On the 27th, Sayyid Kāsū was dignified with the title of Parwarish Khān. Wednesday, in the same way that Mubārak-shamba had been a fortunate one for me, had fallen out exactly the opposite. On this account I gave this evil day the name of Kam-shamba, in order that this day might always fail from the world (lessen). On the next day a jewelled dagger was conferred on Yādgār Qūrchī, and I ordered that after this he should be styled Yādgār Beg. I had sent for Jay Singh, son of Rāja Mahā Singh. On this day he waited on me and presented an elephant as an offering. A watch and three gharis of Mubārak-shamba, the 2nd of Shahriyār, had passed, when I rode to look round the Nīl-kunḍ and its neighbourhood; thence I passed on to the plain of the ‘Īd-gāh on the top of a mound that was very green and pleasant. Champa flowers and other sweet wild herbs of that plain had bloomed to such a degree that on all sides on which the eye fell the world looked like a world of greenery and flowers. I entered the palace when a watch of night had passed.
As it had been several times mentioned to me that a kind of sweetmeat was obtained from the wild plantain such that dervishes and other poor people made it their food. I wished to enquire into the matter. What I found was that the fruit of the wild plantain was an exceedingly hard and tasteless thing. The real fact is that in the lower part (of the trunk) there is a thing shaped like a fir - cone from which the real fruit of the plantain comes out. On this a kind of sweetmeat forms which has exactly the juiciness and taste of pālūda. It appears that men eat this and enjoy it.*
With regard to carrier pigeons (kabūtar-i-nāma-bar), it had been stated to me in the course of conversation that in the time of the Abbaside Caliphs they taught* the Baghdad pigeons who were styled ‘letter-carriers’ (nāma-bar), and were one-half larger* than the wild pigeon. I bade the pigeon-fanciers to teach their pigeons, and they taught some of them in such a manner that we let them fly from Mandu in the early morning, and if there was much rain they reached Burhanpur by 2 1/2 pahars (watches) of the day, or even in 1 1/2 pahars. If the air was very clear most of them arrived by one pahar of the day and some by four gharis (hours) of the day.
On the 3rd a letter came from Bābā Khurram, announcing the coming of Afẓal Khān and Rāy Rāyān and the arrival of the ambassadors of Ādil Khān, and their bringing suitable offerings of jewels, jewelled things, elephants, and horses, offerings such as had never come in any reign or time, and expressing much gratitude for the services and loyalty of the aforesaid Khān, and his faithfulness to his word and duty. He asked for a gracious royal firman bestowing on him the title of farzand (son) and for other favours, which had never yet been vouchsafed in his honour. Since it was very gratifying to me to please my son, and his request was reasonable, I ordered that the Munshis of the mercurial pen should write a farman in the name of ‘Ādil Khān, conveying every kind of affection and favour, and exceeding in his praise ten or twelve times what had been previously written. They were ordered in these farmans to address him as farzand. In the body of the farman I wrote this couplet with my own hand—
“Thou'st become, at Shāh Khurram's request,
Renowned in the world as my son” (farzandī).
On the 4th day this farman was sent off with its
copy, so that my son Shāh Khurram might see the
copy and send off the original. On Mubārak-shamba,
the 9th, I went with the ladies to the house of Āṣaf
Khān. His house was situated in the valley, and was
exceedingly pleasant and bright. It had several valleys
round it; in some places there were flowing waterfalls,
and mango and other trees exceedingly green and pleasant
and shady. Nearly 200 or 300 keora shrubs (gul-i-keoṛā,
Pandanus odoratissimus) grew in one valley. In fine
that day passed in great enjoyment. A wine party was
held and cups were presented to the Amirs and intimates,
and an offering from Āṣaf Khān was laid before me.
There were many rare things. I took whatever I approved,
and the remainder was given to him. On the same day
Khwāja Mīr, son of Sulān Khwāja, who had come on
a summons from Bangash, waited on me, and presented
as an offering a ruby, two pearls, and an elephant. Rāja
Bhīm Narāyan, a zamindar of the province of Gadeha,
was promoted to the mansab of 1,000 personal and 500
horse. An order was given that a jagir should be provided
him out of his native country. On the 12th a letter
came from my son Khurram that Rāja Sūraj Mal, son
of Rāja Bāso, whose territory is near the fort of Kangra,
had promised that in the course of a year he would
bring that fort into the possession of the servants of
the victorious State. He also sent his letter which
covenanted for this. I ordered that after comprehending
his desires and wishes, and satisfying himself with regard
to them, he should send off the Raja to wait on me,
so that he might set about the said duty. On the same
day, which was Monday, the 11th, corresponding with
the 1st Ramaẓān (2nd September, 1617), after four gharis
and seven pals had passed, a daughter was born to my
son by the mother of his other children, who was the
daughter of Āṣaf Khān. This child was named Rūshan-