He was alive in the beginning of Jahángír's reign. The author of the Maásir has not recorded the date of his death.

He had a son Maqçúd who did not get on well with his father, for which reason Jahángír would not give him a mançab.

71. The author of the A´i´n, Abulfazl, son of Shaik Mubárik of Nágor.

Abulfazl's biography will be found elsewhere.

72. Isma 'i´l Kha´n Duldai.

Duldai, or Dúldai, is the name of a subdivision of the Barlás clan (vide p. 341, note).

The Maásir calls him Ismá'íl Qulí Beg Dúldai. A similar difference was observed in the name of Husain Qulí Khán (No. 24), and we may conclude that Beg, at least in India, was considered a lower title than Khán, just as Beglar Begí was considered inferior to Khán Khánán.

Ismá'íl Qulí was a grandee of Bábar and Humáyún, distinguished in the field and in council. When Humáyún besieged Qandahár, and the Grandees one after the other left M. 'Askarí, Ism. also joined the Emperor, and was appointed, after the con­quest of Qandahár, Governor of Dáwar. When Kábul was besieged, Ism. and Khizr Khwájah (vide p. 365, note 2) attacked Sher 'Alí, an officer of Mírzá Kámrán, who at the prince's order had followed up and plundered the Persian caravan (qáfilah i wiláyat) on its way to Cháríkán;* but as the roads were occupied by the Imperialists, Sher 'Alí could not reach Kábul, and marched towards Ghaznín, when he was over­taken and defeated. Ism. and Khizr spoiled the plunderer, and went again to Humáyún. A short time after, Ism. and several other grandees left the emperor, because they resented the elevation of Qaráchah Khán, and followed Mírzá Kámrán to Badakhshán. Humáyún followed them up and caught them together with Kámrán, Ism. among them. Ism. was, however, pardoned at Mun'im's request.

Ism. accompanied the emperor on his march to India, and was sent, after the capture of Dihlí, together with Sháh Abul Ma'álí to Láhor.

“Nothing else is known of him.” Maásir.

73. Mi´r Babus (?), the I´ghur.

The I´ghurs are a well known Chaghtái tribe. The correct name of this grandee is a matter of doubt, as every MS. has a different lectio; vide my Text edition, p. 224, note 6. The Maásir has left out the name of this grandee; nor do I find it in the List of the Ṭabaqát.

74. Ashraf Kha´n Mi´r Munshi´, Muhammad Açghar of Sabzwár (?).

He was a Husainí Sayyid of Mashhad (Maásir, Mir-át ul' A´lam). The author of the Ṭabaqát says, he belonged to the 'Arabsháhí Sayyids; ‘but people rarely make such fine distinctions.’ Abulfazl says, he was of Sabzwár; but in the opinion of the Maásir, this is an error of the copyists.

Ashraf Khán was a clever writer, exact in his style, and a renowned calligrapher, perhaps the first of his age in writing the Ta'líq and Nasta'líq characters (p. 101, l. 14). He also understood jafar, or witchcraft.

Ashraf was in Humáyún's service, and had received from him the post and title of Mír Munshí. After the conquest of Hindústán, he was made Mír 'Arz and Mír Mál. At Akbar's accession, he was in Dihlí and took part in the battle with Hemú (p. 365, No. 48). He was imprisoned by Bairám, but escaped and went to Makkah. He returned in 968, when Akbar was at Máchhíwárah on his way to the Siwáliks where Bairám was. He was well received and got a mançab. In the 6th year, when the emperor returned from Málwah, he bestowed upon him the title of Ashraf Khán.

In the 19th year, he went with Mun'im to Bengal, was present in the battle of Takaroí, and died in the twentieth year (983)* at Gaur (vide p. 376).

Ashraf was a poet of no mean pretensions.

His son, Mír Abul Muzaffar (No. 240) held a Command of 500. In the 38th year, he was Governor of Awadh.

Ashraf's grandsons, Husainí and Burhání, held inferior commands under Sháhjahán.

75. Sayyid Mahmu´d of Ba´rha, [Kúndlíwál].

‘Sayyid Mahmúd was the first of the Bárha Sayyids that held office under the Tímúrides.’ He was with Sikandar Súr (Badáoní II, 17) in Mánkoṭ, but seeing that the cause of the Afgháns was hopeless, he left Sikandar and went over to Akbar. He was a friend of Bairám, and served in the first year under 'Alí Qulí Khán Zamán (No. 13) against Hemú. In the second year, he took part in the expedition against Hájí Khán in Ajmír (vide Nos. 40, 45). In the 3rd year, he conquered with Sháh Qulí Mahram (No. 45) Fort Jaitáran,* and served in the same year under Adham Kokah against the Bhadauriyahs of Hatkánt'h (vide p. 323, last line).

After Bairám's fall, Sayyid Mahmúd got a jágír near Dihlí. In the 7th year, he brought Mun'im Khán to Court (vide p. 318). In the 17th year, he served under the Khán i Kalán (No. 16) and the emperor in Gujrát, was present in the battle of Sarnál, and followed up Mírzá Ibráhím Husain. On every occasion he fought with much bravery. Towards the end of the 18th year, he was sent with other Sayyids of Bárha, and Sayyid Muhammad of Amrohah (No. 140) against Rájah Madhukar, who had invaded the territory between Sironj and Gwáliár. S. Mahmud drove him away, and died soon after, in the very end of 981.

Sayyid Mahmúd was a man of rustic habits, and great personal courage and generosity. Akbar's court admired his valour and chuckled at his boorishness and unadorned language; but he stood in high favor with the emperor. Once on his return from the war with Madhukar, he gave in the State hall a verbal account of his expedition, in which his “I” occurred oftener than was deemed proper by the assembled Amírs. “You have gained the victory,” interrupted A´çaf Khán, in order to give him a gentle hint, “because His Majesty's good fortune (iqbál i pádisháhí) accompanied you.” Mistaking the word ‘Iqbál’ for the name of a courtier, “Why do you tell an untruth?” replied Mahmúd, “Iqbál i Pádisháhí did not accompany me: I was there, and my brothers: we licked them with our sabres.” The emperor smiled, and bestowed upon him praise and more substantial favors.

But more malicious were the remarks of the Amírs regarding his claim to be a Sayyid of pure blood. Jahángír (Tuzuk, p. 366) also says that people doubt the claim of the Bárha family to be Sayyids. Once Mahmúd was asked how many genera­tions backwards the Sayyids of Bárha traced their descent. Accidentally a fire was burning on the ground near the spot where Mahmúd stood. Jumping into it, he exclaimed, “If I am a Sayyid, the fire will not hurt me; if I am no Sayyid, I shall get burnt.” He stood for nearly an hour in the fire, and only left it at the earnest request of the bystanders. “His velvet-slippers shewed, indeed, no trace of being singed.”

For Sayyid Mahmúd's brother and sons, vide Nos. 91, 105, and 143.