IN the month of Muharrem,* Beg Weis arrived with news of the birth of Farūk; although a messenger on foot had previously brought me the news, yet Beg Weis came this month for the purpose of communicating the good tidings. Aug. 2. He was born on Friday eve, the 23rd of the month of Shawāl, and named Farūk.
Ustād AliI had directed Ustād Ali Kuli to cast a large cannon, for the purpose of battering Biāna, and some other place which had not submitted. Having prepared the forges and all the necessary implements, he sent a messenger to give me notice that everything was ready. On Monday, the 25th of Muharrem,* * we went to see Ustād Ali Kuli cast his gun. Around the place* where it was to be cast were eight forges,* and all the implements in readiness. Below each forge they had formed a channel, which went down to the mould in which the gun was to be cast. On my arrival, they opened the holes of all the different forges. The metal flowed down by each channel in a liquid state, and entered the mould. After waiting some time, the flowing of the melted metal from the various forges ceased, one after another, before the mould was full. There was some oversight either in regard to the forges or the metal. Ustād Ali Kuli was in terrible distress; he was like to throw himself into the melted metal that was in the mould. Having cheered him up, and given him a dress of honour, we contrived to soften his shame. Two days after,* when the mould was cool, they opened it. Ustād Ali Kuli, with great delight, sent a person to let me know that the chamber of the gun for the shot was without a flaw, and that it was easy to form the powder chamber. Having raised* the bullet-chamber of the gun, he set a party to work to put it to rights, while he betook himself to completing the powder chamber.*
FatehMahdi Khwājeh, who had received the charge of Fateh Khan Sarwāni from Humāiūn, brought him to court. He had parted from Humāiūn at Dilmau. I gave Fateh Khan a favourable reception, and bestowed on him the pergannas of his father, Azīm Humāiūn, with some places in addition, to the value of a kror and sixty laks.* In Hindustān it is customary to bestow on the Amīrs who are in the highest favour certain titles. One of these is Azīm Humāiūn; another is Khan Jehān; another Khan Khānān.* His father’s title was Azīm Humāiūn. As I saw no propriety in any one’s bearing this title except Humāiūn himself, I abolished it, and bestowed the name of Khan Jehān on Fateh Khan Sarwāni.
On Wednesday, the 20th of Safer,* I erected awnings on the banks of the tank, on the side above the tamarind trees, and had a feast, when I invited Fateh Khan Sarwāni to a drinking party, made him drink wine, invested him with a turban, and a complete dress of honour from head to foot,* * and, after distinguishing him by these marks of favour and grace, gave him leave to return to his own country. It was arranged that his son Mahmūd Khan should always remain at court.
Humāiūn’sOn Wednesday, the 24th of Muharrem, Muhammed Ali Haider Rikābdār was dispatched with all speed to Humāiūn to desire him, as the army of the rebels of the Pūrab (east) had been put to flight and dispersed, that, immediately on Muhammed Ali’s arrival, he should proceed to Jaunpūr, leave in the place* some Amīrs adequate to the trust, and then immediately set out with his army in order to rejoin me; that the Pagan Rāna Sanka had taken advantage of the absence of the army, to approach very close upon me,* and was now the first object to be attended to.
ĀlimAfter the army had marched to the eastward, I had ordered Terdi Beg, Kūch Beg, with his younger brother, Sher-afgan, and Muhammed Khalīl Akhtehbegi, with his brothers and akhtajiān,* Rustam Turkomān with his brothers, as well as other chiefs of Hindustān, and Rao Wadi Sarwāni,* to proceed to plunder and lay waste the country about Biāna: if they could prevail on the garrison in the fort by any assurances of safety and indemnity to join me, they were to do it; if this failed, they were to waste and plunder the country, and to reduce the enemy to as great distress as possible.
