Note 15 — The Fifth New Year’s Feast from the Auspicious Accession.

On the 19th Urdibihis͟ht, in the fifth year of my reign, corresponding with the 4th Ṣafar, there occurred a strange affair at Patna, which is the seat of government of the province of Behar. Afẓal K͟hān, the governor of the Subah, went off to the jagir to which he had just been appointed, and which was at a distance of 60 kos from Patna, and handed over the fort and the city to the charge of S͟haik͟h Banārasī and G͟hiyās̤ Zain-k͟hānī, the Diwan of the Subah, and to a number of other mansabdars. With the idea that there were no enemies in that region he did not satisfy himself as he should have with regard to the protection of the fort and city. By chance, at that time an unknown man of the name of Qut̤b belonging to the people of Uch, who was a mischievous and seditious fellow, came to the province of Ujjainiyya,15 which is in the neighbourhood of Patna, with the look of a dervish and the clothes of a beggar, and having made acquaintance with men of that part, who were always seditious, represented to them that he was K͟husrau, who had escaped from prison and conveyed himself there; saying that if they would accompany and assist him, after the affair had been completed they would be the ministers of his State. In short, deceiving those simpletons with foolish words he brought them over to him and persuaded them that he was K͟husrau. He showed those deceived ones the parts about his eyes, where at some time he had produced scars, of which the marks were still apparent, and told them that in the prison they had fastened cups (kaṭorī) on them and those were the marks.16 Through these falsehoods and deceit a number of foot- and horsemen had collected round him, and had obtained information that Afẓal K͟hān was not at Patna. Considering this a great opportunity, they made a raid, and when two or three hours of the day had passed on Sunday came to the city, and being hindered by nothing went for the fort. S͟haik͟h Banārasī, who was in the fort, obtaining news of this, went in a disturbed state to the gate of the fort. The enemy, who came on with speed, did not give him time to close the gate of the fort. Together with G͟hiyās̤, he betook himself to the side of the river by a wicket gate, and procuring a boat proposed to go to Afẓal K͟hān. Those rebels came with ease into the fort and took possession of Afẓal K͟hān’s property and the royal treasury; and some of those wretched creatures who wait on events, who were in the city and its neighbourhood, joined them. This news reached Afẓal K͟hān at Gorakhpur (K͟harakpūr),17 and S͟haik͟h Banārasī and G͟hiyās̤ also came to him there by way of the river. Letters came from the city that this wretch, who called himself K͟husrau, was in reality not K͟husrau. Afẓal K͟hān, placing his trust on the grace and mercy of Allah, and through my good fortune, started without delay against those rebels. In five days he reached the neighbourhood of Patna. When the news of Afẓal K͟hān’s coming reached those scoundrels, they entrusted the fort to one of those whom they had confidence in, and the horse and foot arraying themselves went out for four kos to meet Afẓal K͟hān. A fight took place on the bank of the river Pūn Pūn, and after a slight skirmish the array of those ill-fated ones was broken and they became scattered. In great bewilderment a second time that wretch was coming into the fort with a few men. Afẓal K͟hān followed him, and did not allow them to close the gate of the fort. Going to Afẓal K͟hān’s house in a state of confusion, they fortified the house and remained there for three watches, and fought. They wounded about thirty people with arrows. After his companions had gone to jahannam (hell) he himself became helpless, and asked for quarter, and waited upon Afẓal K͟hān. In order to put a stop to this affair, Afẓal K͟hān executed him on the same day, and imprisoned some of his companions who had fallen alive into his hand. These items of news one after another reached the royal ear. I summoned to Agra S͟haik͟h Banārasī and G͟hiyās̤ Zain-k͟hānī and the other mansabdars who had made default in holding the fort and protecting the city, and ordered their hair and beards to be cut off, and that they should be clothed in women’s clothes, seated on asses, and paraded round the city of Agra and in the bazars, as a warning and example to others.