CHAPTER LIV.
EXPEDITION OF H.M. TO MĀLWA, HIS HUNTING OF ELEPHANTS AND HIS
MARCH AGAINST 'ABDULLAH KHĀN, HIS VICTORY AND RENEWAL OF
ELEPHANT-HUNTING, AND HIS RETURN TO THE CAPITAL.

As it is a lofty duty of sovereignty to be always cognisant of the affairs of the kingdom, and of the sentiments of the officers of the State, especially of the presumptuous and narrow-minded ones who when they have attained success have departed from the vicinity of the throne, and to check them before their proceedings have amounted to sedition, so is it a thing to thank God for that this glorious quality is displayed in perfection in the holy personality of the Shāhinshāh. Accordingly the wise are at a loss how to comprehend it. He continually seeks for information about the hidden things of the kingdom, and though apparently he be engaged in hunting and the like, yet such things are but a veil, and his noble days have no respite from the affairs of church and state, and he is ever employed in worship of God, and in fostering his subjects. Therefore, when he came to hear that 'Abdullah Khān Uzbeg, who had eaten the salt of fortune's table was uplifting the head of rebellion in Mālwa and that he was in his narrow-mindedness about to cast away the burden of favours and to become an ingrate, he determined to use elephant-hunting as a pretext and to make an expedition to Mālwa. He set out under the divine protection on the day of Bahrām 20 Tīr Divine month corresponding to Saturday, 21st Zī Q'ada 2 July, 1564. It was a season when those proudly-stalking elephants—the clouds—had in their violence flung confusion and uproar on the time and the ter­rene and had in their oozing fury sent forth floods and made high­lands indistinguishable from lowlands, and in their arrogance and haughtiness paid no regard to the guiding-crook (kajak) of the light­ning, that the sublime standards approached Narwār* and the Sīprī* where there were elephant forests. When the camp reached the bank of the Cambal, the river was, owing to excessive rain, in full flood. It was necessary that the encampment should halt for nearly two weeks in order to cross, so that the whole body might pass over in boats. When the special elephants were crossing that furious river, the elephant Lakna was in his impetuosity carried away by the water. After that the army encamped at Gwālīār, and from there marched on to Narwār. As the elephant forest was near there, arrangements were made for hunting, and the servants were divided into several bodies. To each of them a great officer was appointed and several tame elephants assigned. Strong ropes, too, were provided which might have force to drag the mountain-forms, nay, which might furnish nooses for the elephants of the horizons. The order also was issued that whenever wild elephants were found, the tame elephant should follow them up, until the latter should from weariness lose power of movement. Then from each side of the wild elephant the drivers who were seated on the tame elephants should cast one end of the rope round the neck of the wild elephant and the other round the neck of the tame one. In this way they were to bring him into captivity and to drag him along. Every day they were to tame him more and more, and to throw fodder before him until at length they could mount on him. In this way they were to tame him in a short space of time. The real method of taming every wild animal is gentle­ness, and the exhibition of what is agreeable to him such as grass, grain and water. On rational grounds this mode of hunting seems to be the best plan for hunting elephants; for the wild elephant is great of body and powerful, and is subdued by elephants more powerful than or like himself. The hunters avert his malignity from themselves and gain the victory over him.

