Note 1 — The Tenth New Year’s Festival after my auspicious Accession.

Fifteen gharis of day had passed on Sunday, the last day of Isfandārmuẕ, corresponding with the 1st Rabīʿu-l-awwal (19th March, 1616), when from the mansion of Pisces the sun cast the ray of prosperity on the palace of Aries. At this auspicious hour, having performed the dues of service and supplication at the throne of Almighty God, I ascended the throne of State in the public audience hall, the area of which was laid out with tents and canopies (s͟hāmiyānahā), and its sides adorned with European screens, painted gold brocades, and rare cloths. The princes, Amirs, the chief courtiers, the ministers of State, and all the servants of the Court performed their congratulatory salutations. As Ḥāfiz̤ Nād ʿAlī, gūyanda (singer), was one of the ancient servants, I ordered that whatever offerings were made on the Monday by anyone in the shape of cash or goods should be given to him by way of reward. On the 2nd day (of Farwardīn) the offerings of some of the employés were laid before me. On the 4th day the offering of K͟hwāja Jahān, who had sent them from Agra, and which consisted of several diamonds and pearls, of jewelled things, cloth stuffs of all kinds, and an elephant, worth altogether 50,000 rupees, was brought before me. On the 5th day, Kunwar Karan, who had been given leave to go to his home, returned and waited on me. He presented as offering 100 muhrs, 1,000 rupees, an elephant with fittings, and four horses. To the mansab of Āṣaf K͟hān, which was 4,000 personal and 2,000 horse, I on the 7th made an addition of 1,000 personal and 2,000 horse, and honoured him with drums and a standard. On this day the offering of Mīr Jamālu-d-dīn Ḥusain was laid before me; what he offered was approved and accepted. Among the things was a jewelled dagger which had been made under his superintendence.1 On its hilt was a yellow ruby2 (yāqūt-i-zard), exceeding clear and bright, in size equal to half a hen’s egg. I had never before seen so large and beautiful a yellow ruby. Along with it were other rubies of approved colour and old emeralds. Brokers (muqīmān) valued it (the dagger) at 50,000 rupees. I increased the mansab of the said Mīr by 1,000 horse, which brought it to 5,000 personal and 3,500 horse. On the 8th I increased the mansab of Sādiq Ḥāẕiq by 300 personal and horse, and that of Irādat K͟hān by 300 personal and 200 horse, so as to raise each to 1,000 personal and 500 horse. On the 9th the offering of K͟hwāja Abū-l-ḥasan was laid before me; of jewelled ornaments and cloth stuffs, what was of the value of 40,000 rupees was accepted, and the remainder I made a present to him. The offering of Tātār K͟hān Bakāwul-begī, consisting of one ruby (laʿl), one yāqūt, a jewelled tak͟htī (signet?), two rings, and some cloths, was accepted. On the 10th three elephants which Rāja Mahā Singh sent from the Deccan, and 100 and odd pieces of gold brocade, etc., which Murtaẓā K͟hān sent from Lahore, were laid before me. On this date Dayānat K͟hān presented his offering of two pearl rosaries, two rubies, six large pearls, and one gold tray, to the value of 28,000 rupees. At the end of Thursday, the 11th, I went to the house of Iʿtimādu-d-daulah in order to add to his dignity. He then presented me with his offering, and I examined it in detail. Much of it was exceedingly rare. Of jewels there were two pearls worth 30,000 rupees, one qut̤bī ruby which had been purchased for 22,000 rupees, with other pearls and rubies. Altogether the value was 110,000 rupees. These had the honour of acceptance, and of cloth, etc., the value of 15,000 rupees was taken. When I had finished inspecting the offering I passed nearly one watch of the night in conviviality and enjoyment. I ordered that cups (of wine) should be given to the Amirs and servants. The ladies of the maḥall (harem) were also with me, and a pleasant assembly was held. After the festive assembly was over I begged Iʿtimādu-d-daulah to excuse me, and went to the hall of audience. On the same day I ordered Nūr-maḥall Begam to be called Nūr-Jahān Begam. On the 12th the offering of Iʿtibār K͟hān was laid before me. They had made a vessel (z̤arf) in the form of a fish, jewelled with beautiful gems, exceedingly well shaped and calculated to hold my allowance.3 This, with other jewels and jewelled things and cloth stuffs, the value of which was worth 56,000 rupees, I accepted and gave back the rest. Bahādur K͟hān, governor of Qandahar, had sent seven Iraq horses and nine tuqūz (81?) of cloth stuffs. The offerings of Irādat K͟hān and Rāja Sūraj Mal, son of Rāja Bāso, were laid before me on the 13th. ʿAbdu-s-Subḥān, who held a mansab of 1,200 personal and 600 horse, was promoted to 1,500 personal and 700 horse. On the 15th the Subahdarship of the province of Thatha was transferred from S͟hams͟hīr K͟hān Ūzbeg to Muz̤affar K͟hān. On the 16th the offering of Iʿtiqād K͟hān, son of Iʿtimādu-d-daulah, was laid before me. Of this the equivalent of 32,000 rupees was taken, and I gave back the rest to him. On the 17th the offering of Tarbiyat K͟hān was inspected. Of jewels and cloth what was valued at 17,000 rupees was