wolf,
Although he be brought up with man.”