In the beginning of the year nine hundred and eighty-seven (987) news arrived of the death of Khán Jahán governor of Bengál. The Emperor wrote a farmán of condolence to his brother Isma'íl Qulí Khán, and he appointed Muzaffar Khán, who had been honoured with the post of Díwán, as governor in his stead, and Razawí Khán he appointed Bakhshí, and Ḥakím Abu-l-Fatḥ he made Çadr, and Ráí Patr Dás with Mír Adham as his colleague he made Díwán, and sent them off from Fatḥpúr.
On the 19th of the month Çafar* of this year the Author (praise be to the Most High!) was blest with the birth of a darling son named Muḥi-d-dín (may God prolong his days, and furnish him with wholesome knowledge, and acceptable works!). He was born at Basáwar.
In this year Mullá 'Ashqí, who had the title of Khán, and had written a díván* and a masnaví (a ridiculous one too!), and who had gone as vakíl of Qází Çadr-ud-dín of Láhor to Kashmír (P. 268), came back, and in company with one Muḥammad Qásim by name, ambassador of 'Alí Khán governor of Kashmír, brought presents of quantities of safron and musk and costus arabicus, and shawls and other precious products of Kashmír and Tibet.
At this time the Emperor sent Ḥakím 'Alí, a relative of Ḥakím-
At this time Mír Nizám, sister's husband to Mírzá Sháhrukh, came as ambassador from Badakhshán with presents of Badakhshí horses, and glittering rubies, and strings of camels.
In this year the Emperor was anxious to unite in his person the
spiritual as well as the secular headships, for he held it to be an
insufferable burden to subordinate to any one, as he had heard that
the Prophet (God be gracious to him, and give him peace!), and
his lawful successors, and some of the most powerful kings, as Amír
Tímúr Çáḥibqirán, and Mírzá Ulugh Beg-i-Gurgán, and several
others had themselves read the khuṭbah, he resolved to do the same,
apparently in order to imitate their example, but in reality to appear
in public as the Mujtahid of the age. Accordingly on the first
Friday of Jumáda'l-awwál*
of the year nine hundred and eighty-
“The Lord, who gave to us sovereignty,
Who gave us a wise heart, and a strong hand,
Who guided us in equity and justice,
And drove from our thoughts all save equity,
His description is higher than the range of thought,
Exalted is His Majesty, Alláhu Akbar!”(P. 269) And in these days, when reproach began to spread upon the doctrines of Islám, and all questions relating thereto, and ever so many wretches of Hindús and Hindúizing Musalmáns brought unmitigated reviling against the Prophet, and the villanously irreligious Ulamá in their works pronounced the Emperor to be without sin, and contenting themselves with mentioning the unity of God, they next wrote down the various titles of the Emperor, and had not the courage to mention the name of the Prophet (God be gracious to him and his family, and give them peace in defiance of the liars!) this matter became the cause of general disgrace, and the seeds of depravity and disturbance began to lift their heads in the empire. Besides this base and low men of the higher and lower classes, having accepted the collar of spiritual obedience upon their necks, professed themselves his disciples. They became disciples through the motives of hope and fear, and the word of truth could not proceed out of their mouths.
At this time Muzaffar Khán, governor of Bengál sent a present to the Emperor consisting of 5 lacs of rupees in ready money, and other notable gifts of elephants, and cloth, which were beyond calculation, also 39 elephants were presented by Muḥammad Ma'çúm Kábulí.
On the second Friday of this month the Emperor assembled the poor and the deserving in the chaugán-field, and came in person to the place. Nearly a lac of persons, men and women, were present in that enclosure. And Sulṭán Khwájah the Çadr, and Qulíj Khán presented to each a piece of gold. On that day of assembly eighty persons, women and children, were crushed to death under the hands and feet. And from the girdles of some of the women, whose husbands had died in Bengál, there fell purses full of ashrafís and rupees. This affair caused great suspicion to arise as to all the poor. An order was issued, that in future but few persons should be brought together at once, but he soon laid aside this rule also.
In these same days the Emperor appointed Quṭb-ud-dín (P. 270) Muḥammad Khán Atgah as tutor to the eldest prince, and held a great levee. The tutor as is customary on such occasions presented the Emperor with notable elephants, and other presents worthy of his new post, and taking the prince upon his shoulders he ordered dish-fulls of gold and jewels to be scattered to the people.
