CHAPTER CXXIII.
MOZAFFAR ḤUSAIN M. GLORIFIES HIS FOREHEAD BY PROSTRATING
HIMSELF AT THE HOLY THRESHOLD.

Whoever is exalted by fortune and whose star raises him from a humble position, enjoys prosperity, and has happy days without exertion. The condition of the Mīrzā1* is an instance of this, and is a collyrium for the eyes. Out of dissatisfaction with the ruler of Persia, and from fear of his life, he did not submit to the Shāh, and from the turbulence of youth and bad companionship he did not attach himself to the sublime Court. Suddenly the Uzbegs prevailed over Khurāsān, and the position of the Mīrzās became difficult. They were disconcerted by the appointment of the victorious army. Owing to his happy star, Rustum M. bound himself to eternal dominion, and this increased the distracted condition of Moaffar. By the guidance of his star he sent his mother and his eldest son to make his excuses. They were kindly received and a comforting order was sent to him. He emerged from his disturbed state, and pre­pared to do service. When Shāh Beg K. arrived he made over the country and set out. The officers and guardians of the passes showed, under H.M. orders, great respect to this nobly born one. Every week, one of the courtiers arrived with choice goods. When he was three stages off, M. Jāni Beg, S. Farīd Bakhshī Begī, Ḥusain Beg S. 'Umrī and others were sent off (to him). When he was three kos away, Khān A'am, the M. Koka, Zain K. Kokaltāsh and many others (met him). On 5 Shahriyūr the Mīrzā glorified his forehead by performing the prostration, and the rank of his auspiciousness was exalted. He presented one hundred 'Irāq horses and other things. Among them was a wonderful shell* which when rubbed on a snake-bite sucked out the poison, and caused a recovery. The Mīrzā was made a Panjhazārī, and Sarkār Sambal,* which is larger than Qandahar, was given to him as a fief. He was made happy by much money and many goods. His four sons, Bahrām M., Ḥaidar M., Alqās M., ahmāsp* M., and his companions, received great presents.

In this year the officers (mansabdārān) were divided into three classes: 1st, those who had horsemen equal in number to their office; 2nd, those who had half and upwards; 3rd, those who had loss. The pay of each was fixed* (accordingly?). An account of this is in the last volume (the Āīn). On this day Tāsh Beg. K. was sent off to chastise the 'Īsā Khel, but as he fell ill, he could not accomplish the work properly. On the 6th a daughter was born in the harem of the Prince Royal by the daughter of Ibrāhīm Ḥusain M. It is hoped that she may become a great lady of the Age. On the 9th S'aīd K. came from the Eastern districts, and received varied favours. He had long cherished the desire to come, and when he reached Bihar, he proceeded very rapidly. He presented 100 elephants and other articles. On the 11th* Ḥakīm 'Ain-ul-Mulk died in Hindia. The appreciative sovereign begged forgiveness for him, and bestowed favours on his children. He was one of the good men of this world. He exerted himself very much in helping men. On the 16th S'aīd K. presented the peshkash of 'Isā K. the land- 672 holder of Bhātī. It was accepted. In the beginning of Mihr, food was sent to Qandahar. There was somewhat of a scarcity in that country and the soldiers were in distress. Able men sent every kind of grain from Multan, several times, and soon there was plenty. Qul Bābā the C. in C. of Khurāsān became very anxious and strengthened his friendship with the officers in that quarter. On this day Bāqir* K. Safarcī died in Bengal. H. M. freed his children from grief by his kindness. At this time a different scale (barāward)* of pay (estimate) was made. On 11 Mihr an order was passed that Moghuls, Afghans and Indians who had three horses should get 1,000 dāms, those who had two horses 800, and those who had one horse, 600 dāms. Rājpūts of the first class got 800, and those of the middle class 600.

One of the occurrences was the illumination of the jewel of Truth. One of the foolish talkers brought a charge of impropriety against a chaste personality (a woman?). H.M.* sate to inquire into the matter. He said, “I have heard from persons of understand­ing* that when an inquiry was made and the facts could not be ascertained, recourse was had to the ordeal of fire.* The truth came out, the accuser was put to shame, and a world was astonished.” One of the Hindu ordeals is this: They heat a piece of iron in the fire and then placing leaves of the pīpal (ficus indica) on the hand (of the accused) they put the burning metal on the top thereof. If no burning takes place, they accept the statement (of the accused) as true. On this occasion the accused did not employ any leaves, but took a piece of fire in the (her?) hand, held it for a time and then slowly put it down.* No harm ensued (to the accused) though the ground was burnt by the heat of the thing. The truth-seeking of the ruler of the age produced these wonderful results!

On the 16th the sacred seal was made over to the Khān A'am and his dignity received a fresh increase. Maulānā 'Alī Aḥmad, at the orders of H.M., engraved the names of H.M.'s ancestors up to the time of Sāḥib Qirānī and produced a masterpiece. An order was given that all the confirmatory* sanads and some of the secret orders (bayāẓī manshūr) should bear this adornment.

