As the lower and elemental world is regulated by the beneficence of the holy and heavenly world (and the proof of this wondrous fact is that the political and financial administration of great princes is bound up with rectitude of intention, and correct thinking which are ancillary to the heavenly world), so every asylum of fortune who is not carried out of his sphere by external pomp and material gran­deur, and who exercises himself in the cultivation of hearts and addresses his genius to the soothment of high and low, and who always from innate auspiciousness carries into effect his designs as far as possible, and who recognises that he is the watchman for humanity, has his actions advanced and made successful by God, and day by day the marks of his increasing greatness display themselves to every­one, whilst his opponents are troubled even by their own friends, and after passing through various distresses are cast down into the abyss of annihilation. On the other hand, if the internal nature of anyone, which is a sample of the kingdom of heaven, is corrupted by the evil thoughts of lust and sensuality, the result will be the opposite of the above. The lamp of his dominion will, like burning grass, endure for but a short time, and the sapling of his fortune will soon fail like the shade of a tree. Though the wise of heart need not such prefaces, yet as the object of this book of Divine praise is to guide the generality, it does have recourse to past times and to far-away places in order to apply a salve to the eyes of the dim-visioned and the short-sighted, of whom the world, for various pur­poses, is always full. The sublime actions of the Khedive of the age are (for them) a written apologue.

To resume, there was in this blessed year a cause of increased discernment to the perceptive, of seeing to the short-sighted, viz., the conquest of the country of the Gakhars. Their country is between the Indus and the Beas, in the folds of the mountains, and among hillocks and caverns. Though in former times the rulers of India had attempted with large armies and abundant equipment to establish tranquillity there, they had not succeeded, inasmuch as they had no skill beyond that of outward show, and as they had not a good intention. The knot was not untied by their efforts, as has already been related. Now that the world had received grace and ornament from the excellent intention and pure acts of H.M. the Shāhishāh, and that the celestials and terrestrials had gained spiritual and temporal welfare from his existence, this great undertaking, which had not been effected by former rulers of India, was admirably carried out by the fortune of the Shāhinshāh. The country came into the possession of the imperial servants. The account of this great boon is that as the Gakhar clan was always boasting of its loyalty and singleness of heart, that mine of clemency and liberality (Akbar) cast nought but eyes of favour upon their country. Though with reference to the courtesies of service it is most proper that the great men of the land should, if they cannot always be in attendance, occa­sionally obtain the auspiciousness of kissing the threshold, Sulān Adam and the headman of the country who had been encompassed by the Shāhinshāh's favours, did not at all perform these duties. However, H.M. preserved the recollection of the small* service which Sulān Adam had performed, and so passed over such offences. When after­wards the throne of world-sway was adorned by the radiance of H.M. the Shāhinshāh, Kamāl Khān in accordance with the former services and devotion of his family which were graven on his heart, brought the countenance of supplication to the lofty court, and by kissing the threshold gave a new foundation to the pillars of heredi­tary devotion, and showed himself to be an adherent of the victorious stirrup. The ray of favour fell upon him, and he received appro­priate fiefs. At the time of the struggle between the Khān Zamān and the son of 'Adlī, he held fiefs in the Sirkār of Lucknow and in parganas Hanswah* and Fatḥpūr,* etc. Also, in accordance with orders, he brought a considerable force with him and took part in the service. He distinguished himself in that man-testing war, and when his merits were reported by truth-tellers to H.M., more favour was shown to him and he became the object of increased confidence. Accordingly H.M. was pleased to say, “Kamāl Khān has done his duty, now is the time for us to show him favour, whatever desire he may have shall be gratified.” At this auspicious time Kamāl Khān represented through H.M.'s intimates that the Shāhinshāh had shown him favour above his deserts. It was his hope now in consequence of his affection for his native country that he might obtain from the royal grace the possession of his father's territories. For since mis­fortunes came upon him, and he was imprisoned by Salīm Khān, his ancestral lands had been in the possession of his uncle Adam. From this uncle ('am) he had suffered a thousand vexations (gham).

