A curious incident in this siege was this: A person was sitting near the battery of the author of this book, under the shelter of a tree, with his right hand placed upon his knee. As an opportunity presented itself, he raised his thumb, covered with the stall usually worn by archers, and just at that moment a gun was fired from the fortress, and the ball passed within the length of a barley-corn from his thumb, and did him no harm.
When the Emperor started to effect the conquest of Chitor, he vowed that if he were successful, he would make a pilgrimage to the tomb of Khwája Mu'ínu-d dín Chishtí, which is at Ajmír. In performance of this vow, he set off for Ajmír, and walked all the way on foot. On Sunday, the 7th Ramazán, he reached Ajmír. He performed all the observances of the pilgrimage, and made the poor and needy glad with his alms and offerings. He remained there ten days, and then departed for the capital.
The beginning of this year corresponded with Thursday, 14th Ramazán, 975 H. (14th March, 1568). At the beginning of this year the Emperor left Ajmír, and proceeded by way of Mewát towards Ágra. On his journey, he passed a jungle which was the abode of lions (sher) and tigers (babar). A terrible tiger (sher)* came out, and His Majesty's followers, who were constantly in attendance upon him, discharged their arrows and stretched him in the dust. His Majesty then gave orders, that if a like thing should occur again, they were not to shoot until he directed them. As they went on, another tiger (sher), larger and fiercer than the first, came out and made towards the Emperor. No one of the attendants dared to fire without orders. The tiger-hunting King alighted from his horse and levelled a musket at the beast. The ball grazed the animal's face, inflicting a slight wound, which caused him to rush from his place towards His Majesty. The Emperor fired a second time, and brought him down. At this juncture, 'Ádil Muhammad Kandahárí, boldly placed an arrow to his bow, and faced the animal, which then turned away from the Emperor and attacked him. It brought him to the ground, and was about to take his head in his mouth. That brave fellow, in this supreme moment, thrust his hand into the animal's mouth, and sought to draw his dagger to stab him in the belly. But the handle of the dagger stuck in the sheath, and the beast gnawed the flesh and skin of the hand which was in his mouth. Notwithstanding this, 'Ádil managed to draw his dagger, and inflicted some deep wounds in the animal's belly. Brave men gathered round on all sides and finished him. 'Ádil Muhammad received a sword-cut besides the wounds the tiger had given him. He lay for some time on the bed of pain before he died of his wounds.
After the tiger hunt the royal camp moved towards Alwar, and directions were given that it should proceed thither, while the Emperor himself went to pay a visit to Shaikh Nizám Nárnauli. He then returned to the camp, and proceeded with the army to the capital.
After a stay of some months at Ágra, the Emperor resolved to attack the fort of Rantambhor, renowned as one of the strongest and highest fortresses of Hindústán. An order was issued for the assembling of those troops which had not been engaged in the siege of Chitor. Ashraf Khán Mír-munshí and Sádik Khán were sent on this service with a large portion of the Imperial army. When these amírs had marched several stages, intelligence reached the Emperor of disturbances created by the sons of Muhammad Sultán Mirzá, who had escaped from the hands of Changíz Khán, in Gujarát,* and had laid siege to the fort of Ujjain, in Málwa. The Emperor then directed that Kalíj Khán, with the amírs and the army that had been sent to Rantambhor, should undertake the repression of the revolt of the Mirzás.
The two forces united according to the order. On approaching Sironj, Shahábu-d dín, the ruler of that sarkár, came forth to meet them. He joined them and marched on with them. When they encamped at Sárangpúr, Sháh Bidágh Khán joined them with his forces. The army had now grown very large. When the Mirzás were apprised of its approach, they raised the siege of Ujjain, and went off towards Mandú. Muhammad Murád Khán and Mirzá 'Azízu-lla, who had been besieged in Ujjain, being thus released, came out and joined the amírs. All marched together in pursuit of the Mirzás, who fled before them from Mandú to the banks of the Nerbadda. They crossed this river in such confusion that many of their men were drowned. Just at this time Jajhár Khán Habshí murdered Changíz Khán, the ruler of Gujarát, in the tirpauliya maidán of Ahmadábád. When the Mirzás heard of this, they seized the chance which it afforded, and fled to Gujarát. The Imperial amírs turned back from the river Nerbadda, and the jágírdárs of Mandú returned to their jágírs. Kalíj Khán and the other amírs proceeded to Court, and were received with royal favour. On reaching Gujarát, the Mirzás first seized upon the fort of Chámpanír,* and then marched against Broach, to which they laid seige. After a while, they by stratagem got into their power Rustam Khán Rúmí, who was besieged in the fort, and put him to death.* The remainder of this transaction will be told in its proper place.
In the course of this year Mír Muhammad Khán-i kalán, Kutbu-d dín Muhammad Khán, and Kamál Khán Ghakar, jágírdárs of the Panjáb, were summoned to Court. They hastened to obey, and in Rabí'u-l awwal, 976 H., they arrived and made their offerings. Husain Kulí Khán and his brother Isma'íl Khán were summoned from Nágor, and appointed to the government of the Panjáb instead of them. The jágír of Muhammad Khán-i kalán, in the sarkár of Sambal, became a tankhwáh. When the Emperor marched to conquer Rantambhor, Husain Kulí Khán was his personal attendant in the campaign. But after the reduction of Rantambhor, and the return of His Majesty to Ágra, Husain Kulí Khán and his brother Isma'íl Kulí Khán took leave and departed to the Panjáb. On the 1st Rajab, the Emperor marched from Ágra against Rantambhor. Proceeding to Dehlí, he stayed there some days and went out to a kamurgha hunt, in the neighbourhood of Pálam, where four or five thousand animals were killed.
The beginning of this year agreed with 5th Ramazán, 976 H. (22nd February, 1569). The Emperor marched at the opening of the year towards Rantambhor, and in a short period arrived at the foot of the fort. The place was invested, batteries raised, sábáts constructed, and several breaches were effected by battering with cannon.
Ráí Surjan, the commander of the fort, when he observed the progress of the siege, was brought down from the pinnacle of his pride and insolence, and he sent out his two sons, Dúdh and Bhoj by name, to ask for terms. His Majesty received kindly the two young men, who had come to seek his mercy, and pardoned their transgressions. He sent Husain Kulí Khán, who had received the title of Khán-jahán, into the fort to give assurances to Ráí Surjan. He did so, and brought the Ráí to wait upon the Emperor, when he made a frank submission, and was enrolled among the royal servants.* On Wednesday, 3rd Shawwál, the conquest of the fortress was accomplished, and on the next day the Emperor went in to examine the place. He placed Mihtar Khán in command of the fortress, and then prepared to return to the capital. Leaving the army under the command of Khwája Amínu-d dín Mahmúd, who was entitled Khwája-jahán, and Muzaffar Khán, the Emperor left them to conduct the army back to the capital, while he made a hasty journey to pay a visit to the tomb of Fáízu-l anwár Khwája Mu'ínu-d dín Chishtí. He remained there a week, and then departed for Ágra, where he arrived on Wednesday, 4th Zí-l ka'da, 976. Darbár Khán, one of his personal attendants, had been compelled by sickness to continue with the army, and he died before His Majesty reached Ágra. Upon his return His Majesty went into the Khán's dining-hall, and made a princely provision for his family.