approved. On the 18th I went to the house of Āṣaf K͟hān, and his offering was presented to me there. From the palace to his house was a distance of about a kos. For half the distance he had laid down under foot velvet woven with gold and gold brocade and plain velvet, such that its value was represented to me as 10,000 rupees. I passed that day until midnight at his house with the ladies. The offerings he had prepared were laid before me in detail. Jewels, jewelled ornaments, and things of gold and beautiful cloth stuffs, things of the value of 114,000 rupees, four horses, and one camel were approved of. On the 19th (Farwardīn), which was the day of honour (rūz-i-s͟haraf) of the sun, a grand assembly was held in the palace. In order to observe the auspicious hour, when 2½ gharis of day were left of the aforesaid day, I seated myself on the throne. My son Bābā K͟hurram at this blessed hour laid before me a ruby of the purest water and brilliancy, which they pronounced to be of the value of 80,000 rupees. I fixed his mansab, which was 15,000 personal and 8,000 horse, at 20,000 personal and 10,000 horse. On the same day my lunar weighing took place. I increased the mansab of Iʿtimādu-d-daulah, which was 6,000 personal and 3,000 horse, to 7,000 personal and 5,000 horse, and bestowed on him a tūmān tūg͟h (horse-tail standard), and ordered his drums to be beaten after those of my son K͟hurram. I increased the mansab of Tarbiyat K͟hān by 500 personal and horse, so as to bring it to 3,500 personal and 1,500 horse. The mansab of Iʿtiqād K͟hān was increased by 1,000 personal and 400 horse. Niz̤āmu-d-dīn K͟hān was promoted to 700 personal and 300 horse, and appointed to the Subah of Behar. Salāmu-llah, the Arab, was honoured with the title of S͟hajāʿat K͟hān, and, being dignified with a necklace of pearls, became one of the royal4 servants. I promoted Mīr Jamālu-d-dīn Injū to the title of ʿAẓudu-d-daulah (Arm of the State). On the 21st Almighty God gave K͟husrau a son by the daughter of Muqīm, son of Mihtar Fāẓil Rikāb-dār (stirrup-holder). To Allah-dād, the Afghan, who, accepting my service, had separated himself from the evil-minded Aḥdād and come to Court, I gave 20,000 darabs (10,000 rupees). On the 25th came the news of the death of Rāy Manohar, who had been attached to the army of the Deccan. Giving his son a mansab of 500 personal and 300 horse, I bestowed upon him his father’s place and property. On the 26th the offering of Nād ʿAlī Maidānī, consisting of nine horses, several bits (? dahāna kīs͟h5), and four Persian camels (wilāyatī), was brought before me. On the 28th I presented Bahādur K͟hān, governor of Qandahar, Mīr Mīrān, son of K͟halīlu-llah, and Sayyid Bāyazīd, governor of Bhakar, each with an elephant. On the 1st Urdībihis͟ht, at the request of ʿAbdu-llah K͟hān, I presented drums to his brother Sardār K͟hān. On the 3rd I gave Allah-dād K͟hān, the Afghan, a jewelled khapwa (dagger). On the same day news came that Qadam,6 one of the Afrīdī Afghans who had been loyal and obedient, and to whom the rāh-dārī (transit dues) of the Khaibar Pass belonged, from some slight suspicion had withdrawn his feet from the circle of obedience and raised his head in sedition. He had sent a force against each of the posts (thāna), and wherever he and his men went, through the carelessness of those men (in the posts), had plundered and killed many of the people. Briefly, in consequence of the shameful action of this senseless Afghan, a new disturbance broke out in the hill country of Kabul. When this news arrived I ordered Hārūn, brother of Qadam, and Jalāl, his son, who were at Court, to be apprehended and handed over to Āṣaf K͟hān to be imprisoned in the fort of Gwalior. By the manifestation of the Divine mercy and kindness and the signs of God’s favour, an affair took place at this time which is not devoid of strangeness. After the victory over the Rānā my son presented me in Ajmir with an exceedingly beautiful and clear ruby, valued at 60,000 rupees. It occurred to me that I ought to bind this ruby on my own arm. I much wanted two rare pearls of good water of one form to be a fit match for this kind of ruby. Muqarrab K͟hān had procured one grand pearl of the value of 20,000 rupees, and given it to me as a New Year’s offering. It occurred to me that if I could procure a pair to it they would make a perfect bracelet. K͟hurram, who from his childhood had had the honour of waiting on my revered father, and remained in attendance on him day and night, represented to me that he had seen a pearl in an old turban (sar-band) of a weight and shape equal to this pearl. They produced an old sar-pīch (worn on the turban), containing a royal pearl of the same quality, weight, and shape, not differing in weight even by a trifle, so much so that the jewellers were astonished at the matter. It agreed in value, shape, lustre, and brilliance; one might say they had been shed from the same mould. Placing the two pearls alongside of the ruby, I bound them on my arm, and placing my head on the ground of supplication and humility, I returned thanks to the Lord that cherished His slave, and made my tongue utter His praise—