Ālim Khan, who was in the fort of Tehenger,*
was an
elder brother of Nizām Khan of Biāna. Repeated messengers
had come from him, bringing professions of submission and
allegiance. This Ālim Khan undertook, if I would give him
charge of a body of troops, to bring all the archers of Biāna
to listen to terms of capitulation, and to deliver Biāna*
into my hands. I gave instructions to the troops who had
been sent on the plundering expedition along with Terdi
Beg, that as Ālim Khan, who was a Zemindār of consequence,*
had undertaken this duty and service, they
should be guided by his advice and opinion in whatever
regarded the reduction of Biāna. Though many of the men
of Hindustān are brave swordsmen, yet they are extremely
ignorant and inexperienced in the art of war, and in the
disposition and conduct of their force as commanders.
This Ālim, who was accompanied by the whole of our
detachment, paid no attention to a single word that fell
from anybody, and with a total indifference as to what was
expedient and what was not, carried it close up to Biāna.
The detachment consisted of two hundred and fifty, or
nearly three hundred Tūrks, and somewhat above two
thousand Hindustānis, and men from different quarters.*
Nizām Khan, with his Afghans, and the troops of Biāna,
amounted to above four thousand horse, with upwards of
He is sur-
prised and
taken.
ten thousand infantry. Observing the advance of our troops,
and perceiving the error which Ālim had committed,*
they
made a sudden sally with their whole force; and being much
superior in numbers, charged the detachment at full speed,
and put them to flight in a moment. Ālim Khan Tehengeri,
who was Nizām Khan’s elder brother, was taken prisoner,
with five or six others.*
In spite of this, I still consented to
overlook Nizām Khan’s past offences, and again sent him
letters, offering him terms and assurances of indemnity.
As soon as he had certain information of the near approach
of Rāna Sanka the Pagan, seeing no remedy, he sent for
Biāna sur-
renders.
Syed Rafaa, and, by his mediation, delivered up the fort
to my troops; after which he accompanied the Syed to the
presence, and was graciously received and taken into my
service.*
I bestowed on him a perganna of twenty laks*
in the Doāb. Dost Ishek-Agha had been sent to take the
temporary command of Biāna till a governor was appointed.
A few days after, I appointed Mahdi Khwājeh*
to the charge
with an allowance and appointment of seventy laks,*
and
sent him to his government.
Tātār Khan Sārangkhāni, who held Gwāliār, had repeatedly sent messengers with professions of submission and attachment. After the Pagan had taken Kandār, and when he was approaching Biāna, one of the Rajas of Gwāliār, Dermenket, and one Khan Jehān, a pagan, came into the vicinity of Gwāliār, and began to attempt, by raising an insurrection and gaining a party, to produce a defection and seize the fortress. Tātār Khan finding himself in considerable difficulty, was willing to deliver up the fort to me. My Begs and confidential servants, as well as the greater part of my best men, had all been sent off with the armies, or in various scattered detachments. I, however, dispatched Rahīmdād with a party of Behreh men and Lahoris, and made Imshiji Tunketār with his brothers accompany them, having previously assigned pergannas in Gwāliār to the whole party. I likewise sent along with them Mulla Apāk and Sheikh Gūren, who were directed to return after establishing Rahīmdād in Gwāliār. When they got near Gwāliār, Tātār Khan had changed his mind, and would not suffer them to enter the fort. At this period Sheikh Muhammed Ghaus, well known as a Derwīsh, and celebrated for his piety, and whose followers and disciples are very numerous, sent a man from the fort to Rahīmdād, to advise him to procure admission any way that he could; that Tātār Khan’s intentions were changed, and that now he was resolved to hold out.* Rahīmdād, on receiving this information, sent in notice that he was afraid to remain without, from dread of the pagans: and proposed that he should be allowed to enter the fort with a few of his men, while the rest stayed without the walls. After much entreaty, Tātār Khan assented to this arrangement. Rahīmdād had no sooner secured his own admission, and that of a few of his men, than he requested that some of his people might be permitted to attend at the gate,* which was granted; and accordingly some of his people were stationed at the Hāthipol, or Elephant-gate. That very night he introduced the whole of his men by that gate. In the morning Tātār Khan, seeing that there was no help for it, surrendered the fort very unwillingly,* and came and waited upon me at Agra. I assigned for his support the perganna of Biāwān, with twenty laks.*
Dhūlpūr