The brief account of this affair is that Sulān Sārang waged brave war with Sher Khān, but at last he and his son Kamāl Khān were made prisoners. Sārang was put* to death and Kamāl Khān was imprisoned in Gwāliār fort. But in spite of such disaster their country could not be conquered and the clan was governed by Sulān Adam, the brother of Sulān Sārang. When Sher Khān died and Salīm Khān's turn arrived, he too made great efforts to take the country, but was unsuccessful. One of the wonderful things was that Salīm Khān ordered that all the prisoners in Gwāliār fort should be put to death, and that for this purpose a pit should be dug under the prison and filled with gunpowder and set on fire. There was an explosion, the building was destroyed and the prisoners were blown to pieces; Kamāl Khān was inside, but fate sheltered him from this calamity. In the corner where he was, not a breath of the fire reached him. When Salīm Khān heard of this Divine protection he took an oath (of fidelity) from him and released him. From that time Sulān Adam, his uncle, was in full possession of the country while Kamāl Khān passed his days in frustration. At last, in the beginning of H.M. the Shāhinshāh's reign, he bound himself to the saddle-straps of eternal dominion and trod the path of devotion.

When he had represented his misfortunes and had begged for his old native land, a world-obeyed order was issued from the ascen­sion-point of justice that the country of the Gakhars which Sulān Sārang had held, and which was now possessed by Sulān Adam, should be divided into two portions, and that Sulān Adam should have one of them and Kamāl Khān the other. Orders to this effect were issued to the Khān Kilan Mīr* Muḥammad Khān, and to Mahdī Qāsim Khān, Qubu-d-dīn Muḥammad Khān, Sharīf Khān, Jān Muḥammad Khān Bahsūdī, Rajah Kapūr Deo, and Rajah Rām Cand who (all?) held fiefs in the Panjab. If Sulṭān Adam did not submit to these orders, the army was to march from the Panjab against his territory and punish him for his contumacy so that all savage rustics might receive warning. When Kamāl Khān obtained the highest point of his hopes he left the sublime threshold and came to the Panjab. The great officers communicated to Sulān Adam H.M.'s commands. He and his son Lashkarī, who managed all his father's affairs, turned away their heads from obedience to the world-adorning order, and proffered excuses which were worse than their offence. They would not agree to descend even a little from their borrowed sovereignty or to Kamāl Khān's obtaining his inheritance. The officers out of precaution reported the state of the case to the Court. Again an order of justice inscribed with the majestic sign-manual (ughrā) came directing that though Adam had at the outset broken the bond of obedience, yet as he was the subject of royal favours he would be allowed to keep the half of his territory if he made over the other half to his brother's son. If he still remained recalcitrant they were to chastise him and confirm Kamāl Khān in the whole of the territory. As his refractoriness had been shown, the army marched and entered the Gakhar territory. Adam stuck to his folly and prepared to resist. A great battle took place in the vicinity of the town of Hīlān.* As courage and activity are implanted in the nature of the Gakhars, there was fighting and carnage, but as the imperial armies are always aided by God, the flashing of the victorious swords scoured the rust of the oppressors' battlefield, and those wild beast-like savages traversed the desert of defeat. By the good fortune of the Shāhinshāh, a victory which might fittingly be the embroidery of great victories was won, and Sulān Adam was made prisoner. His son Lashkarī fled and went to the hill-country of Kashmīr. For some time he was a vagabond, and then he too was captured. The whole country of the Gakhars, which none of the rulers of India had conquered,* was by sublime inspiration subdued by a few of the imperial servants. In accordance with the sacred order the great officers gave the whole of the Gakhar country to Kamāl Khān, and confirmed him therein. They returned after making over Sulān Adam and his son to him. Because Kamāl Khān was firm and constant in his obedience to the sublime court he obtained a fortune which had not even entered into his dreams. He sent Lashkarī to a place from which there is no coming back, and he imprisoned Sulān Adam and kept him under surveillance to the end of his days. If they had submitted their necks to the royal com­mands, which are always visitations from heaven, they would not have been caught by these misfortunes. And if they had been con­tented with half of the territory, they would not have been afflicted with the loss of the whole. By their disgraceful disobedience to the royal orders, which are a mirror of the Divine orders, they gave up to destruction their lives, their estates and their homes.*