Note 90 — The Twelfth New Year’s Feast after my auspicious accession.

In no reign except mine have tankas been coined except of copper90; the gold and silver tankas are my invention. I ordered it to be called the Jahāngīrī coinage. On Mubārak-s͟hamba (Thursday), the 14th the offering of Amānat K͟hān, the superintendent (mutaṣaddī) of Cambay, was laid before me in the women’s apartments. His mansab was fixed, original and increase, at 1,500 personal and 400 horse. Nūru-d-dīn Qulī was honoured with the mansab, original and increase, of 3,000 personal and 600 horse. On Friday, the 15th, mounted on the elephant Nūr-bak͟ht, I made it run after a horse. It ran exceedingly well, and when it was stopped stood well. This is the third time that I myself have ridden it. On Saturday, the 16th, Rām Dās, son of Jay Singh91, was promoted to the mansab, original and increase, of 1,500 personal and 700 horse. On Sunday, the 17th, an elephant each was given to Dārāb K͟hān. Amānat K͟hān, and Sayyid Bāyazīd Bārha. In these few days during which I was encamped on the shore of the salt sea, merchants, traders, indigent people, and other inhabitants of the port of Cambay having been summoned before me, I gave each according to his condition a dress of honour or a horse or travelling money or assistance in living. On this day, Sayyid Muḥammad, Ṣāḥib Sajjāda (Lord of the prayer carpet) of S͟hāh ʿĀlam (a mosque near Ahmadabad), the sons of S͟haik͟h Muḥammad G͟haus̤, S͟haik͟h Ḥaidar, grandson of Miyān Wajīhū-d-dīn, and other Shaikhs living at Ahmadabad came to meet me and pay their respects. As my desire was to see the sea and the flow and ebb of the water, I halted for ten days, and on Tuesday, the 19th (Day, about 30th December, 1618), the royal standards started for Ahmadabad. The best description of fish procurable in this place, the name of which is ʿarbīyat,92 was caught and frequently brought for me by the fishermen. Without doubt these fish, are, as compared with other fish of this country, more delicious and better, but they are not of the flavour of the rohū. One might say as nine to ten or even eight to ten. Of the food which is peculiar to the people of Gujarat there is the khichṛī of bājrā (a mixture of split peas and millet boiled together); this they also call laẕīẕa. It is a kind of split grain, which does not grow in any other country but Hindustan, and which in comparison with many other regions of India is more abundant in Gujarat; it is cheaper than most vegetables. As I had never eaten it, I ordered them to make some and bring it to me. It is not devoid of good flavour, and it suited me well. I ordered that on the days of abstinence, when I partake of dishes not made with flesh, they should frequently bring me this khichri On the said Tuesday having marched 6¼ kos, I halted at the village of Kosālā. On Wednesday, the 20th, I passed through the parganah of Bābrā93 and halted on the bank of the river. This was a march of 6 kos. On Mubārak-s͟hamba, the 21st, I halted and held a feast of cups. In this river I caught many fish, and divided them among the servants who were present at the feast. On Friday, the 22nd, having moved on 4 kos, I pitched at the village of Bāṛīchā. On this road, walls came in sight from 2½ to 3 gaz in length, and on enquiry it appeared that people had made them from the desire of spiritual reward. When a porter is tired on the road he places his burden on the wall and gains his breath a little, and lifting it up again with ease and without assistance from anyone proceeds towards his destination. This is one of the peculiar ideas of the people of Gujarat. The building of these walls pleased me greatly, and I ordered that in all large towns94 they should make walls of this kind at the imperial expense. On Saturday, the 23rd marching 4¾ kos, the camp was pitched at the Kānkrīya tank. Qut̤bu-d-dīn Muḥammad, grandson of Sult̤ān Aḥmad, the founder of the city of Ahmadabad, made this tank, and placed round it steps of stone and cement. In the middle of the tank he constructed a little garden and some buildings. Between the bank of the tank and these buildings he had made a causeway, which was the way for entering and leaving, Since this occurred a long time ago, most of the buildings had become dilapidated, and there was no place left fit to sit in. At the time when the host of prosperity was about to proceed towards Ahmadabad, Ṣafī K͟hān, bakhshī of Gujarat, repaired at the expense of government what was broken down and in ruins, and clearing out the little garden erected a new building in it. Certainly it is a place exceedingly enjoyable and pleasant. Its style pleased me. On the side where the causeway is, Niz̤āmu-d-dīn Aḥmad,95 who was for a while bakhshi of Gujarat in my father’s time, had made a garden on the bank of the tank. At this time a representation was made to me that ʿAbdu-llah K͟hān, in consequence of a dispute that he had with ʿĀbid, son of Niz̤āmu-d-dīn Aḥmad, cut down the trees of this garden. I also heard that during his government he, at a wine party, signed to a slave, and cut off the head of an unfortunate man who was not wanting in fun and jesting, merely because in a state of drunkenness he had uttered some improper expressions by way of a joke. On hearing these two reports, my sense of justice was shocked, and I ordered the Diwans to change one thousand of his two-horsed and three-horsed cavalry into one-horsed, and to deduct from his jagir the difference (of pay), which came to 7,000,000 dams.