On this day the envoy of the Viceroy* of Ormuz had the bliss of kissing the threshhold. He brought two ostriches very remarkable in their shape and behaviour. They treated pieces of stone as if they were fruits. All forms of existence are full of wonderment, but much seeing has put many men to sleep, and they marvel at nothing except what they see rarely.

One of the occurrences was that the veil fell from off the face of the condition of the writer of the book of fortune. After divers fall­ings and risings, and after traversing many heights and hollows, the idea of “Peace with All” came to me and for a while I was rooted in contentment. I perceived that there was somewhat of the glory of being in every form of creation, and so I breathed the breath of 673 Love. I thought for a while that the calm spot of resignation was my abode and was in a state of wishlessness! Suddenly, the basin tumbled from the roof (a proverb),* and cruelty and sorrow were impressed on the hearts of high and low!

Verse.

I made 2,000 vows that I'd not go crazy.
For you my vows were shattered, for you my resolve failed!

On 21 Mihr,* Saturday, 10 Ṣafr 1004 (5 October 1595), the order came to the king of Poets, Sh. Faiẓī, my elder brother, and that free-souled and enlightened one on receipt of the call for the last journey proceeded with open brow to the holy city!

Verse.

A Joseph was lost to his brethren.
Nay, not to us, but to the whole world was he lost.
In Love's game our hands are empty,
He who has departed held the ring.*

The venerable and eloquent sate in sorrow, and crowds and crowds of men were grieved. The heart of the appreciative King was contracted because a veil had covered the seeker after wisdom, the maker of eulogies, and because the cup of the life of the chief guest at the banquet of loyalty had overflowed. The noble princes sate in sorrow because the wise-hearted teacher, and the imparter of wisdom and eloquence, had become silent. The great officers' nosegay of joy withered because the loving cup of the chief of the confidant of the banquet and the battle had become full. The spirits of those immersed in business were broken because the solver of the difficulties of the age had died. The travellers in the desert of exile were pained in their hearts and had a lump in their throats because the adorner of the stage of comfort had withdrawn his heart from mankind. Those who traversed the world of search sate with sad hearts and erased from their minds the thought of travel, because the fountain of the life of the eloquent exponent of truth had been choked. The thorns of failure increased in the feet of the empty-handed and the necessitous, because the unsolicited wish-granter had withdrawn from the world of society. Every section had its special lament, and drank the new and intoxicating wine of affliction. The tale of this stroke of lightning does not come within the mould of language. One cannot write with a wooden-legged pen. When such were the feelings of mere contemporaries, who can understand the sorrow of me who loved him, body and soul? How can my mental agitation and my bodily benumbment be described? I who am of sewn-up lips, wept like a child, and a tempest of lamentation arose. Patience, wisdom's first-born, expired in weeping, and that light-giver sate in a day of darkness! Blind feelings became dominant and light-headed fancies prevailed. I regarded his leaving the house of bones as death, and his choice of life eternal as annihilation! Life became a heart-calamity and a burden to the soul. Sleep and sustenance (khwāb u khūr) took the path of estrangement. My elemental ties were nearly being loosed, and I was nearly casting the burden of life from off my shoulder. Sometimes I strove, like a crazy person, with heaven, and sometimes I opened my lips to abuse Fate. The material removal of a brother wrought this effect on me, and the separation in 674 spirit from a beloved solver of entanglements made me mad. Except him, this privacy-admirer, publicity-practiser, had no confidant. He it was who applied the balm to the inward sore. I felt compelled to go into retirement and to sit down in affliction and in expectation of the end. I tore my heart, and squeezed out my liver. The exhorta­tions and endeavours of the Shāhinshāh led me back with blistered feet to the valley of patience. His life-giving encouragements and endeavours were my palisade. Departed reason returned, and slum­bering understanding awoke. This came from his truthful lips, “The incomparable Almighty calls His servants to Himself by means of Liberation (wārastagī) and Restraint ((dilbastagī). By these two opposed methods He confers upon them the desire of their hearts. If death be a reality, nothing befits the good friends of the departed save submission and resignation, and if life eternal be the lot of all men, then the friends of wisdom should wear an open brow and a cheerful visage, especially in this Caravanserai where there is nought which endures. If in future you adopt your present course (of exces­sive grief), the bonds of hearts will be loosed, and the city will cease to prosper. God shall be displeased, and harm shall be caused to realm and religion. If grief did not touch the hem of one who had a share of spirituality, and if he were not affected by it, his man's nature would be called brutish, and his humanity be termed bestiality. Hail to the domesticities (shahrbandī) which in this world cause every one's foot of wisdom to strike upon stones and which make the thread of self-control to fall from our hands and compel us to yield to various forms of sorrow! That impatience which you dis­played was a necessary adjunct of the state of Limitation (wābas­tagī).” By* many cordial counsels did that spiritual physician administer remedies to me.

For two days that journey-chooser (Faiẓī) withdrew his heart from us all, and turned to the incomparable Deity. There was no sign of consciousness. Suddenly the world's commander, the lover of wisdom, came to his pillow. He opened his eyes and testified his veneration. The mighty sovereign yielded him to the gracious Deity and retired, and at the same moment my brother went to heaven. In his jewelled writings he has thus spoken of the final journey.