The far-seeing, screen-choosing mind of H.M. the Shāhinshāh, which was constantly weaving the disguise of insouciance, and left political and financial matters to the lovers thereof, and daily drew a fresh veil over the face of his dominion conjoined with eternity, and thereby tested the boastful lovers of the world, gave its attention to camel-riding and to camel-fights at the time that he was adorning the veil in Kabul. For in that country there were no animals larger then they. Sometimes he, for the sharpening of his mind practised horse-riding, and the hunting with dogs. When India was made illustrious by his blessed advent he gave special attention to elephants, which are wonderful animals both in form and in ways. If in respect of size I liken them to a mountain in order to describe them to those who have not seen them, I do not succeed in my attempt, for where is account taken of their beauty of form, and where is their swiftness? Or if I liken their speed and fury to the wind, how is their wrath depicted at the time of their o'erthrowing the firm-footed on the field of battle? If I compare them for foresight, intelligence, and sagacity to the horse, the real thing is not said. A separate volume would be required to describe their ferocity, their revenge, and their wondrous deeds. Such a work might be written by a sage without the adornments of fine writing. Eloquence and fluency alone are not sufficient for such a great subject being treated of in its entirety. In addition to true wisdom there must be a long life spent in the company of experienced men who have learnt the ways of this wondrous-looking, mighty-formed, highly intelligent, mountain-demolishing, horseman-throwing, army-confounding (animal), and thereby acquiring knowledge of the marvellous, awe-inspiring, astonishment-producing creature. And with all this, there must also be the beholding of his wrath and his gentleness, and of witnessing his wondrous actions. Then perhaps a little out of much can be written about him, so that the brevity of the account may not cause regret in the heart. Why should I, who have not these opportunities, make a long discourse and indulge in word-ornamentation? Why should I turn back from the purpose which I have in this noble volume? Assuredly it is better to be contented with what I have said of those wondrous creatures and that I increase the splendour of my own subject!*

When the sacred glance of H.M. the Shāhinshāh fell upon this wondrous animal, he recognised it as worthy of his attention and prepared a fresh screen for himself. In fact the world-adorning Deity decreed the commencement* of the beautifying of this unique one of the threshold of greatness (i.e. Akbar), and converted the subject-matter of the fear and terror of the superficial creature-wor­shippers into current coin, so that they might not break the chain binding them to this spiritual and temporal Khedive, and that they might not indulge in vain thoughts and might not proceed beyond their measure. For the adepts in this art and the teachers thereof were unable to tame the ferocity (of the elephant), while this Divine athlete subdued it by his courage. Evidently* it was proper to take notice of him! This also was for the wise and the pious the beginning of the perceiving and understanding of the works of this chosen one of God. For deeds which could not come within the mould of speech, and which could not be weighed in the balance of reason were displayed by this enthroned one. Ridings upon mast, men-killing, driver-throwing elephants, the sight of whom melted the gall-bladder of the iron-livered ones of this art were exhibited by this holy personality. When a mast and vicious elephant had killed its driver, and committed several other murders, so that it was a terror to the city, this assisted of heaven and pro­tected by God came, as he was walking between the garden and the courtyard, placed his foot on the elephant's tusk and smilingly took his seat and set the elephant to fight with mast and quarrelsome elephants. In the very thick of the fighting when he saw that the driver of the other elephant had lost control of the animal, that Lion of God leapt from his own elephant to the other. Then did the pious receive the collyrium of illumination! For it was impossible to approach this animal without God's protection, much less, to ride it, and again to control it with severity, and to engage it in fight with another elephant like itself! On beholding these wonders both the exoteric and the esoteric became submissive (lit. came into the condition of having the ring in their ears). It did not occur to any­one that he would saddle the elephant, and that he would arrange other tools and things in order that he might ride. He put a rope round the elephant's neck, as an ornament to him, and sitting near his neck twisted his foot into that rope. What shall I say?—the same thing as I said at first. I can't describe the affair. If the super­ficial reader thinks that in my description I have turned aside from the long highway of purpose into space, the intelligent and judicious will perceive that I have not deviated one foot from the way, and that I am hastening forward. But of the aggregate of instances of the Divine protection which aroused the spiritual and the worldly from the slumber of negligence and produced wonder in some and regret in others for their want of comprehension in past times, while they increased the understanding of another section and made it praise its own insight, there was this which occurred at Delhi when the holy mind was diverting itself with elephant-riding. One day he mounted the elephant called Lakhna, which was an exhibitor of terrific rage, at a time when it was at the height of its ferocity, evil nature and man-killing, and made it engage with an elephant like itself, so that the proudest were surprised. The elephant Lakhna, on which H.M. was riding, was victorious and was madly pursuing the other when suddenly its foot, which resembled a great pillar, fell into a deep ditch, and in its furious condition, and when the fumes of wrath were circulating in its brain, it made great struggles and movements. At this time an athlete who was riding on the elephant's rump, for the rule is that a lion-hearted, skilful man rides crupper on these mountain forms, and such a one is called in Hindi Bhoi,* could not sit the sky-high rearings of the elephant, and fell to the ground. Then, when cries awoke on every side, and the hearts of the loyal melted within them, the holy personality was also moved from its place, and his sky-brushing foot became fixed in the rope of the elephant's neck, which in Hindi is called Kalāwa.* H.M. with a heart which can throw the noose of courage on the heavens, and a palm which had God's help in its fingers, firmly seized the the rope, and having hold of the strong cable of this Divine protection remained strong of heart and serene in soul. In that tumult and uproar which produce an earthquake in the terrene, and a riot in time, and while the elephant with his great strength was extricating his feet from the abyss, and was making marvellous struggles and inclining from side to side to the ground, and while on one hand there were the cries of the people, and on the other the efforts of the elephant for getting rid of H.M's sacred personality, a number of intrepid, loyal and alert men came and released H.M. from the elephant. The disturbed heart of the world was appeased, and the commoved life of the age became stationary again. I do not know if this beauty under the aspect of terror displayed itself without the intention of this chosen one, in order that the far-reaching thoughts of the wicked might be shortened by seeing such (Divine) guardianship, or whether that spiritual and temporal Khedive, that king of the visible and invisible, knowingly and designedly exhibited such glory, so that by one splendid act might be manifested the blindness of weak-sighted malevolents, and the illumination of the loyal. In a short time, when H.M. had put himself in order, the elephant by his own efforts brought out his foot from the hole and began to be riotous. H.M. with the same open view, and serene soul again mounted the elephant and proceeded, encompassed by the Divine protection, to his fixed abode. Bairām Khān Khān Khānān on hearing of the circumstances, which threw into agitation the tranquil souls of devotees, came to prostrate himself at the throne, and in gratitude for the safety of the royal person, and to avert the evil eye, distributed great largesses to the world. The cherubim of the Court of heaven and the members of the holy assembly raised the hands of supplication and implored from a bounteous God enduring dominion and the perfecting of humanity by the fostering care of this great lord of horizons!

