When a fool is exalted through riches,
In the assembly, above the wise and excellent,
He is still the last in all good qualities,
As though the accusative were to prevent the nominative.
If an Emperor sit humbled,
It is neither disgrace to him, nor praise to you.
Dost thou not see that the Sura Ikhláç
Comes after “May the hands of Abu Lahab perish?”*

And Mír Sayyid Ni'mat Rusúlí, who has been mentioned, repeated the distich, and made it well known in mosques and monastries. And in the mosque, and in Shaikh Gadá-í's own tribunal they wrote up his disgraceful deeds, until he came to read them and had them erased. Still it was no good: and this is one of the lampoons:—

“Mention not Gadá-í's name, eat not his bread
Since beggary* is bad, Gadá-í's face is black.”

And some instances of his insincerity, and stupidity, and evil goings-on with respect to the servants of the Emperor were exposed, which will be mentioned in their proper place. And in these days the king studied under that paragon of greatness Mír 'Abd-ul-Latíf, who is one of the great Sayfí-Sayyids* of Qazwín, and who came from the country of 'Iráq to India in the year 963, and with him he began reading the Díwán* of “mystic language.” And 'Abd-ul-Latíf's able son (an Amír endowed with excellent qualities, and commend­able dispositions, in whom is reflected the truth of the Arabic proverb: “A well-bred son takes after his noble parents,” whose name is Mír Ghiyás-ud-dín, and surname Naqíb Khán, a very miracle of knowledge in manners and customs, chronology, biography, and all subjects of conversation, one of the wonders of the day, and a blessing of the blessings of the age, a second Preserved Tablet,* and who bears to myself, the writer of these pages, the relation of co­temporary, fellow-student (P. 31) and co-religionist, is at present in attendance on His Majesty, giving all his attention to reading history, and all books of verse and prose, both day and night.

And in the year 966 the capture of the fort of Gwályár took place. A ghulám of 'Adalí,* Buhail* Khán by name, who was beseiged therein, sued for quarter and gave up the keys. The date will be found contained in the words Fatḥ-i báb-í kil'ah-e Gwályár, “The opening of the gate of the fortress of Gwályár.” And in this same year Sangrám* Khán, also a ghulám of [the late] 'Adalí, sold the fortress of Rantambhor into the hand of Rái Surjan Hádá. The facts of the case are as follows. Before the Emperor made the city of Ágra the goal of his prosperous journey, he had appointed some of the Amírs, such as Hindú Bég Moghúl, &c., to reduce the fort of Rantambhor. They beseiged Sangrám Khán and ravaged the environs of the fortress, and the surrounding district, but were un­successful in their main object. But when Biyánah was given as a fief to Ḥabíb 'Alí Khán, one of the followers of the Khán Khánán, and Basáwar, and Todah* Tark 'Alí, which is better known as Todah Bihyún, were given to Chaghatáí Khán, then Ḥabíb 'Alí Khán was honoured with the command of the army, and, superseding the Amírs of the surrounding district, was appointed to undertake the seige. When he had beseiged the place for the space of one year, and reduced the garrison to great straits, Sangrám Khán made proposals of peace, and sending a messenger of entreaty with a view to acting upon the Khán's feelings, asked for special conditions for his own personal advantage. The Kháns chose my father, and that pilgrim to the two sacred precincts, Hájí Bhíkan Basáwarí, and sent them to arrange this important matter. After much altercation Sangrám Khán agreed to surrender the fortress on certain conditions, among which was one that he should receive part-compensation in the shape of ready-money, goods, and the most valuable of the furniture (P. 32) of his own house. But when the Amírs, since they had not the money to pay down, practised delay and procrastination in the matter, and moreover there was some idea of after all taking the fortress by assault, then* Sangrám Khán gave up the fortress to Rái Surjan,* and got all he wanted from him: and this unfor­tunate army after so many years of effort got no thanks. Then Sangrám Khán in company with Hájjí Khán Alwarí went to Gujrát. And Rái Surjan strengthened the fort with the stores of provisions and arms. Thus by means of riches and address he became master of some also of the pargannas in the vicinity of the fortress. Then Ḥabíb 'Alí Khán and the Amírs, after spending some time in ravag­ing the country, separated and returned to their fiefs.

In this year Jamál Khán, a ghulám of [the late] 'Adalí, who had become possessed of Chunár, sent a representative to court, to inti­mate that if they could send a man fitted to be trusted with the affair he would surrender to him the fortress, on which the Khán Khánán sent back, in company with Jamál Khán's representative, Mihr 'Alí Bég Sildúz, (who afterwards attained the rank of Khán, and was made governor of the fortress of Chítor), with a farmán containing friendly terms.