Note 105 — The Twelfth New Year’s Feast after my auspicious accession.

On Wednesday,105 the 27th, I went to the monastery of S͟haik͟h Wajīhu-d-dīn, which was near the palace, and the fātiḥa was read at the head of his shrine, which is in the court of the monastery. Ṣādiq K͟hān, who was one of the chief Amirs of my father, built this monastery. The Shaikh was a successor of S͟haik͟h Muḥammad G͟haus̤,106 but a successor against whom the teacher disputed. Wajīhu-d-dīn’s loyalty to him is a clear proof107 of the greatness of S͟haik͟h Muḥammad G͟haus̤. S͟haik͟h Wajīhu-d-dīn was adorned with visible excellencies and spiritual perfection. He died thirty years ago in this city (Ahmadabad), and after him S͟haik͟h ʿAbdu-llah, according to his father’s will, took his place. He was a very ascetic dervish. When he died his son S͟haik͟h Asadu-llah sat in his place, and also quickly went to the eternal world. After him his brother S͟haik͟h Ḥaidar became lord of the prayer carpet, and is now alive, and is employed at the grave of his father and grandfather in the service of dervishes and in looking after their welfare. The traces of piety are evident on the forehead of his life. As it was the anniversary festival of S͟haik͟h Wajīhu-d-dīn, 1,500 rupees were given to S͟haik͟h Ḥaidar for the expenses of the anniversary, and I bestowed 1,500 rupees more on the band of fakirs who were present in the monastery, with my own hand in charity, and made a present of 500 rupees to the grandson (?) of S͟haik͟h Wajīhu-d-dīn. In the same way I gave something for expenses, and land to each of his relatives and adherents according to his merit. I ordered S͟haik͟h Ḥaidar to bring before me the body of dervishes and deserving people who were associated with him, in order that they might ask for money for expenses and for land. On Thursday, the 28th, I went to look round the Rustam-K͟hān-bāṛī, and scattered 1,500 rupees on the road. They call a garden a bāṛī in the language of India. This is a garden that my brother S͟hāh Murād made in the name of his son Rustam. I made a Thursday entertainment in this garden, and gave cups to some of my private servants. At the end of the day I went to the little garden of the ḥawālī (mansion) of S͟haik͟h Sikandar, which is situated in the neighbourhood of this garden, and which has exceedingly good figs. As picking the fruit with one’s own hand gives it quite a different relish, and I had never before plucked figs with my own hand, their excellence in this respect was approved. S͟haik͟h Sikandar108 is by origin a Gujarati, and is not wanting in reasonableness, and has complete information about the Sultans of Gujarat. It is now eight or nine years since he has been employed among the servants (of the State). As my son S͟hāh Jahān had appointed to the government of Ahmadabad Rustam K͟hān, who is one of his chief officers, at his request I, in accordance with the association of his name, presented him with (the garden) Rustam-bāṛī. On this day Rāja Kalyān, zamindar of the province of Īḍar, had the good fortune to kiss my threshold, and presented an elephant and nine horses as an offering; I gave him back the elephant. He is one of the most considerable zamindars on the frontier of Gujarat, and his country is close to the hill-country of the Rānā. The Sultans of Gujarat constantly sent armies against the Raja of that place. Although some of them have professed obedience and presented offerings, for the most part none of them have come to see anyone personally. After the late king Akbar conquered Gujarat, the victorious army was sent to attack him. As he understood that his deliverance lay in obedience and submission, he agreed to serve and be loyal, and hastened to enjoy the good fortune of kissing the threshold. From that date he has been enrolled among the servants (of the State). He comes to see whoever is appointed to the government of Ahmadabad, and when work and service are necessary appears with a body of his men. On Saturday, the 1st of the month of Bahman, in the 12th year of my reign, Chandar Sen, who is one of the chief zamindars of this country, had the good fortune to kiss the threshold, and presented an offering of nine horses. On Sunday, the 2nd, I gave elephants to Rāja Kalyān, zamindar of Īḍar, to Sayyid Muṣt̤afā, and Mīr Fāẓil. On Monday I went out hawking, and scattered nearly 500 rupees on the road. On this day pears came from Badakhshan. On Mubārak-s͟hamba, the 6th, I went to see the “garden of victory” at the village of Sair-khaiz (Sarkhej), and scattered 1,500 rupees on the way. As the tomb of S͟haik͟h Aḥmad K͟haṭṭū109 is on the road, I first went there and the fātiḥa was read. K͟haṭṭū is the name of a town in the Sarkar of Nāgor, and was the birthplace of the Shaikh.110 The Shaikh lived in the time of Sult̤ān Aḥmad, who founded the city of Ahmadabad, and the latter had a great respect for him. The people of this country have a strange belief in him, and consider him one of the great saints. Every Friday night a great crowd of people, high and low, go to visit his shrine. Sult̤ān Muḥammad, son of the aforesaid Sult̤ān Aḥmad, built lofty buildings in the shape of mausoleums, mosques, and monasteries at the head of his tomb, and near his mausoleum on the south side made a large tank, and surrounded it with stone and lime (masonry). This building was completed in the time of Qut̤bu-d-dīn, son of the aforesaid Muḥammad. The shrines of several of the Sultans of Gujarat are on the bank of the tank by the feet of the Shaikh. In that dome there have been laid at rest Sult̤ān Maḥmūd Bīgara, Sult̤ān Muz̤affar, his son, and Maḥmūd, the martyr, grandson of Sult̤ān Muz̤affar, and who was the last of the Sultans of Gujarat. Bīgara, in the language of the people of Gujarat, signifies ‘turned-up moustache,’ and Sult̤ān Maḥmūd had a large turned-up moustache; on this account they call him Bīgara. Near his (S͟haik͟h K͟haṭṭū’s) tomb is the dome of his ladies.111 Without doubt the mausoleum of the Shaikh is a very grand building and a beautiful place. It is estimated that 500,000 rupees were spent on it. God only knows what is true.