CHAPTER XXVII.
BAIRĀM KhĀN'S REBELLION BECOMES MANIFEST: HE FLINGS OFF
THE MASK AND GOES TO THE PANJAB.

On account of the coming of the victorious forces, the Khān-Khānān left the imperial territories and came to Bīkānīr. Rai Kalyān Mal who was the chief of that country, and his son Rai Raī Singh, who is now one of the devoted servants of the Court, and is ranked among the great officers, came and visited Bairām Khān. He had no place to stay in, and now finding a pleasant residence he remained several days in that agreeable country. He was looking for an opportunity of raising a disturbance. As owing to the royal fortune every plan which he had put together turned awry, it behoved him to traverse with blistered feet the stages of auspiciousness and to proceed to the holy places, and thus with a shamed face prostrate himself on the ground of ashamedness. But as he was especially an open-minded man he was deceived by some miscreants and became overpowered by sor­row and anger. The wind of pride and arrogance increased in his head, and he in concert with ill-fated, black-thoughted ones went towards the Panjab. He withdrew his hand from every plan, and taking the veil off his face proclaimed himself a rebel. To the officers on the borders he wrote that he had been going towards the Ḥijāz, but he had come to know that a faction had spoken words for the purpose of perverting the noble mind (of Akbar) and had made him a vaga­bond. Especially Māham Anaga, who was a great authority, had wrought this, and was making it her business to ruin him. At present his sole desire was to come and punish those evil-doers, and to take leave once more and proceed on the blessed journey. He wrote such whimsical things and summoned men, and sent Khwāja Muaffar 'Alī, who obtained by the royal favour the title of Muaffar Khān, to Darvesh* Beg Uzbeg, who was one of the great officers of the Panjab, and had been educated by him, in order that he might bring him by filling him with hopes. When the news of this came to the royal hearing, H.M. out of his great kindness sent a let­ter of advice to Bairām Khān in order that if he wished to be fortunate and happy he might accept these excellent admonitions and exert himself to obtain his own felicity. For the better instruction of the prudent both now and of the future I give a copy of this docu­ment.