In the month Muḥarram*
of the year nine hundred and eighty-
Upon this the Emperor, having advanced the soldiers eight months' pay out of the treasury, and leaving the prince Dániyál with Sulṭán Khwájah Çadr, and Shaikh Ibráhím the Abyssinian, as vicegerents, marched from Fatḥpúr towards the Punjáb. At the saráí of Bád, which is fifteen cosses from Fatḥpúr, news arrived of the victory of Shahbáz Khán.*
(P. 292). Mán Singh found in the portfolio of Shádmán three letters of Mírzá Muḥammad Ḥakím addressed respectively to Hakím-ul-mulk Gílání, Sháh Mançúr Díwán, and Qásim Khán Mír-baḥr. He sent them verbatim to the Emperor, who read them, but kept the matter to himself.
At Dihlí news arrived, that the Mírzá was encamped at Láhor in the garden of Mahdí Qásim Khán, and that Rájah Bhagwán Dás, and Mán Singh, and Sa'íd Khán had shut themselves up in the fortress.
At Pánípat Malik Sání Kábulí, vazír of Mírzá Muḥammad Ḥakím, who had the title of Vazír Khán, having been vexed by the Mírzá arrived at the quarters of Sháh Mançúr, and got him to introduce him at Court Since there had not been in times past any such manifest intimacy and connection between these two persons, the absence of Sání Khán from the Mírzá at such a juncture seemed to the Emperor to be accounted for by some design on the part of the Mírzá, and as not being devoid of interested motives, so it confirmed his previous suspicions of Khwájah Sháh Mançúr. Accordingly he had him arrested and showed him the letters. However much he swore to his own innocence it did him no good, for it is an acknowledged principle, that “A denial on oath is no proof of innocence.” In the neighbourhood of Sháhábád Malik 'Alí, brother of Qází 'Alí, who is now Kotwál of Láhor, sent to the Court in one parcel two obscure letters. One was addressed to Sháh Mançúr from one Musharraf* Beg, who was a servant of Sháh Mançúr. The second was from a person, whose identity was suspected, containing an account of his interview, first with Farídún Khán, and secondly with the Mírzá, and how the Mírzá had settled the affairs of a certain parganna, which was either known or suspected. And this much became known by inference and conjecture, that Sharaf Beg, a servant of Sháh Mançúr, who was Shikkdár* on his behalf in the parganna of Fírozpúr, thirty cosses from Láhor, had written to his master: “I have had an interview with the Mírzá through the intervention of Farídún Khán, he has sent his agents everywhere, but he has exempted our parganna.” (P. 293) And suspicion became a certainty. Most, nay all, of the Amírs, who had received many annoyances from Sháh Mançúr, were longing for his fall. With one consent they exerted themselves to secure his execution. In the morning the Emperor ordered the Captain of the guard* to hang him on gallows at the Manzil of Kajh-koṭ.* His numerous oppressions of the people formed the halter round his neck, and may it remain clinging there till the day of Resurrection. “Beware of the service of kings, for they pride themselves on giving an answer in peace, but they think nothing of cutting off your head in punishment:—
Be of good cheer, for no tyrant
Completes his course in peace.”The Emperor came by way of Sarhind to Kalánor and Rohtás, and reached the Indus. When the Mírzá heard this news, he crossed the river of Láhor, and turned his reins back to Kábul. And so the mystery of the verse:* “On that day shall a man flee from his brother” became manifest.
In the month of Rabí'us-sání* of this year the Emperor ordered to be built on the banks of the Indus,* which is generally known as the Sind-ságar, a fortress, which he called Aṭak Banáras, to distinguish it from Kaṭak Banáras.*
From this place he sent the prince Sulṭán Murád with Qulíj Khán and other Amírs to Kábul. And prior to this he had sent Mán Singh with a body of Amírs towards Pasháwar.
At this time the Mírzá sent Khwájah Abu-l-Fazl Naqshbandí, and Muḥammad 'Alí Díwánah as ambassadors to the Court to sue for pardon for his offences. The Emperor sent back with them Ḥájí Ḥabíb-ulláh with the message: “Forgiveness is conditional on repentance for what is past, and an oath for future conduct, also on your sending to the Court your sister, who is married to Khwájah Ḥasan.” The Mírzá said to Ḥájí: “Khwájah Ḥasan will not agree to sending my sister, for he has taken her away to Ba-
dakhsháu. But I am very sorry for what I have done:—
I have repented, and am sorry for what I have done, (P. 294) Call me no more a Káfir, for I am become a Muslim.” On the 15th of Jamáda's-sání having crossed the river Indus the Emperor sent Khwájah Nizám-ud-dín Aḥmad in haste to Jalá-
lábád to the prince Sháh Murád and the Amírs, with the request: “Please send me your advice.” They replied: “The best thing you can do is to come as quickly as possible.” And both Nizám ud-dín Aḥmad, and Ḥájí Ḥabíb-ulláh came together from that place, and at Pasháwar gave each his own message to the Emperor. Nizám-ud-dín Aḥamad said: “Although the Amírs in their usual talk say: ‘We ourselves are sufficient’; yet in the language of present facts* they say: ‘Victory follows on the footsteps of the Emperor.’” Accordingly the Emperor left the prince Sulṭán Salím with Rájah Bhagwán Dás and Qází 'Alí Mírbakhshí in the camp, and travelling express at the rate of twenty cosses a day arrived at a place called Surkháb, fifteen cosses from the camp of Prince Murád. Then Mírzá Muḥammad Ḥakím at seven cosses from Kábul, at a place called Khurd-kábul had a severe engagement with his nephew,* who was like the king's son in the game of great chess.* The Mírzá at last took to flight with the intention of taking refuge with Abd-ulláh Khán Uzbek. Prince Murád entered Kábul. The day before the action Farídún Khán had attacked the rear of the Prince's army, and had slain many men. He had plundered the treasury of Qulíj Khán and the other Amírs, and carried off much spoil. Ḥájí Muḥammad an Aḥadí, who had preceded the Emperor by means of postal-relays, arrived on the spot just as the plundering was going on. When he saw what had happened, he returned to Surkháb and told the tale to the Empersr in an incoherent manner, and caused him much annoyance. The next day, as the Emperor was recommencing his march, news of the victory was brought.
On the tenth of the month Rajab* the Emperor entered the fortress of Kábul. He spent a week enjoying himself in the gardens (P. 295) of that city. When he enquired of some trusty followers of Mírzá Muḥammad Ḥakím the history of the affair of that letter to Sháh Mançúr, and examined closely into the matter, he found out that Karam-ulláh, brother of Shahbáz Khán together with other Amírs had concocted all this forgery and deception, and that the last letter also, which had been the cause of his being put to death, was a forgery of the Amírs. So the Emperor was very much grieved about the execution of Sháh Mançúr:—