And in those days I left home and, going from Basáwar to Ágra with the intention of pursuing my studies, I made acquaintance with Mihr 'Alí Bég, and remained at his house. And he greatly importuned my late teacher Shaikh Mubárak of Nágór (the mercy of God be upon him!), and my deceased father Shaikh Mulúksháh (may he rest in peace!), to allow me to be his travelling companion, and carried the matter to such a pitch that he declared that he would lay aside the business* of his journey, if I could not go with him. And both of these valued persons, whom I have named, in their generous friendship towards me, thinking it best for me to go, would take no refusal. So I, to gratify my teacher, although it was the height of the rainy* season, and I was an inexperienced traveller, abandoning my studies, mounted the dangers of the jour­ney. And passing through Kanouj,* Lak'hnou, (P. 33), Jounpúr, and Benáres, having seen the wonders of the world, and having been in the company of some of the great Shaikhs and Doctors of that part of the country, after crossing the river Ganges I came to Chunár in a month Zí-l-qa'dah* in the year nine hundred and sixty-six (966). Jamál Khán sent some of his people to meet Mihr 'Alí, and bring him to his house. There he received him with fitting hospitality and shewed him the palaces of Shér Sháh and Salím Sháh, and all the defensive munitions of the fort. But when the farmán of conciliation, containing a grant of five pargannas in the neighbourhood of Jounpúr in exchange for the fortress of Chunár, was read, Jamál Khán showed that he had further expectations, and proposing the most impossible terms endeavoured to detain Mihr 'Alí in inactivity until an answer to his representation should arrive from the court. Meanwhile he artfully held communication both with Khán Zamán* and Fatḥ Khán Afghán Tabní (?)* who with all his force was at the fortress of Rohtás, holding out to them separately promises of the fortress. Then Mihr 'Alí, when he became aware of the treachery and perfidy of Jamál Khán, and when also a suspicion as to Fatḥ Khán's fidelity found way into his mind, fearing lest they should league together for his injury, left the fort unattended, on the pretext of taking exercise. So leaving me in the fortress, he crossed the Ganges in the greatest perturbation. Then insinuating myself into Jamál Khán's good graces, and pro­mising him to bring back Mihr 'Alí, and restore peace and quiet, in the evening I got into a boat with the intention of crossing the river. It happened that my boat fell into a terrible whirlpool at the foot of the hill which adjoins the wall of the fortress, and a dreadful hurricane arose, which made the boat shake in every timber, and if the mercy of the Creator of land and sea had not been my shelter,* the bark of my (P. 34) hope in that whirlpool of calamity would have been dashed to atoms on the hill to death:—

“I came into a sea whose waves were man-devouring,
No boat in that sea, no sailor, it is wonderful!”

And in the jungle at the foot of the Chunár hill I came to the dwelling and abode of Shaikh Muhammad Ghous, one of the great Shaikhs of India, and a man of prayer. One of his followers met me, and showed me a cave where the Shaikh had lived for twelve years as a hermit, subsisting on the leaves, and fruit of the desert trees. So celebrated had he become for the fulfilment of his bless­ings, that even powerful and absolute monarchs used to bow the head of sincerity and courtesy in his honour.

After that Mihr 'Alí returned to Ágra, Fatú a ghulám of 'Adalí got into his possession the fortress of Chunár.

In 966 A. H. the aforenamed Shaikh with disciples and followers arrived with state and pomp at Ágra, coming from Gujrát. The Emperor received him with frank confidence. But his arrival was displeasing to Shaikh Gadá-í who on account of jealousy, hypocrisy, and envy (which to the saints of Hindustán, in their feelings towards one another, are the very necessaries of life), looked on his arrival as a case of opening a shop in the story above his own shop:—

“The truth of this proverb wisdom will see,
That, ‘Two of a trade can never agree.’”*

And the Khán Khánán, on account of the influence which Shaikh Gadá-i exercised over his mind, did not receive Shaikh Muhammad in such a friendly manner as he ought to have done. On the con­trary he held many preconcerted conversaziones, in which he brought forward the Shaikh to be a butt for the arrows of contumely, by bringing on the tapis a treatise of his, in which, describing the circumstances of his own exaltation, he says that in his waking moments he had had an interview and conversation with the Lord of Glory (glorious is His Majesty!), who assigned to him a supe­riority over the Repository of Prophecy,* (may (P. 35) God bless him, and his family, and give him peace!), and which contained other such follies equally contemptible and reprehensible both in thought and expression. So the Shaikh much chagrined retired to Gwályár, and occupied himself in the pursuits of his holy calling, contenting himself with a jágír which yielded a million sterling!*

In this year Bahádur Khán, brother of the Khán Zamán, with the intention of subjugating the country of Málwah,* which Báz Bahádur, son of Suzáwal* Khán at that time held, had advanced as far as the town of Siprí,* when the Khan Khánán's troubles came about, so he turned back, and with the Khán Khánán's leave came, and attached himself to the Court. In the same year Ḥusain Khán came from Andarí to Ágra, and going with some of the gallant Commanders towards Rantambhór performed some brilliant exploits at Súpar,* and thence he carried his operations to the castle of Rantambhór, and defeated Rái Surjan in battle and compelled him to shut himself up in that fortress. Against him he acquitted himself well; but on account of the confusion which reigned in the circles of the Khán Khánán, he left his circle of investment incom­plete, and went to Gwályár. And when thence he was making for Málwah, the Khán Khánán recalled him to Ágra.