In this year an ambassador of 'Abd-ulláh Khán Uzbek came from Transoxiana with a letter containing assurances of friendship. The Emperor sent Mírzá Fúlád Barlás, with Khwájah Khaṭíb, who was a native of Bokhárá, to accompany him with presents and gifts. And the seal of the letter was as follows:—
“When we are friends with one another,
Sea and land are free from confusion and evil.”At this time a document made its appearance, which bore the signatures and seals of Makhdúm-ul-mulk, of Shaikh 'Abd-un-nabí çadr-uç-çudúr, of Qází Jalál-ud-dín of Multán, qázi-l-quzát, of Çadr Jahán the muftí of the empire, of Shaikh Mubárak the deepest writer of the age, and of Ghází Khán of Badakhshán, who stood unrivalled in the transcendental sciences. The subject-matter of the document was the settling of the absolute superiority of the Imám-i-'ádil over the Mujtahid and the investigation of the grounds of this superiority. In so doing they set right some doubtful traditions containing some disputed points, so that no one of them might any longer have it in his power to pretend ignorance of the difference between what is religious and what is political authority, but that he might stand self-convicted. And the discussion of this matter was carried on with great prolixity. Such questions were discussed as: “To whom is the title Mujtahid, and the word ijtihád applicable?” And, “whether it is the duty of the Imám-i-'ádil, who is versed in politics and holds a higher rank than the Mujtahid, to decide according to the requirements of the times and the wants of the age all legal questions on which there exists a difference of opinion.” At last, however, all signed the document, some willingly and the rest against their convictions. I shall copy the document verbatim:—
(P. 271) “Petition. Whereas Hindústán is now become the centre of security and peace, and the land of justice and beneficence, a large number of people, especially learned men and lawyers, have immigrated and chosen this country for their home. Now we, the principal 'Ulamá, who are not only well-versed in the several departments of the Law and in the principles of jurisprudence, and well acquainted with the edicts which rest on reason or testimony, but are also known for our piety and honest intentions, have duly considered the deep meaning, first, of the verse of the Qur'án:* “Obey God, and obey the prophet, and those who have authority among you,” and, secondly , of the genuine tradition: “Surely the man who is dearest to God on the day of judgment is the Imám-i-'ádil; whosoever obeys the Amír, obeys Thee; and whosoever rebels against him, rebels against thee, and, thirdly, of several other proofs based on reasoning or testimony; and we have agreed that the rank of Sulṭán-i-'ádil,* is higher in the eyes of God than the rank of a Mujtahid.* Further we declare that the king of the Islám, Amír of the Faithful, shadow of God in the world, Abu-l-Fatḥ Jalál-ud-dín Muḥammad Akbar Padsháh Ghází (whose kingdom God perpetuate!) is a most just, a most wise, and a most God-fearing king. Should therefore in future a religious question come up, regarding which the opinions of the Mujtahids are at variance, and His Majesty in his penetrating understanding and clear wisdom be inclined to adopt, for the benefit of the nation, and as a political expedient, any of the conflicting opinions, which exist on that point, and issue a decree to that effect, we do hereby agree that such a decree shall be binding on us and on the whole nation.
Further, we declare that, should (P. 272) His Majesty think fit to issue a new order, we and the nation shall likewise be bound by it, provided always that such order be not only in accordance with some verse of the Qur'án, but also of real benefit to the nation; and further, that any opposition on the part of his subjects to such an order passed by His Majesty shall involve damnation in the world to come, and loss of property and religious privileges in this.
This document has been written with honest intentions, for the glory of God, and the propagation of the Islám, and is signed by us, the principal 'Ulamá and lawyers, in the month of Rajab* of the year nine hundred and eighty-seven (987).”
The draft of this document, when presented to the Emperor, was in the handwriting of Shaikh Mubárak. The others had signed it against their will, but the Shaikh had added at the bottom that he most willingly signed his name; for this was a matter to which for several years he had been anxiously looking forward.
No sooner had His Majesty obtained this legal document, than the road of deciding any religious question was open; the superiority of the intellect of the Imám was established, and opposition was rendered impossible. All orders regarding things which our law allows or disallows were abolished, and the superiority of the intellect of the Imám became law.
But the state of Shaikh Abu-l-Fazl resembles that of the poet Ḥairatí* of Samarqand, who after having been annoyed by the cool and sober people of Máwara-n-nahr, joined the old foxes of Shí'itic Persia, and chose the roadless road. You might apply the proverb to him—“I prefer hell to disgrace.”
On the 16th of Rajab of this year His Majesty made a pilgrimage to Ajmír. It is now fourteen years since His Majesty has been to that place. On the 5th of Sha'bán, at the distance of five kos from the town, the Emperor alighted and went on foot to the tomb of the Saint [Mu'in-ud-dín]. But sensible people smiled, and said, It was strange that His Majesty should have such a faith in the Khwájah of Ajmír, while he rejected the foundation of everything, our prophet, (P. 273) from whose “skirt” hundreds of thousands of saints of the highest degree had sprung:—