concealed from inquirers that the first elephant which H.M. the Shāhinshāh rode was called Dilsankār. It was sent along with other elephants by Bairām Khān Khān Khānān to H.M. Jahānbānī Jinnat Āshiyānī as part of the plunder of Mācīwāra. H.M. Jinnat Āshiyānī presented that elephant in Lahore to H.M. the Shāhinshāh, and as his elephant-riding had not advanced so far as that he could ride alone on grand elephants, he used to ride this one, which was perfectly quiet. And there was an elephant called Faujbidār (scattering the army?) which at the very first time he rode alone without the help of a driver. This too was an elephant which H.M. Jahānbānī Jinnat Āshiyānī had presented to him. One day when H.M. Jahānbānī Jinnat Āshiyānī was coming from Māci­wāra to Sihrind, H.M. the Shāhinshāh rode on that elephant as far as Sihrind. The first mast elephant that H.M. the Shāhinshāh rode was called Damūdar, which H.M. had presented to Bairām Khãn. When H.M. the Shāhinshah was going from Delhi to Salīmgarha, which was on the bank of the Jumna, that elephant was tied under a tree by the roadside. As it possessed the virtue of steadiness the driver was, even in the height of its mast condition, taking cooked rice in his hand and putting it into the elephant's mouth. H.M. was pleased with the good behaviour of the elephant, and went up to it, and getting upon a female elephant which they had tied by its side, mounted upon the neck of Damūdar. The first mast elephant which H.M. the Shāhin­shāh mounted upon, and engaged in battle with another mast elephant, was called Jhalpa. This was during the siege of Mānkot. After battle had been waged between these two monsters for a long time the contest ended, like a game of chess,* in a draw, and they were separated. At that auspicious time H.M's age had reached fourteen years. After this, the power of H.M. in riding mast elephants rose to such a pitch that that victory-supported one would unhesitatingly mount on a mast elephant which experienced drivers despairingly declined to ride (lit. placed the back of the hand on the ground of helplessness). And he would lead it against mast elephants, and without exaggeration he rode more than a hundred times on mast elephants which had killed their drivers and were men-slayers, and were capable of smiting a city or perturbing an army, and engaged them in fighting. May Almighty God preserve this eternally-aided one for cycles and epochs on the throne of success and of fulfilment of the desires of mortals!

dominion-increasing events of this time there was this, that Khwāja 'Abdulla, son of Khwāja Muḥammad Zakarīāh the son of Khwāja Dost Khawand, on whose forehead was the jewel of orthodoxy, along with other high-minded Khwajas, who had their jāgīr in the town of Talūndī* and Mīrza Hasan of Tirmiẕ, and Qarā Bahādur of Kashghar, were appointed to proceed against Rājah Kapūr Cand, who had shut himself up in the fort of Jamū.* These good servants marched according to proper regulations and displayed full zeal and loyalty. By the help of victorious dominion they fought a great battle and won a great victory. They obtained much plunder, and the jewel of their good service and right action was tosted.