Note 14 — The Third New Year’s Feast from my Accession.

As I had determined to conquer the Rānā, it occurred to me that I should send Mahābat K͟hān. I appointed 12,000 fully armed cavalry under able officers to go with him, and in addition 500 ahadis, 2,000 musketeers on foot, with artillery made up of 70 to 80 guns mounted on elephants and camels; 60 elephants were appointed to this duty. Two million rupees of treasure were ordered to be sent with this army. On the 16th of the said month Mīr K͟halīlu-llah, grandson of Mīr Niʿmatu-llah Yazdī, the whole of whose circumstances and family history has already been written, died of diarrhœa. In his appearance the traces of sincerity and dervishhood were manifest. If he had lived and passed a long time in my service he would have risen to high rank. The bakhshi of Burhanpur had sent some mangoes, one of which I ordered to be weighed; it came to 52½ tolas. On Wednesday, the 18th, in the house of Maryam-zamānī, the feast of the lunar weighing of my 40th year was held. I ordered the money used in weighing to be divided amongst women and needy persons. On Thursday, the 4th Rabīʿu-l-āk͟hir, T̤āhir Beg, the bakhshi of the Ahadis, was given the title of Muk͟hliṣ K͟hān, and Mullā-i-Taqiyyā S͟hūstarī,14 who was adorned with excellencies and perfections, and was well acquainted with the science of history and genealogy, that of Muʾarrik͟h K͟hān. On the 10th of the same month, having given Bark͟hūrdār, the brother of ʿAbdu-llah K͟hān, the title of Bahādur K͟hān, I dignified him among his fellows. Mūnis K͟hān, son of Mihtar K͟hān, presented me with a jug of jasper (jade), which had been made in the reign of Mīrzā Ulug͟h Beg Gūrgān, in the honoured name of that prince. It was a very delicate rarity and of a beautiful shape. Its stone was exceedingly white and pure. Around the neck of the jar they had carved the auspicious name of the Mīrzā and the Hijra year in riqāʿ15 characters. I ordered them to inscribe my name and the auspicious name of Akbar on the edge of the lip of the jar. Mihtar16 K͟hān was one of the ancient slaves of this State. He had the honour of serving the late king Humāyūn, and during the reign of my revered father had attained the rank of nobility. He regarded him as one of his confidential servants. On the 16th a firman was issued that the country of Sangrām,17 which had been given for a year by way of reward to my son (farzand) Islām K͟hān, should be handed over for the same purpose for a year to Afẓal K͟hān, the governor of the Subah of Behar. On this day I promoted Mahābat K͟hān to the rank of 3,000 personal and 2,500 horse, and Yūsuf K͟hān, son of Ḥusain K͟hān Tukriyah, obtained that of 2,000 personal and 800 horse. On the 24th I gave leave to Mahābat K͟hān and the Amirs and men who had been appointed to subdue the Rānā. The aforesaid K͟hān was honoured with a robe of honour, a horse, a special elephant, and a jewelled sword. Zafar K͟hān, having been honoured with a standard, was presented with a private robe of honour and a jewelled dagger. S͟hajāʿat K͟hān also was presented with a standard, and I gave him a robe of honour and a special elephant. Rāja Bīr Singh Deo received a robe of honour and a special horse, and Manglī K͟hān a horse and jewelled dagger. Narāyan Dās Kachhwāhah, ʿAlī Qulī Darman, and Hizabr K͟hān Tahamtan obtained leave. On Bahādur K͟hān and Muʿizzu-l-mulk the bakhshi jewelled daggers were conferred, and in the same manner all the Amirs and leaders, each one according to his degree, were honoured with royal gifts. A watch of the day had passed when the Khankhanan, who had been selected for the high honour of my Ātālīq (guardian), came from Burhanpur and waited on me. Delight and happiness had so overpowered him that he did not know whether he came on his head or his feet. He threw himself bewildered at my feet. By way of favour and kindness I lifted up his head and held it in an embrace of kindliness and affection, and kissed his face. He brought me as offerings two strings of pearls and some rubies and emeralds. The value of the jewels was 300,000 rupees. Besides these he laid before me many valuable things. On the 17th Jumādā-l-awwal Wazīr K͟hān, the Diwan of Bengal, came and waited on me, and offered 60 elephants, male and female, and one Egyptian18 ruby. As he was one of the old servants and he performed every duty, I ordered him to remain in attendance on me. As Qāsim K͟hān and his elder brother, Islām K͟hān, could in no way keep the peace together, I had sent for the former to my own presence, and he yesterday came and waited on me. On the 22nd, Āṣaf K͟hān, made me an offering of a ruby of the weight of seven ṭānk, which Abū-l-qāsim, his brother, had bought in the port of Cambay for 75,000 rupees. It is of a beautiful colour and well-shaped, but to my belief is not worth more than 60,000 rupees. Great faults had been committed by Dulīp Rāy, son of Rāy Rāy Singh, but as he took refuge with my farzand K͟hān Jahān his offences were pardoned, and I knowingly and purposely passed over his delinquencies. On the 24th the sons of K͟hānk͟hānān, who had followed after him, arrived and waited on me and produced as an offering the sum of 25,000 rupees. On the same day the said K͟hān offered 90 elephants. On Thursday, the 1st Jumādā-s̤-s̤ānī, the feast of my solar year was celebrated in the house of Maryam-zamānī. Some of the money I divided among the women, and an order was given that the balance should be distributed to the poor of the hereditary kingdoms. On the 4th of the month I ordered the Diwans to give a jagir, according to his rank, of 7,000 rupees to K͟hān Aʿz̤am.