Four or five persons were appointed, through whose agency money or land was distributed to the people. Kází Aslam of Kábul was appointed to introduce the people of that province; Shaikh Sikandar Gujarátí to introduce the people of Gujarát; 'Azmat Khán of the Dakhin to introduce the people of the Dakhin; and Shaikh Mu'ínu-d dín of Rájgír to introduce the people of Bengal. Those who came from Lahore, Dehlí, and the places in their vicinity, were brought before His Majesty by Saiyid Ahmad Kadrí; and the elephant-drivers were introduced by Gujat Khán, the superintendent of elephants. It was strictly ordered that if any person should fall in with a deserving man, he should not neglect to bring him into His Majesty's presence. Hájí Koka Begam was maintained in the superintendence of the affairs connected with the seraglio, and she was now ordered to discharge her duties with more diligence. After a few days, the petitioners for rent-free land came forward in such numbers, that some of the ministers of the empire took the opportunity of representing that if His Majesty's liberality extended much further, there would in a few years be no land left to yield revenue to the State. The Emperor replied that these petitioners were like an army to pray for him, and that as the remonstrants were the ministers of the Crown, they should all endeavour to increase this army. May the Almighty preserve the stream of the life of this generous Emperor to flow in this world till the end of time! No King was ever more generous and kind to beggars than Jahángír. My object in writing these particulars is to show that, although there is no comparison between a king and a beggar, yet the Emperor's whole attention was devoted to those things which pleased the hearts of the people. * *
The King indemnified every person who had been plundered on the road-side by Sultán Khusrú in his flight. For instance, the Sultán had given a note of hand addressed to His Majesty in favour of a person who had been robbed of his horses, and the King satisfied the demand. The Prince himself used to say, that one night during his flight, he was much overcome by drowsiness and fatigue, and was obliged to alight in a forest, and lie down on the earth like a dead man. No one of the party took the slightest heed of his comrade. The horses also lay neglected on the ground. After a short time, a jackal came and seized hold of his foot, but his boots saved him from injury.
His Majesty ordered Prince Khusrú to be deprived of his sight. When the wire was put in his eyes, such pain was inflicted on him, that it is beyond all expression. The Prince, after being deprived of sight, was brought to Ágra; and the paternal love again revived. The most experienced physicians were ordered to take measures to heal the eyes of the Prince, that they might become as sound as they were before. One of the physicians of Persia, Hakím Sadrá by name, undertook to cure the Prince within six months. By his skill, the Prince recovered his original power of vision in one of his eyes, but the other remained a little defective in that respect, and also became smaller than its natural size. After the lapse of the assigned time, the Prince was presented to His Majesty, who showed the physician great favour, and honoured him with the title of Masíhu-z Zamán.
During the space of three years and some months, while at Ajmír, His Majesty devised some excellent rules for the tranquillity and well-being of his subjects, and determining to devote each day of the week to some particular pursuit, on that day attended to no other business. On all the festivals observed on Thursdays, which was called by His Majesty Mubárak-shamba, no other business was transacted but that of merriment and festivity, including the granting of promotions, and visiting gardens and fountains. On Fridays, it was ordered that about 1000 men, who were the strict and constant followers of the Muhammadan religion, should be called before His Majesty, and food of all kinds, such as was suited to destitute persons, should be distributed amongst them to such an extent as to leave them fully satisfied. The Emperor was of a very good disposition. While they were taking their dinner, he always ordered curds to be given to them, that they might be able to eat more, and fix their minds on the worship of the Creator of the world. A countless number were fortunate enough to get their fill at those feasts. On Saturdays, His Majesty used to see the elephants fight, and the contests of the swordsmen. At this time, those brave men who firmly stood their ground while witnessing the elephant fights were enlisted among the nobles. On Sundays, a large number of invalids, the lame, the maimed, and the blind, were collected under the jharoka, and the Emperor Jahángír distributed large sums of money among them with his own hand. After a time, he would order one of the courtiers to count what each man had received; and it was one of the wonders of the works of God, that those who were blind were found always to have received more than others. The intelligent Emperor was much surprised at this, and observed to his followers that those who had no eyes placed entire dependence upon the disinterested liberality of God, hence it was that they got more than others. It was ordered on Mondays, that a party of young nobles and the army should practise archery, and some of the nobles were ordered to play at chaugán,* and the offerings presented on that day, which were beyond calculation, were bestowed upon Háfiz Nád-i 'Alí.* On Tuesdays, leopards hunted deer, and dogs chased foxes and rabbits. Those rabbits and foxes which were not caught during the hunt were carried off, and set free in the jungle. The elephants and other animals were also allowed to fight on this day, on which also criminals were executed. Wednesdays were very disagreeable to His Majesty. It happened that the Emperor Akbar died on this day, and the daughter of Sháh Jahán, whom Jahángír had himself brought up, and loved more than his own life, expired in Ajmír on a Wednesday. Hence it was that His Majesty had called it Kam-shamba.* Those against whom the King was incensed were sent on this day to prison, or ordered to be scourged. On all the days of the week His Majesty never ceased to disregard the pursuit of his own gratification. From noon till midnight the Emperor was chiefly occupied in granting the prayers of his subjects.
