As the sublime office of world-rule is in reality guardianship and watching, H.M. the Shāhinshāh in consequence of his rectitude of intention, and contrary to the practice of most former sovereigns, finds his own satisfaction in the soothment of his subjects, and his own joy in the peace of mankind. Assuredly, the unique pearl of the Caliphate fitly adorns the diadem of such a crowned one who, in spite of so much majesty and glory, keeps himself at the Court of the Eternal and is strenuous in the administration of justice, and who considers the repose of mankind to be his own ease. Certainly, whoever withdraws himself from obedience to such a sovereign, works destruction to himself with his own hands. Especially if he be one who has been nurtured by the sublime family, and has gathered by its means the materials of outward grandeur! What inhumanity and baseness, and folly, are in those who use those materials of grandeur in rebelling against their benefactor! Whenever there is such a sovereign, and such opposition, the Divine favour assists the former and gives victory in every campaign. The affair of Ālī Qulī Khān and Bahādur Khān, and the uprooting of those two haughty wretches are a specimen of this. The abridged account is as follows. When the sublime cortège returned successful from the Panjab campaign to the capital, and the rebellion and crimes of Ālī Qulī Khān and Bahādur Khān and the other leaders of sedition had been reported to H.M., he resolved to proceed to the eastern provinces and to extinguish the flames of sedition. He appointed Mun'im Khān Khān-Khānān to the charge of Agra, and chose out 2,000 war-elephants to accompany the troops. Before the army marched, he ordered Moaffar Moghal, M. Qulī, Qulīj Khān, Saiyid Muḥammad Maujī, Hājī Yūsuf, to proceed quickly to succour M. Yūsuf who was shut up in Qanauj. He himself put the foot of intent into the stirrup of dominion on the day of Ashtad 26 Ardībihisht, Divine month, corresponding to Tuesday, 26 Shawwal, 6 May, 1567.
When he arrived at the town of Sakīt,* Ālī Qulī Khān, who was engaged in stirring up strife at the Qanauj ferry on the banks of the Ganges, fled as soon as he heard of the expedition of H.M., and went towards Manikpūr where his brother, Bahādur Khān was confronting Āṣaf Khān and Majnūn Khān. The royal army advanced from Sakīt to the bank of the Ganges and next day it crossed that tempestuous river and went on stage by stage. When it reached Mohān,* Muḥammad Qulī Khān Barlās was made leader and there were sent with him Moaffar Khān, Rajah Todar Mal, Shah Budāgh Khān, his son 'Abdu-l-malib Khān, Ḥasan Khān, Qiyā Khān, Ḥājī Muḥammad Khān Sīstānī, Āādil Khān, Khwāja Ghīāu-d-dīn Āli Bakhshī, and other brave men on the day of Dībādīn 23 Khurdad, Divine month, corresponding to Tuesday, 24 Ẕī-l-Qāda, 2 June, 1567, against Iskandar Khān, who had opened out the hand of sedition in Oudh. H.M. himself went on towards Karra and Manikpūr. When he came to Rai Bareilly, reports were received from Āṣaf Khān and Majnūn Khān to the effect that Ālī Qulī Khān and his brother intended to make an attack on Gwālīār, and wished to cross the Ganges. Immediately upon hearing this, H.M. resolved to make a rapid march. Most of the officers, some from cowardice, some from sloth, and some from regard to their bodies, and some because they did not want the rebels to be disposed of until their own ends had been served (lit. until the market of their selling of themselves was brisk), did not approve of this rush. The wise Shāhinshāh did not strip the veil from the behaviour of any of them, but committed his design to God, and on the night of Zamiyād 28 Khurdād, Divine month, corresponding to Sunday, 29 Ẕī-l-q'ada, marched rapidly from the town aforesaid.
A wonderful circumstance was that H.M. left the usual road on account of its length and took the middle road, which was shorter, in spite of its being stated that it was without water, and that owing to the springs of secret aid which yielded abundance to the Shāhinshah's army, plenty of water was found on the way. For before this the rain of mercy had fallen and filled the ponds. He marched the whole night and half of the next day and reached Mānikpūr where Muḥibb 'Alī, the jāgīrdār, rendered his services. As the march had commenced at the beginning of the night, and few were aware of the route, and a forest intervened, the troops got dispersed and missed the right track, and only a few kept in touch with H.M.'s stirrup. But what fear of paucity of followers is there for him whom Almighty God vouchsafes to keep? On the way, Āṣaf Khān did homage near Mānikpūr and was graciously received. He was immediately sent on ahead in order that he might hasten to his own camp which was opposite Khān Zaman's. Nor had any long time elapsed when Hatwā Mēwrah* who was a swift courier and a trustworthy intelligencer, brought news that Ālī Qulī and Bahādur had made a bridge over the Ganges in pargana Singraur* and had crossed. When H.M. received this information, he at once mounted, and though but few men were in attendance, he went on trusting to the armies of the grace of God. He left Rajah Bhagwant Dās, Khwāja Jahān, and others in charge of the camp in order that they might conduct it to the town of Karra, and be on the watch. He went from the village of Shaikhān, which is a dependency of Mānikpūr, and at the end of the day, on Sunday, he crossed the Ganges on an ele phant. As it was the beginning of the rainy season, and the river was in flood, a strange agitation and outcry arose from the people when H.M. drove his elephant into the water. For the crossing of such a destructive river was an impossibility and it was only by the miraculous power of the Shāhinshāh that this swelling ocean gave a passage to that mine of holiness. He crossed without trouble by fording the river, and the spectators knew that this was a proof of victory! At the time when the sublime cortège crossed there were not more than eleven persons in attendance, viz., M. Koka, Saif Khān Koka, Dastam Khān, Shujā'at Khān, Khān 'Aālam, Khwāja 'Abdullah, Darbār Khān, Shahbāz Khān, Saiyid Jamālu-d din, 'Aādil Khān, Dilāwar Khān. There were also several elephants. On the day when the cortège crossed the Ganges and the river-bottom was trodden by the elephants, two of them, Khudā Bakhsh and Bāl Sundar were raging and roaring in their impetuosity. These two were noted for their courage, swiftness, fighting and rank-breaking qualities, but when the sublime cortège had crossed the river and had approached the rebels, the elephant Khuda-Bakhsh abandoned his fierceness and became cautious. The drivers and faujdārs were saddened on seeing this condition, but H.M. the Shāhinshāh said with the inspiration of fortune that the circumstance of such a fierce elephant's becoming cautious was an announcement of victory, for victory and success accompanied the cautious and intelligent. Moreover, by the elephant's becoming cautious his reliance was no longer upon elephants and their fierceness. He was confined to reliance upon the assistance of God and whosoever was confined to reliance upon the Divine favour and goodness was bounded by victory. In truth two* lofty points were made by that exhibition of marvels which were fitted to be the illuminated books of an inspired treatise. When night came on they reposed by the side of the river, while the rebels were one kos off. H.M. in reliance on the Divine aid ordered that they should halt here. At the same time Majnūn Khān and Aṣaf Khān came and did homage. Majnūn Khān and a number of others were of opinion that they should, without delay, fall upon the camp of the wretches that very night. Āṣaf Khān represented that they had taken up a strong position and encompassed it, and that it was not proper to attack at this time. Moreover in the day-time men fought better on account of their conduct being visible. His view was approved of and H.M. dismissed the arrivals after giving them exalted admonitions. He ordered that they should report to him twice in each watch, and that they should arrange for scouting, lest the rebels should hear of his having come and should depart.