In this season of expansion and on this auspicious soil, when the airs of joy were circulating in the brain of fortune, a vernal happi­ness possessed the soul of the Age. The advent of the world-enkindling new year diffused abundance over the terrene and terrestrials. The hundred-petalled rose bloomed forth.

The rose sought to unfold her petal-wings
That she might fly in company with the nightingale.
The early buds half-opened on the ends of their stalks
To bear away the hearts of the claw-sporting birds;
The spectacle of flower and leaf reveals
That at each step the road of love rises and falls.
May I imitate the nature of this garden's buds
With a hundred tongues in their lips they are silent
'Tis for the Shāhinshāh's advent they've spread
Carpets of roses and brocades of jasmine.

After nine hours and twenty-one minutes had passed of the night of Sunday, 8th Shābān 972, of the lunar year, 11 March 1565, the sun entered his mansion of exaltation, and the tenth year of the reign began, viz., the year Dai of the first cycle, and another spring was added to the equable spring of the Shāhinshāh's character. H.M. was in the same delightful meadow which the artists of springtide had decorated, when on the next day the desert-traversing huntsmen announced that in a certain quarter there was a forest full of elephants. H.M. the Shāhinshāh was delighted at this news and hastened off to the chase. He captured the elephants and sent them to the camp. He spent the night in the forest, and next day came to the camp. On the way the huntsmen announced that at the distance of eight kos from the halting-place there were more than 250 elephants wander­ing at their free will in a forest. H.M. was delighted and at once went off to the spot. At the end of the day he arrived at the grazing-ground of those mighty forms. In accordance with his orders the servants surrounded the elephants and drove them towards Bayānwān.* Half the night had passed when they had driven them into the fort. By H.M.'s orders a pond was dug by the camp atten­dants, large enough to charge with moisture those cloud-like ani­mals, and it was filled up with pure water so that these heated river-quaffers enjoyed the springs of that bounty which guarantees the satisfaction of all from the elephant to the gnat.

After those wild creatures had been caught and fastened with ropes, some were sent to Narwar, some to Gwalīyār, and the most of them to the camp. In connection with this affair H.M. spent two days in the neighbourhood of the fort of Bayānwān. Certainly, on the occa­sion of this delightful occurrence—the like of which was not to be wit­nessed anywhere else in the pleasant lands of India—the spectators enjoyed a wondrous spectacle and had cause for admiration. What sub­lime contrivance! What lofty conceptions! How the Lord of the Age brought into captivity such a number of savage, mountain-like heaven-ascending animals! From thence he turned towards the camp which was in the vicinity of Karhara, and stayed there about twenty days. As it was the time of the mingling of two seasons, and the air was becoming heated, and as the climate of that warm, elephant-haunted country was not conformable to the human constitution, many of the camp-party fell ill. H.M. had compassion on humanity and bade the beating of the drums of return. He left some of the followers to capture the remaining elephants, and went on stage by stage, and hunting by the way to Gwalīyār. There H.M.'s constitution became somewhat affected by the climate and long marches. In a short time, however, he was restored to health, and sickness was changed into soundness.

Five or six days after his recovery he proceeded towards Agra, and in a fortunate hour, which was a chosen one of stars and hori­zons, he cast his light and his shadow on that fortunate city.

Among the principal events of the year was the founding of the fort of Agra. It is not concealed from the minds of the mathematical and the acquainted with the mechanism of the spheres that since the world-adorning creator hath decked Time and the Terrene with the existence of the Shāhinshāh in order that the series of creations might be perfected, that wise-hearted one has exercised himself in bringing each individual life from the secrecy of potentiality to the theatre of performance. At one time he has prepared the constituents of rule by perfecting the earth for animated nature by improving agriculture by irrigation and the sowing of seeds. At another time he stablishes spiritual and temporal dominion by building fortresses for the pro­tection of products and the guarding of honour and prestige. Accord­ingly, he at this time gave directions for the building in Agra— which by position is the centre of Hindustan—of a grand fortress such as might be worthy thereof, and correspond to the dignity of his dominions. An order was then issued that the old fort which was built on the east bank of the Jamna, and whose pillars had been shaken by the revolutions of time and the shocks of fortune, should be removed, and that an impregnable fort should be built of hewn stone. It was to be stable like the foundation of the dominion of the sublime family and permanent like the pillars of its fortunes. Accord­ingly, lofty-minded mathematicians and able architects laid the foundations of this great building in an hour which was supreme for establishing a fortress. The excavations were made through seven strata of earth. The breadth of the wall was three bādshāhī* yards and its height sixty yards. It was provided with four gates whereby the doors of the dominion were opened towards the four quarters of the world. Every day 3 to 4,000 active builders and strong-armed labourers carried on the work. From the foundations to the battle­ments, the fortress was composed of hewn stone, each of which was polished like the world-revealing mirror, and was ruddy as the cheek of fortune. And they were so joined together that the end of a hair could not find place between them. This sublime fortress, the like of which had never been seen by a fabulous geometrician, was completed with its battlements, breastwork, and its loop-holes (sang-andāz) in the space of eight years under the faithful superintendence of Qāsim Khān Mīr Barr u Baḥr.

In this year H.M. determined that a person should be appointed to the lofty office of Ṣadr, who should be distinguished for wisdom and probity, etc., in order that ascetics and devout persons might approach the sublime threshold and receive pensions and support in accordance with their condition. In this way they would be comforted and be able to give themselves up to their devotions without anxiety. Though this tribe of men is to be found in every country, and there is no clime without them, yet they are most numerous in the districts of India. It was indispensable that there should be at the head of such an affair someone who should be firstly single*-eyed, so that this high office should not be a scene of grasping and conten­tion, and that he should not covet the goods of the poor, for to cast eyes of desire on everyone's property is to make oneself a public and private plunderer. It would be most wretched if he should in this way seek to satisfy the maw of his desires! Secondly, he must be capable and a discerner of mankind so that he be not unduly swayed by the recommendations of oppressors, the blandishments of flatterers, and his own ignorance. He must be able to appraise every man according to his merit, and so further their work. Thirdly, he must not have a patrician nature (mīrzā abī'yat) and so spend his time in sloth and pleasure, and delay the business of the poor. On the contrary he must be strenuous, and one who distinguishes not between night and day so that he may carry matters through and show the most exquisite devotion towards the needy.

When this right and proper idea took possession of H.M. and he was in search of one who was adorned with the qualities above described, or who was resolved to acquire them, and was eager in the pursuit of them, Muaffar Khān, who had the control of affairs, appointed Shaikh 'Abdu-n-nabī to this high office at the instance of misjudging panegyrists and prattlers, and then reported the matter to H.M. and recommended his being confirmed therein. The Lord of the Age, out of that excellent disposition which thinks nothing but good of men, relied upon Muaffar Khān's knowledge and made the appointment. He ('Abdū-n-nabī) decked out his shop with hypocrisy and fair-seeming, and the Lord of the Age, who abode in the peace­ful abode of thinking well of men, was pleased with him. In a short space of time he, by means of a crowd of flatterers and interested per­sons, and by the ascendancy of the short-sighted and ignorant, sold his studentship at the rate of teachership, and his superficial learning became converted into substantial wisdom. He was the grandson* of Shāīkh 'Abdul Qaddūs whom the people of India regarded as a saint. But as God hath made H.M. the Shāhinshāh the touchstone of men's merit, this man was also tested, and the veil was withdrawn from his actions, as will be related in its proper place.