CHAPTER XXXII.
MARCH OF THE SHĀHINSHĀH FROM THE PANJAB TO AGRA, HIS CASTING
THE SHADOW OF FORTUNE OVER DELHI, AND FROM THENCE PROCEED­ING
BY WATER TO THE CAPITAL.

When H. M. the Shāhinshāh had by the might of soaring fortune removed one screen from the face of his actions and had set before himself the management of political and financial affairs, when the shops of the short-sighted and ill-fated had been overset, and each one of them had retired to a corner, ashamed and downcast, and when the holy soul was by heavenly aids freed from these affairs, he turned his rein towards the capital. His object was that by increase ing his attention to the administration of justice, new vigour might be given to the perturbed universe, and that certain regulations should be established which should be codes for the use of administra­tors, present and future. As the standards of fortune were pitched at Sihrind the order was issued that the camp should proceed by the direct road to Delhi, while his own cavalcade should, for the purpose of hunting, proceed towards Ḥiṣār Fīrūza. When Ḥiṣār Fīrūza became the seat of the standards, the huntsmen represented that there were in the neigh bourhood jungles containing yūz, which in Hindī are called cīta, and that the method of catching that ravening animal was one of the most remarkable of the arts of hunting. Accordingly the sacred heart, which is a decorated mansion of sports, mental and physi­cal, turned its attention towards this charming spectacle. An order was given for making the necessary arrangement. In a short time all the apparatus was got ready, and sundry pits, which in Hindī are called odī* were dug according to a special plan (of Akbar's, see Blochmann 286). Several heads of cīta* were caught there and then, and the cavalcade moved towards Delhi. Though before this many cīta had been collected for the royal establishment, this was the first time that H.M. hunted them in person. On 11 Āẕar, Divine month corresponding to Saturday 4 Rabī'al-awal 968, 24th November, 1560, the standards were set up in Delhi, and mortals attained the materials of tranquillity.

Among the occurrences of this time was the despatch of a body of troops under the command of Abū-l-fatḥ, brother's son of Mun'im Khan to Kābul. The short account of this is that at the time when Mun'im Khān came to the foot of the throne under the pressure of the Shāhinshāh's commands, he made over Kābul to his son Ghanī Khān, and appointed him in his own stead. In order to help him and instruct him he left Ḥaidar Muḥammad Ākhtabegī. Owing to the incapacity and childishness of both of them things fell into disorder When the imperial cavalcade alighted at Delhi, a petition from Ghanī Khān came to court disclosing the unsatisfactory character of Ḥaidar Muḥammad Ākhtabegī. Accordingly, on the recommendation of Mun'im Khān, Ḥaidar Muḥammad was summoned to court, and in order to help Ghanī Khān, Shagūn the son of Qarāca, Darvesh Muḥammad, Khwāja Dost, Khwājagī Muḥammad Ḥusain, brother of Muḥammad Qāsim Khān and a large body of troops were sent to Kābul under Abū-l-fatḥ's command.

In short, H.M. the Shāhīnshāh after passing some days in Delhi proceeded on the day of Āzar 9 Dai, Divine month, correspond­ing to Friday 2 Rabī'-a-ānī, 21st December, to Agra, and he made the journey by water. The nobles and pillars of the empire accom­panied him, while the great camp proceeded in the same direction by land. H.M. arrived at Agra on the day of Farwardīn 19 Dai, Divine month, corresponding to Monday 12 Rabī'-a-ānī, 31st December. The gardens of the hopes of the sincere bloomed. The wounded ones of the age obtained healing plasters. The market of justice grew brisk. Fortune embraced the truthful, and a time of joy came to the good. The sapling of fortune shot up. The bud of prestige began to expand. The world-adorning mind of the Shāhinshāh gave its attention to the education of the spiritual and temporal world under the guise of inattention. He took up his abode in the fort, which is the best building in the city. The foundations of delightful dwellings were laid. The house of Bai­rām Khān was given to Mun'im Khān Khān-Khānān. All the other courtiers and servants commenced to build pleasant houses on both banks of the Jamna, and so the city became adorned. In the inter­val Mun'im Khān Khān-Khānān gave a royal feast and begged that H.M. would honour it by his presence. His prayer was granted, and his mansion received celestial glory by the radiance of H.M. the Shāhinshāh's advent. The Khān-Khānān tendered rare and exquisite presents and stood ready to sacrifice his life for H.M. (lit. stood with the coin of life in his palm).

One of the instructive events which occurred at this time and was an eye-salve to the fortunately-minded was the killing of M. Ibrāhīm, the son of M. Sulaimān, and the latter's having recourse to the world-protecting court. Inasmuch as the truth-founded purpose of the Shāhinshāh is the portico to fortune's summit, it follows that whoever opposes and contends with him, receives punishment there­for from the superintendents of fate, even though H.M. the Shāh­inshāh courteously passes such opposition by, and apparently takes no notice of it, and is compelled to take help from his court. For the punishment for raising the head of disaffection, and for letting stream the flag of pride is that such an one receives fitting chastise­ments and is brought into the ignominious abode of want, so that he may awake from the sleep of negligence and be active in ser­vice. The state of M. Sulaimān is an instance of this. In the beginning of the reign he displayed such improper conduct, as has already been mentioned, and the world-adorning Deity placed the retribution thereof in his bosom, and inflicted so great a defeat upon him, and made him a suppliant of this court. He sent a petition by one of his confidants, who was distinguished for his knowledge of affairs. At this time the said ambassador had arrived and was waiting to pay homage. He obtained leave for an audience after H.M. had alighted at Mun'im Khan's house and was exalted by performing the prostration. The petition of M. Sulaimān was presented along with appropriate presents. The purport of it was the expression of shame and contrition for past offences, an account of the killing of M. Ibrāhīm, and a request for assistance against his enemies. The account of the event is briefly this. M. M. Sulaimān and Ibrāhīm had in the beginning of the reign taken the road of destruction and sown the seed of their own overthrow, though victory had several times shown her face to them in their contests with the Uzbegs, and so was a cause of increasing their arrogance. Among these suc­cesses was the falling into their hands of the son* of 'Abbās Sulṭān who was continually coming from Ḥisār and making forays on behalf of Timar Khān who was the ruler of Ḥisār, and was his cousin. At length they brought an army against Ḥisār and captured the outer fort. Timar Khān shut himself up in the citadel, and was spending his days in stratagems. He was waiting in expecta­tion of assistance from the Uzbegs, who had been summoned from various quarters. As the Mīrzās knew that help was near at hand they returned from Ḥisār to Badakhshān. In the fifth year of the Divine Erā corresponding to 967 of the lunar year, the Mīrzās col­lected an army of their servants and Aimāqs and marched against Balkh. The shrewd and far-seeing were not favourable to this expedition, as the march against Balkh was unreasonable. For the army of Balkh was larger than the army of Badakhshān, and their military leaders were more numerous. A lesser army may engage with a greater if it have more leaders, but in the Badakhshān army there were only two, viz., Mīrzās Sulaimān and Ibrāhīm; while in the hostile army there were Pīr Muḥammad Khān, and many princes. It was therefore not right to make this expedition. Though what the acute said was reasonable, their words did not find admission to the ear of reason, as the Mīrzās were drunken with the wine of arrogance. Rather their haughtiness was increased and they pressed on the expedition more than ever. The truth is that the eternal managers wished to punish them for their improper behaviour to H.M. the Shāhinshāh, so that by becoming intoxicated with insouciance they might with their own hands throw themselves into the pit of destruction.