LXVI. SHAH JAHAN-NAMA OF MUHAMMAD SADIK KHAN. [THE author of this history of Shah Jahán was Muhammad Sádik, who was Wáki'-navis in attendance upon Prince Sháh Jahán in his campaign against the Ráná during the life of Jahángír. He afterwards received the title of Sádik Khán. The work embraces the reign of Sháh Jahán "from his accession to the throne unto the termination of the confinement into which he fell through the stupidity of Dárá Shukoh." A copy of the work in the British Museum ends with the deposition of Sháh Jahán, but the author adds that the deposed monarch lived eight years in captivity. Sir H. Elliot's MS. goes on without any break to the end of the reign of Aurangzeb; but to have written all this, Sádik Khán must have lived over a century. The history of the reign of Aurangzeb turns out to be the same as that of the Muntakhabu-l Lubáb of Kháfí Khán, with some slight variations, not greater perhaps than Col. Lees found in various MSS. of that work.1 The history is of moderate extent, and is written in a simple style. Similarity or identity in many passages shows that Kháfí Khán used the work for his history of the reign of Sháh Jahán. There is also among Sir H. M. Elliot's MSS. one called Tabakát-i Sháh-Jahání, written by the same author. This consists of notices of the great and distinguished men of the reign of Shah Jahán. The names are numerous, but the notices are short.] 1 Journal Royal Asiatic Society, N.s. vol. iii. p. 473. LXVII. MAJALISU-S SALATIN OF MUHAMMAD SHARIF HANAFI. THE Majálisu-s Salátin, or "Assemblies of the Sultáns," was written by Muhammad Sharif Hanafi. The reason he assigns for writing it is, that no one had courage enough in his time to wade through long histories, especially mentioning those of Zíá Barní, Kází 'Ajáz Bádsháhí, and 'Abdu-l Kádir, which are each works of considerable size, and he therefore determined, notwithstanding his constant avocations, to write an abridged history of India. In the midst of a hundred interruptions, he set himself to the work, but, short as it is, he was nearly failing in his resolution to complete it, and "a wind arose occasionally which was nearly making his pen fly away like an arrow from a bow, and converting his paper into a flying kite." At last he asked his spiritual teachers for their aid and countenance, and through their encouragement he brought it to a completion. The same irresolution and want of leisure seem to have deprived us of the account of his travels, which, as will be seen from one of the following extracts, extended to a distance quite unusual in his days. He had travelled from Madura in Southern India to Kashmir, and had dwelt for some time in the intermediate countries; and he tells us that if he had recorded all the wonderful things he had seen, he might have filled a thousand volumes. He was employed in some public capacity during the whole time that he was making these tours, for he signifies that he was a person of no mean consideration. The work was composed in the early part of Shah Jahán's reign, in the year 1038 A.H. (1628 A.D.), according to a chronogram at the close of the work in which the date is recorded. The Majálisu-s Salátin is not divided into chapters, but the following abstract will show the pages where the principal dynasties and reigns commence and end. Preface, pp. 1 to 3. CONTENTS. The Ghaznívides, pp. 4 to 11. The Ghorians and subsequent Dehlí dynasties, pp. 11 to 121. Humáyún, Sher Khán, etc., pp. 124 to 193. Akbar, pp. 193 to 200. Jahángír, pp. 200 to 206. Kingdoms of the Dakhin, Kashmir, etc., pp. 207 to 258. The copy from which the following Extracts are taken is in one of the Royal Libraries at Lucknow. I know of no other. [The Extracts were translated by a munshi and corrected by Sir H. M. Elliot.] EXTRACTS. Anecdotes of Muhammad Tughlik. 