Note 25 — Chapter III · MUGHAL VICEROYS. a.d. 1573–1758. (continued 2)

At first Jehángír, who reached Áhmedábád in the hot weather (March a.d. 1618), contented himself with abusing its sandy streets, calling the city the ‘abode of dust’ gardábád. After an attack of fever his dislike grew stronger, and he was uncertain whether the ‘home of the simoom’ samumistán, the ‘place of sickness’ bímáristán, the ‘thorn brake’ zakumdár, or ‘hell’ jahánnamábád, was its most fitting name. Even the last title did not satisfy his dislike. In derision he adds the verse, ‘Oh essence of all goodnesses by what name shall I call thee.’ Elliot’s History of India, VI. 358; Jehángír’s Memoirs Persian Text, 231. Of the old buildings of Áhmedábád, the emperor (Memoirs, Persian Text, 208–210) speaks of the Kánkariya tank and its island garden and of the royal palaces in the Bhadar as having nearly gone to ruin within the last fifty years. He notes that his Bakhshi had repaired the Kánkariya tank and that the viceroy Mukarrab Khán had partly restored the Bhadar palaces against his arrival. The emperor was disappointed with the capital. After the accounts he had heard it seemed rather poor with its narrow streets, its shops with ignoble fronts, and its dust, though to greet the emperor as he came on elephant-back scattering gold the city and its population had put on their holiday dress. The emperor speaks (Memoirs, Persian Text page 211) of having met some of the great men of Gujarát. Chief among these was Sayad Muhammad Bukhári the representative of Sháhi Álam and the sons of Sháh Wajíh-ud-dín of Áhmedábád. They came as far as Cambay to meet the emperor. After his arrival in the capital Jehángír with great kindness informally visited the house and garden of Sikandar Gujaráti the author of the Mirăt-i-Sikandari, to pick some of the author’s famous figs off the trees. Jehángír speaks of the historian as a man of a refined literary style well versed in all matters of Gujarát history, who six or seven years since had entered his (the imperial) service (Memoirs, 207–211). On the occasion of celebrating Sháh Jehán’s twenty-seventh birthday at Áhmedábád Jehángír records having granted the territory from Mándu to Cambay as the estate of his son Sháh Jehán (Prince Khurram). Memoirs, Persian Text, 210–211. Before leaving Gujarát the emperor ordered the expulsion of the Sevadas or Jain priests, because of a prophecy unfavourable to him made by Mán Sing Sewda (Memoirs, Persian Text, 217). ↑