I had selected from the other sons of Shāhrukh, Mīrzā Sulān,* son of Mīrzā Shāhrukh the grandson of Mīrzā Sulaimān, who was a descendant (great - grandson) of Mīrzā Sulān Abū Sa‘īd and for a long time ruler of Badakhshan, and with consent of my* revered father brought him into my service. I count him as a son, and have promoted him to the rank of 1,000. I also promoted Bhāo Singh, son of Raja Mān Singh and the most capable of his sons, from his original rank to that of 1,500. I raised Zamāna Beg,* son of Ghayūr Beg of Kabul, who has served me personally from his childhood, and who, when I was prince, rose from the grade of an ahadi to that of 500, giving him the title of Mahābat Khān and the rank of 1,500. He was confirmed as bakhshi of my private establishment (shāgird-pīsha).
I promoted Raja Bīr Singh Deo, a Bandela Rajput, who
had obtained my favour, and who excels his equals
and relatives in valour, personal goodness, and simpleheartedness,
to the rank of 3,000. The reason for his
advancement and for the regard shown to him was that
near the end of my revered father's time, Shaikh Abu-l-faẓl,
who excelled the Shaikhzādas of Hindustan in wisdom and
learning, had adorned himself outwardly with the jewel of
sincerity, and sold it to my father at a heavy price. He
had been summoned from the Deccan, and, since his feelings
towards me were not honest, he both publicly and privately
spoke against me. At this period when, through strife-
I made Mīr Ẓiyā'u-d-dīn of Qazwīn, who had done me service in the days of my princehood and had shown loyalty, commander of 1,000 and accountant of the stables. An order was given that every day thirty horses should be produced before me for the purpose of making presents. I honoured Mīrzā ‘Alī Akbarshāhī, who is one of the distinguished braves of this family,* with the rank of 4,000, and gave him the sarkar of Sambhal as his jagir.
One day the Amīru-l-umarā (Sharīf Khān) greatly pleased me by an incidental remark. It was this: “Honesty and dishonesty are not confined to matters of cash and goods; to represent qualities as existing in acquaintances which do not exist, and to conceal the meritorious qualities of strangers, is dishonesty. In truth, honesty of speech consists in making no distinction between intimates and strangers and in describing each man as he really is.”
When I sent off Parwīz I had said to him, “If the Rana himself, and his eldest son who is called Karan, should come to wait upon you and proffer service and obedience, you should not do any injury to his territory.” My intention in this recommendation was of two kinds; one, that inasmuch as the conquest of Transoxiana was always in the pure mind of my revered father, though every time he determined on it things occurred to prevent it, if this business could be settled, and this danger dismissed from my mind, I would leave Parwīz in Hindustan, and in reliance on Allah, myself start for my hereditary territories, especially as at this time there was no permanent ruler in that region. Bāqī Khān, who, after ‘Abdu-llah Khān and ‘Abdu-l-Mu'mīn Khān, his son, had acquired complete independence, had died, and the affairs of Walī Muḥammad Khān, his brother, who is now the ruler of that region, had not as yet been brought into proper order. Secondly, to bring about the termination of the war in the Deccan, of which a part in the time of my revered father had been acquired, so that it might come into possession, and be incorporated with the Imperial dominions. My hope is that through the favour of Allah both these undertakings will be accomplished.
“Though a king should seize the seven climes,
* He still would labour to take others.”
I promoted Mīrzā Shāhrukh,* grandson of Mīrzā Sulaimān, (once) the ruler of Badakhshan, who was nearly related to my family, and held the rank of 5,000 in my father's service, to the rank of 7,000. The Mīrzā is a true Turk in disposition and simple-minded. My father conferred great honour on him, and whenever he bade his own sons sit he gratified him also with this distinction. Notwithstanding the mischievous propensities of the people of Badakhshan, the Mīrzā in this familiarity never left the right road, or undertook anything that might lead to unpleasantness. I confirmed him in the Subah of Malwa just as my father had kindly conferred it on him.
I conferred on Khwāja ‘Abdu-llah, who is of the Naqsh-
Abū-n-nabī,*
the Ūzbeg, who is one of the distinguished
inhabitants of Māwarā'a-n-nahr and in the time of ‘Abdu-l-
Shaikh Ḥasan is the son of Shaikh Bahā.* From the days of his childhood to this day he has always been in my service and in attendance on me, and when I was prince was distinguished by the title of Muqarrab Khān. He was very active and alert in his service, and in hunting would often traverse long distances by my side. He is skilful with the arrow and the gun, and in surgery is the most skilful of his time. His ancestors also had been well practised in this profession. After my accession, in consequence of the perfect confidence I had in him, I sent him to Burhanpur to bring the children and dependants of my brother Dāniyāl to wait on me, and sent a message to the Khānkhānān in low and high words* and profitable admonitions. Muqarrab Khān performed this service correctly and in a short time, and, clearing off the suspicions which had entered the minds of the Khānkhānān and the nobles of that place, brought those who had been left behind by my brother in safety and security, together with his establishment and property and effects, to Lahore, and there presented them before me.
I promoted Naqīb Khān,* who is one of the genuine Sayyids of Qazwīn and is called Ghiyāu-d-dīn ‘Alī, to the rank of 1,500. My father had distinguished him with the title of Naqīb Khān, and in his service he had complete intimacy and consideration. Shortly after his accession he (Akbar) had discussed several matters with him, and from this familiarity he called him ākhūnd. He has no equal or rival in the science of history and in biographies. There is in this day no chronologist like him in the inhabited world. From the beginning of Creation till the present time, he has by heart the tale of the four quarters of the world. Has Allah granted to any other person such faculty of memory?
Shaikh Kabīr, who was of the family of the venerable Shaikh Salīm, I had honoured with the title of Shajā‘at Khān when I was prince, on account of his manliness and bravery. I now selected him for the rank of 1,000.