1 After some time, intelligence was brought that Malik Bahrám Abiya, the adopted brother of Sultán Tughlik Sháh, had revolted in Multán, and put 'Alí Akhtí to death, whom Sultán Muhammad 'Adil had sent with orders to summon the rebel. The Sultán, with a view to subdue the rebellion, marched from Daulatábád towards Dehlí, and thence reached Multán by successive marches. Malik Bahrám came out to oppose him, but was defeated and slain. His head was brought to the Sultán, who was about to order a general massacre of the inhabitants of Multán, and make streams of blood flow, when the staff of the 1 See suprà, Vol. III. p. 242. world, the most religious Shaikhu-l Hakk, came bare-headed to the King's court, and stood before him soliciting pardon for the people. The Sultán forgave them for the sake of that holy man. In short, this King called himself just, and generally before executing persons he certainly did refer the case for the decree of the expounders of the law. It is said of him, that one day, having put on his shoes, he went on foot to the court of Kází Kamálu-d dín, the Chief Justice, and told him that Shaikh-záda Jám had called him unjust; he demanded that he should be summoned and required to prove the injustice of which he accused him, and that if he could not prove it, he should be punished according to the injunctions of the law. Shaikh-záda Jám, when he arrived, confessed that he had made the assertion. The Sultán inquired his reason, to which he replied, "When a criminal is brought before you, it is entirely at your royal option to punish him, justly or unjustly; but you go further than this, and give his wife and children to the executioners that they may do what they like with them. In what religion is this practice lawful? If this is not injustice, what is it?" The Sultán remained silent; and when he left the court of the Kází, he ordered the Shaikh-záda to be imprisoned in an iron cage, and on his journey to Daulatábád he took the prisoner with him on the back of an elephant. When he returned to Dehlí, on passing before the court of the Kází, he ordered the Shaikh-záda to be brought out of the cage and cut to pieces. Hence it may be learnt that he possessed very opposite qualities. He was called by the common people "the unjust." There are many similar stories of the atrocities he committed. Tyranny took the place of justice, and infidelity that of Islám. At last he was seized with fever, and departed to the next world, when he was in the vicinity of Thatta, on the 21st Muharram, A.н. 752 (20th March, 1351 A.D.). The period of his reign was twenty-seven years. A few years later we find the Rája of Golkonda imprisoned in an iron cage by Sultán Kulí Kutb Shah.-Briggs' Firishta, vol. iii. p. 374. Accession of Shah Jahan.' When Núru-d dín Muhammad Jahángír died, the second Lord of the Conjunction, the rightful heir, Sháh Khurram, who was entitled Sháh Jahán, was in the Dakhin at a distance of three months' journey from the place where the Emperor Jahángír had died. It is well known to politicians that the throne of royalty cannot remain vacant for a moment, and therefore the ministers of the government and the principal officers of the Court considered it expedient to place Sultán Dáwar Bakhsh, the grandson of the Emperor Jahángír, upon the throne for some days; and thus to guard against mutinies and disturbances which might otherwise arise. They defeated Sháhriyár, who, through his vain ambition, had proclaimed himself King in Lahore. The Emperor Shahábu-d dín Muhammad Shah Jahán (may his dominions and reign increase, and may the world be benefited by his bounty and munificence!) also came with a powerful army via Gujarat and Ajmír, and soon arrived at Agra, which was the seat of his and his forefathers' government. He mounted the throne of sovereignty in the fort of Agra on Monday the 7th of Jumáda-l ákhir, corresponding with the 25th of Bahman; and distributed largesses and rewards among his subjects. May the Almighty keep this generous and worldconquering King under His protection and care! Revenues of Hindústán and the Dakhin. It also entered into the mind of this "most humble slave of God" to write a short account of the different provinces of Hindústán, and make it a portion of this small work, detailing how much of this country was in possession of the Emperor Jalálu-d dín Muhammad Akbar and his son Núru-d dín Jahángír, and into how many súbas it is now divided. Be it not concealed that the whole country of Hindústán, which is known to form one-fourth of the inhabited world, and 1 See suprà, Vol. VI. p. 435. |