Alas for the celestial knowledge; it has turned to dust
The pillars of science have moved, and the nest of eloquence is empty!

When this sorrowful news reached the court of the world's lord, his heart was grieved for that the banquet-adorner and the en- ⁸¹³ lightened companion had passed away. The great nobles lamented that the life-thread of the adorner of the court of the viziership had been cut short. The gatherers of wisdom sate in sorrow for that he who sate four-square on the divan of eloquence had left the world. The sagacious and active-minded heaved a cold sigh because the last sleep had seized him who fostered enlightenment. The community at large wept and lamented because the days were ended of him who was the leader of the lords of “Peace with all” and a knower of the disposition of the age. The grief and sorrow which were occasioned to the appreciative Khāqān are beyond expression. I have heard from a reliable source that at midday H.M. was engaged in watching the flights of pigeons. He was standing and admiring their wonder­ful movements, when S. Farīd Bakhshī Begī brought the news of the catastrophe. H.M. uttered a cry and became insensible. After a long time he recovered. For several days in succession he had moist eyes and a sorrowful countenance because of the sacrifice of that excellent companion, that prince of loyalty, that interlocutor of lofty intellect, that friend of the private meeting and that faithful confident and counseller. Whenever* the disaster was brought to his mind, he heaved a painful sigh, and beat his breast. He severely censured the prince for what he had done, and often blamed him. Resentment against him took possession of his holy soul so that even to the end he was displeased with him. In spite of all his abasement and supplications he never forgave him. “The truth-seeking vizier of the Shāhinshāh,” and “Abul Faẓl the enlightened” are the two suitable chronograms* for this model of the lords of wisdom, which occurred to the writer while penning these pages. An order was given to the Rai Rayān to extirpate Bir Singh Deo, and not to rest till he had severed his head from his body. Rajah Rāj Singh, Rām Cand Bandīla and other zamīndārs of that neighbourhood were appointed to assist. iyā-ul-Mulk was appointed to be Bakhshī to this force, and a number of officers of the court were associated with him.

One of the occurrences was the arrival from Badakhshān of a petition from M. Badīu-'z-zamān* the sister's son of M. Ḥakīm. In the 46th year 'Allāmi wrote that he after prevailing over Badakh­shān read the Khuṭba and coined money in the name of Akbar, and sent a skilful ambassador to apologise for the smallness of the service which he had hitherto rendered. The sovereign, the favourer of the weak, sent back the envoy with abundant goods, and arms and other warlike materials, and so increased Badīu-'z-zamān's resources. ⁸¹⁴ At this time he again petitioned and asked for some warlike materials. H.M. sent twenty camel loads of weapons of war, etc. with Malik Muḥammad Badakhshī—who had been appointed as dārogha of the ruby mines in Badakhshān, and also sent an encouraging firmān.

One of the occurrences was the death of Khwāja Sulaimān the bakhshī of the army of the hill-country of the Panjab. He had sent a body of men against a village, and was expecting news of it. As no intelligence came he personally followed up those whom he had sent. He came up while they were engaged with the enemy, and when arrows and bullets were flying on either side. A bullet reached his temple and he was killed.

At this time it was reported to H.M. that Prince Daniel—who in accordance with the insistance of H.M. had for a time given up wine-drinking, and had broken his wine-vessels, and had taken an oath against drinking wine by the exalted head of H.M.—had at this time broken his vow and again fallen into drinking habits, and that in consequeuce of such fire-water his disposition had become immoderate. A monitory order was issued* to that nursling of sovereignty, inquiring why he did not take pity on his youth and beauty, and, why he did not take warning from the instance of his elder brother Prince Sulān Murād. What evils more than that were not produced by wine to the corporeal frame—which was the choice building of God's hand! If he desired to please the Creator, and also his visible deity (his father) he would withdraw from asso­ciation with that injurious companion (wine), and would not, for the sake of a momentary gratification, call for his eternal ruin!

