THE RETURN OF THE EMPEROR TO HIS CAPITAL, AFTER CONFER­RING THE GOVERNMENT OF GUJÁRAT ON KHÁN AZÍZ KOKÁ A SECOND TIME.

Akbar, after having settled in eleven days the whole affairs of Gujarát, set out for his capital

14th August.

on Saturday the 12th of Jumádá-ul-awal, and carried along with him Sayyid Hámid, his family and domestics. The first day's march was to Mahmúdábád, the next to Dholka; where, having halted a day, he gave Khán Azíz Koká leave to return. After conferring on Khoájah Ghiásu-d-dín the title of Asif Khán, he promoted him to the important situation of pay­master in Gujarát; in which office he was to be guided by the provincial governor's advice. Here all the important affairs of the province were finally arranged; and the Emperor marched from thence to Karkí. From this he went to Sidhpúr, in two marches; and halted till the capture of Barnagar, and the seizure of Auliá Khán, by the troops sent under Rájá Bhagwán­dás, were reported to him. He then continued his journey; and sent Rájá Todar Mall to investigate and purify the revenue settlement of Gujarát. It was expected that the Rájá, from his great experience, would fix the assessment at what was just; and that, when the same had been arranged, without observing a selfish or avaricious policy, he would submit it to the Emperor, for the future guidance of the revenue accountants in all that concerned the military or the cultivators. He accordingly amended the revenue settlement of the country in a very short time, and, returning to the imperial presence, delivered his account of it into the regis­ter office.

The Emperor, interested in the welfare of the Gujarát nobles who had served him, conferred the rank of one thousand horse on Itimád Khán,

A.Hij. 983.
A. D. 1575.

in the year of the Hijra 983, A.D. 1575. As the same was celebrated for prudence and outward parade, he was also entrusted to arrange and decorate the imperial darbár; having the traffic in jewels and ornaments connected therewith particularly confided to him. His son, Shír Khán, also received the rank of four hundred; Alagh Khán Habshí had similar rank, and a jágír conferred on him: and Maliku-s-Shark was honoured with a command at the city of Thánesar.

Some districts of Gujarát had been already set aside, as assignments to the nobles serving in the province; but several places were this year appropriated to the government exchequer, and Wajíhu-l-Mulk Gujarátí was sent as Díwán of the province. He was, therefore, the first collector-general appointed from Dehlí. Some of the Emperor's ladies, in this same year, went to Mekka, having come through Gujarát; and Khán Azíz Koká returned by order to Court.

A regulation had been passed, previously to the Khán's return, that the different troops of cavalry, in the service of government, should be specially marked. Khán Azíz Koká was, there­fore, the first who was to carry into effect this order, on his arrival at Court: since he, being the greatest of the nobles, might, by commencing this practice, leave no room for others to cavil. Presuming on his intimacy, however, he did not comply with the order; and, retiring to a solitary place, in a garden near Agra, commenced a hermit's life. The Emperor, in deference to the feelings of the Khán's mother, and out of regard to his own services, wished to send him back to Gujarát, if he would repent of his ungracious conduct; but the same showed his independence by telling the Emperor that, having now renounced a soldier's life, he must be numbered among his well-wishers.

It being absolutely necessary that Akbar should now otherwise provide for the government of Gujarát, he conferred this office on Mírzá Khán, the son of Beirám Khán, who had then the rank of four thousand horse, and afterwards obtained the exalted title of Khán Khánán, or chief of the nobles. Wazír Khán, Mír Alá-ud-dín Kazwíní, Sayyid Muzaffir, and Prágdás, were sent to accompany and assist him; but, being yet in the flower of his youth, and this the first service he had ever performed, he was ordered to follow the advice of the former in all things. At the same time, Mír Alá-ud-dín was made Amín of the province.

Prágdás, who was one of the experienced government writers, was next appointed Díwán, in place of Wajíhu-l-Mulk. In the month of Rabí-us-sání of the same year, the imperial standards arrived at Ajmír, when Wazír Khán left Gujarát to meet the Emperor, and was made deputy governor of the province. Sayyid Háshim and Rái Singh were ordered, on this occa­sion, to remain at the town of Nadote, and to keep in subjection the refractory of that quarter. A suitable army was also sent to subdue Ídur; and Tarsú Khán, who was at this time com­mandant of Patan, captured the fort of Sirohí.