In fine, H.M. practised the laws of hunting in the pursuit of elephants in the forest of Narwār, and sent out parties in every direc­tion. He himself with his brave companions enjoyed the sport. That day after a great chase a female elephant was seen in the dis­tance. They hastened after it, and having tired it out, they bound it to another elephant. As they were doing so, Adham, the son of Mullā Kitābdār, fell into the clutches of the elephant and was kneaded somewhat but managed to crawl away. Next day was the 'Īd Qur­bān. Mūn'im Khān Khān-Khānān, who in that pleasant hunt was in attendance on the royal stirrup, and other pillars of the state, appeared before H.M. and did homage. H.M. in his kindness heaped 'Īd upon 'Īd and went off to hunt. Each party proceeded to its appointed place, and that day, after much exertion, a herd of female elephants was sighted which had with them two or three male ele­phants. H.M. on beholding them had a renewal of the joy of the 'Īd and captured the herd which consisted of nine elephants. Next day he abode in his camp and engaged in administration which is the real kind of hunting. On the third day he was on horseback with the dawn, and till the close of day traversed that forest into which, from the closeness of the trees and the thickness of the branches, it was difficult for the north or east winds to penetrate. Suddenly a herd which contained more than seventy elephants crossed before him. He was delighted and took it as an omen of the capture of great suc­cesses. In accordance with orders the elephants were driven into the dense forest and the foot of each was fastened to a tree. Persons were appointed to watch over each animal. Ropes were sent for from the camp, and that forest in which there never had been a trace of men's footsteps, and which had not been crossed even by the steeds of imagination, became on that night by the arrival of the sublime cortege a Cairo and a Bagdad. The chamberlains by the help of the court carpenters made a platform for the royal repose and covered it with scarlet cloth. H.M. took his seat thereon, and his courtiers such as Yūsuf Muḥammad Kokaltāsh, 'Azīz Muḥammad Kokaltāsh, Saif Khān Kokaltāsh, Mīr M'uizzalmulk, Mīr 'Alī Akbar, and Calma Khān, who was known by the title of Khān 'Aālm, Mīr Ghyāu-d-dīn 'Ālī, who is now distinguished by the title of Naqīb Khān, and other special favourites formed a circle round him. Next morning when the world-warming sun had sate on the throne of the horizons, H.M. the Shāhinshāh with the desired prey in his net and the cup of suc­cess at his lip sate on that auspicious throne and graciously ordered his courtiers to be seated. Then for the sake of delight and plea­sure he listened for some time to Darbār* Khān's recital of the story of Amīr* Ḥamza. Meanwhile several elephants with many ropes arrived from the camp. H.M. signified that each one of the evil-disposed elephants should be firmly bound between two of the royal elephants, and be conveyed to the camp by evening. This was done, and for the completion of the work he remained there two days more. As H.M. meditated the capture of some more wild* elephants he turned his rein towards Mālwa. On account of the lightning, the rain and floods, and the viscous mud, and the numerous holes and ditches which characterise the province of Mālwa, the march was difficult. The horses had to swim like hippopotamī, and the camels to traverse floods like ships of ocean. At last after hundreds of difficulties they came to the village of Ranad* and encamped there. On account of the excessive rain they halted there two days. From thence they pro­ceeded by way of Sārangpūr. On account of the quantity of mud on this march the horses sank up to their chests and the very hair of the camels became a burden to them. With a thousand difficulties they moved along. On this day the tents of the victorious encampment which crowded the wilderness fell into the rear. Except the royal tents and enclosures, a tent of the Khān-Khānān, the tent of M. 'Azīz Kokaltāsh, and the tents of one or two of the other great officers, not a tent of the king's servants could come up. Of necessity, a halt for one day was ordered. Next day the standards were upreared in the direction of Mandū. The wide plain of the town of Khīrār* was reached after five stages. Though in these halting-places the animals could not get grain, they enjoyed instead abundance of fresh and moist grass, which was plentiful in these pleasant meadows, and were indifferent to grain. They skipped about with delight in those verdant pastures.

H.M. the Shāhinshāh left off the pleasure of hunting, and having located the camp in that pleasant spot and placed some officers in charge, he went off on horseback towards Māndū, which was the residence of the rebel. On the way he sent Ashraf Khān and I'timād Khān in advance in order that they might convey to 'Abdullah Khan, who was apprehensive on account of his improper actions, the news of the royal favour, and bring him to do homage, and might not permit him to be a vagabond in the fields of disloyalty. With the wings of swiftness he went from Khīrār to Sarangpūr* which is the first city in Malwa and is at a distance of 25 Malwa kos, which are equal to more than 40 Delhi kos, and he performed this journey in such a time of mud and water in one stage. At the confines of Sārangpūr, Muḥam­mad Qāsim Khān of Nīshāpūr, to whom the government of that place was entrusted, had the felicity of going out to meet him. He begged H.M. to alight at his house, and offered as a present on the part of himself and his followers nearly 700 horses and mules. These were distributed to the officers and servants. At dawn he proceeded towards Ujjain, which in former times was the capital of the kings of Malwa. When the climate of Dhār* had become delightful (lit. otto-scattering) by the arrival of the encampment, Ashraf Khān and Itimād Khān came from 'Abdullah Khān and reported the state of his case. It appeared that though these loyal servants had done their office zealously, yet no impression was made on his hypo­critical heart. He would not accept any consolation. He sent his family out of the fort, and then waited till evening and followed his men. He made some idle requests and sent them away. For instance he asked that he should receive no detriment in person or purse, and that the province of Māndū should be left to him as before, and that Tingrī Bardī, Khān Qulī, and Insān Bakhshī should be allowed to accompany him. Mun'im Khān Khān-Khānān relying upon H.M's clemency and mildness, begged the pardon of his offences. H.M. the Shāhinshāh, out of his abundant graciousness, drew the line of forgiveness over his offences and accepted his petition. He issued an order in accordance with them and again despatched 'Itimād Khān and Darbār Khān to him.