From the reports of the Ṣubahdār of Kabul and other officers there it appeared that* Aḥad Dād had stirred up strife in Tīrāh, and that the tribes of the Afrīdīs, Panī, Orakzai and Sūrī had joined him. Also that Takhta Beg, who in order to settle the disputes of the Yūsufzai and the Orakzai* was residing in Nagarkot, had on the receipt of this news gone to Peshawar, and from thence to Tīrāh, and that the Afrīdīs had submitted to him. Also that Aḥad Dād had gone from Tīrāh to Āhanposh and that neighbourhood. Also that Takhta Beg had punished a number of the Afghans who at the instance of Aḥad Dād had devastated fort Arkhail and Dūmandī (?) and had settled among the 'Alīzai. Also that he had established thānās and had closed the rivers, (rūdbandī) and that the Afrīdī chiefs had come in, and that the Orakzai leaders had made treaties, ⁸¹⁵ and that Aḥad Dad's influence had been destroyed, and that he had failed and gone to Cauhāna (?). All these things were reported at length. As Ḥusain Qulīj the son of Qulīj Khān, had distinguished himself in the Panjab, and had made obedient Talūk Cand the ruler of Nagarkot, he received a robe of honour; Qulīj Khān, a special shawl and Talūk Cand also a shawl.

As Prince Sulān Selīm had committed great faults, and H.M. was very angry with him, no one could venture to petition for him. The great lady of the age, Miriam-Makānī and the Khātun of the chamber of chastity, Gulbadan Begam, begged for his forgiveness. Inasmuch as H.M. had a great respect for Miriam-Makānī and Gul­badan Begam, he granted their wishes and gave an order for the coming of the Prince to court, and ordered that the cupola of chastity, Selīma Sulān Begam should go and give the Prince the news of forgiveness, and bring him to court. That chaste lady in order to soothe the prince's apprehensions took from H.M. an ele­phant named Fatḥ Lashkar, a special horse, and a robe of honour and went off with them.

At this time also the faujdārī of Mewāt was conferred on Ifti­khār Beg. On 2nd Ābān the solar weighment took place, and there was a feast of joy. The sovereign was weighed against twelve articles, and the needy had their wants supplied. The presents of Qāsim Khān, arrived from Transoxiana and were received. Shāh Beg Khān the governor of Qandahār was raised to the rank of 5000, and the government of Ghaznīn was taken from Sharīf Kh. and given to him. A strict order was also issued about the security of the Qan­dahār and Ghaznīn roads so that the merchants might have their minds at ease. Sālbāhan the head of the artillery received the title of Rajah. He was unequalled as a gunner, and was promoted on account of his long service. Petitions were received from M. Shāh­rukh representing his illnesses and weakness and Benī Dās, physician, was sent to treat him. Manūcihr the ambassador of the ruler of Persia received valuable presents and was allowed to depart. Numer­ous productions of India were sent along with him as presents for his sovereign, and at the time of his departure Manūcihr received four lakhs of dāms in addition to what had already been given to him. News came that 'Irij the son of the Khān-khānān had fought a great battle with 'Ambar Jeo and that by H.M.'s good fortune he had been victorious and had captured elephants and other property. H.M. as a reward for this service gave him the title of Bahādur. Jādūn Dās the brother's son of Rai Bihārī Cand was sent off in order that he might convey favourable orders to Prince Sulān Daniel, the Khān-khānān and to 'Irij Bahādur. He was to bring with him ⁸¹⁶ to court the elephants that had been taken. An ornamental waist-dagger was sent with him for the Prince. An order was issued to S. Abdu-r-raḥmān the son of 'Allāmī Abū-l-faẓl that he should join the Rai Rayān and exact vengeance from Bir Singh Deo for the mur­der of his father. His fief also was assigned to him in Mālwa. At the request of the intercessors for the Prince-Royal, a special robe of honour and a special horse were sent to him by Burhān-ul-mulk Khwāṣ, and many gracious messages were conveyed to him by the same means. Prince Sulān Daniel sent as peshkash a diamond weighing 27 surkhs* and a ruby weighing 4 miqāls. An order was issued to Ābū-l-qāsim Namakīn* that he should send to court M. Ghāzī* along with a confidential slave of his named Khasrū. Ḥāshim K., Qāsim Khān Parwāna and Ḥasan Qulīj came from their respec­tive fiefs and paid their respects at court. Hakīm Raknū* and Ḥakīm Ḥaidar had the good fortune to come from 'Irāq and enter into the service of H.M. The first of these had accumulated a knowledge of medicine and of the current sciences. He had also a turn for poetry, and put into verse lofty sentiments. The other was a passed master in science, was well acquainted with physic and an able writer of prose and verse. He had inward and outward graces. A petition from the Prince-Royal was laid before H.M. The gist of it was that he had met the noble lady (Selīma Begam) two stages off and paid his respects to her. He also expressed in the petition a wish for the horses which the Persian ambassador had brought as peshkash. Kharram the Khān Ā'im produced twenty Kachī horses (from Cutch) which had been sent from Jūnagarh as peshkash).