Shahriyár, who was the most beautiful of all the princes, got a
pain in his eyes, and Mukarrab Khán was ordered to cure him.
He used many appropriate remedies, and succeeded in his en-
One day at Ahmadábád it was reported that many of the infidel and superstitious sect of the Seoras (Jains) of Gujarát had made several very great and splendid temples, and having placed in them their false gods, had managed to secure a large degree of respect for themselves, and that the women who went for worship in those temples were polluted by them and other people. Seora is a sect of people in whose religion to be always barefooted and bareheaded is considered as one of the modes of worship; and to drink always warm water, and to pull out the hair of their head and beard, is reckoned as one of the deeds of virtue. They wear no other dress than a shirt of cloth. The Emperor Jahángír ordered them to be banished from the country, and their temples to be demolished. Their idol was thrown down on the uppermost step of the mosque, that it might be trodden upon by those who came to say their daily prayers there. By this order of the Emperor, the infidels were exceedingly disgraced, and Islám exalted. * * *
At this time the influence of Núr Jahán Begam had attained such a height that the entire management of the Empire was entrusted to her hands. Mahábat Khán thought proper therefore to represent as follows. That to His Majesty and all the world it is well known that this servant Mahábat Khán was brought up only by His Majesty, and that he has no concern with anybody else. Every one knows, added he, that Mahábat Khán presumes much upon His Majesty's kindness; and he now begs truly and faithfully to represent what he thinks proper, instigated by his loyalty, and for the sake of His Majesty's good name. His Majesty must have read, he observed, if in any of the histories of the ancient sovereigns, there was any king so subject to the will of his wife. The whole world is surprised that such a wise and sensible Emperor as Jahángír should permit a woman to have so great an influence over him. Not looking to the present, let us think, continued he, “What will the kings of the future time say?” He gave utterance to many such sentiments as these, and established them by the most irrefragable proofs. He also added, that in his opinion it was now very advisable to liberate Prince Khusrú from prison, and deliver him to one of the confidential servants of the throne. He also said that His Majesty must recollect that this servant Mahábat Khán had with his own hands deprived the Prince of his sight; and had been the cause of his being imprisoned. His Majesty should reflect that affairs had now assumed a new aspect, and the safety of His Majesty's person, and the tranquillity and peace of the country seem to depend upon the life of the Prince. On this the Emperor ascertained upon oath the truth of his declarations from other nobles, and Khán Jahán and Khán 'Álam both confirmed what Mahábat Khán had asserted. The next day the Emperor ordered that the Prince should be given in charge to Khán Jahán, to be kept in his custody, that he should receive surgical treatment, be allowed to come to pay his respects, and that a horse should be given to him to ride on. On Mahábat Khán's representations, the Emperor for some days became more reserved in his demeanour towards the Begam. On the day the Khán took his leave from the camp at Pakhalí, he again said that he had represented what fidelity and gratitude had suggested to him; and that His Majesty might listen to his counsel or not, as he thought best. The Emperor acted in some measure upon the advice of Mahábat Khán, till he arrived at Kashmír; but the influence of Núr Jahán Begam had wrought so much upon his mind, that if 200 men like Mahábat Khán had advised him simultaneously to the same effect, their words would have made no permanent impression upon him.