Note 111 — The Thirteenth New Year’s Feast

On Tuesday, the 30th, the bank of the River Mānab111 became the halting-place for the sublime camp. The New Year’s112 feast of Thursday was prepared at this place on the 2nd of the Ilāhī month of Ābān. Amānu-llah, s. Mahābat K., at his request, was promoted to the mansab of 1,000 personal and 300113 horse, and Girdhar, s. Rāy Sāl, to that of 1,000 personal and 800 horse. ʿAbdu-llah, son of K͟hān Aʿz̤am, obtained the mansab of 1,000 personal and 300 horse. Dilīr K., who was one of the jagirdars of Gujarat, I presented with a horse and an elephant. Ran-bāz K., s. S͟hāh-bāz K. Kāmbū, came by order from the Deccan, and was promoted to the post of Bakhshi and Recorder of the army of Bangas͟h, and his mansab was fixed at 800 personal and 400 horse. I marched on Friday, the 3rd. At this stage114 Prince S͟hujāʿ, the beloved son (liver-corner) of my son S͟hāh-Jahān, who was being brought up in the chaste lap of Nūr-Jahān Begam, and towards whom I have so much affection that he is dearer to me than life, was attacked by a specially infantile disease which they call “ummu-ṣ-ṣibyān,”115 and for a long time his senses left him. Although experienced people devised many remedies, they were unprofitable, and his insensibility (bī-hūs͟hī) took away my senses (hūs͟h). As visible remedies were hopeless, by way of humility and submission I rubbed the head of supplication on the Court of the gracious Ruler who cherishes his slaves, and begged for the child’s recovery. In this state it occurred to me that as I had made a vow116 to my God that after I had passed my fiftieth year, this suppliant would give up hunting with bullet and gun, and would injure no creature with his own hand, if for the sake of his safety I were to give up shooting from the present date, it were possible that his life would become the means of preserving the lives of many animals, and God Almighty might give him to me. In fine, with true purpose, and sincere belief I vowed117 to God that I would thenceforward not harm any living thing with my own hand. By the grace of Allah his illness diminished. At the time when this suppliant was in his mother’s womb, one day I made no movement after the manner that other children make. The attendants were amazed, and inquiring into the cause stated the case to my father (Akbar). At that time my father was engaged in hunting with cheetahs. As that day was a Friday, for the purpose of my safety he made a vow that during his life he would not hunt with cheetahs on a Friday. Till the end of his life he remained firm in this determination, and I also in obedience to him until now have never hunted with cheetahs on a Friday. Finally, on account of the weakness of the light of my eye, S͟hāh S͟hujāʿ, for three days I halted at this stage, that God Almighty might give him his natural118 life.