anxiously await it.' When the Shékh began to pray, the army of the fairies, and eventually the king of the fairies, appeared in the mirror. The little girl said to the Shekh: 'The king of the fairies has come with his army, and has ascended his throne, and wants to know why you have sent for him.' The Shekh replied: Give him my compliments, and say that, as he knows everything that is passing everywhere, can he tell me where Prince Bahádar Khán is.' The king of the fairies answered: 'When I came to you I saw Bahadar Khán in a garden at Pánípat. He had just taken his meal, and was going to rest.' The Shekh then said: 'Be good enough to send a couple of messengers to the Prince with the letter which is at the little girl's ear, and tell them to bring an immediate answer.' The king of the fairies gave the order asked, and instantly the letter disappeared from the little girl's ear; and the Saint proceeded to hold the nobles in conversation. "Meanwhile Prince Bahádar was getting anxious, because ever since he left Gujarát he had had no news thence. Thus considering, he fell asleep. The fairy who brought the letter put it under his pillow, in such a manner that when he turned over on his side the roll of paper might fall into his hand. The Prince opened his eyes and saw it, and inquired of his servants, but no one admitted that they had placed it there. As they were silent, he asked his friends if they had placed it there. They also denied it; but a light was brought, and he opened his letter, and then he found that it came from Gujarát, though no messenger was apparent. He perceived that he was told to throw the answer on the ground; that he was also to write and tell them when he arrived at Jalór, and they would then come to meet him. Bahádar Khán accordingly wrote out his plans on a piece of paper, and, folding it up, threw it on the ground; and though they watched it very closely, it nevertheless disappeared from their sight, and they could not tell how this happened, “Táj Khán and the other nobles were sitting with the Shékh when the letter appeared at the little girl's ear; and the Shékh took it and gave it to the nobles. They returned a hundred thousand thanks for the fulfilment of their wishes, and, departing, made all preparation for the reception of Bahádar Khán in royal pomp and state. Meanwhile Bahádar Khán set out for Gujarát." CHAPTER XII. REIGN OF BAHÁDAR SHAH. WHEN Bahadar Khán reached Chítór* he was met by 'Alí Sher, son of Mu'ín-ud-dín Khán Afghán, who had left Gujarát to meet him after the murder of Sikandar Sháh. This messenger informed the Prince in detail of the murder of Sikandar, the treachery of 'Imád-ul-Mulk, and the raising of Nasír Khán to the throne. The Prince said he would impale the traitor when he reached Muhamadábád, and he set forth on his journey. He left Prince Chánd Khán, who was with him, at Chítór, but he carried with him Ibráhím Khán, the brother of Chánd Khán.† He continued his journey to Dúngarpúr,‡ and upon hearing of his arrival there Táj Khán left Dhandúkah to wait upon him. Just at that time Prince Latíf *The "Táríkh-i-Alfí" says distinctly that he was received at Chítór in a friendly manner by Ráná Sánká. From what the "Tab. Akbarí" says, Chánd Khán, though submitting to Bahádar, preferred remaining where he was to giving him any active assistance. Ibráhím Khán is expressly said, in the "Tab. Akbarí," to have enrolled himself in Bahádar's service. Chánd Khán, as Firishtah states, eventually went to Málwah, where he made mischief, as will appear in the sequel. According to the "Tab. Akbarí," U'dí Singh, Rájah of Pál, also came in to Bahádar at Chítór. U'dí Singh seems to have been Rájah of Dúngarpúr, and must have been the person who intercepted the letter to the Emperor Bábar. If he was the "Rájah of Pál" to whom 'Imád-ul-Mulk wrote, he, too, must have really been only nominally obedient to him. It is possible he may have moved to Chámpánír, to get credit with 'Imád-ulMulk, while his locum tenens in Dúngarpúr intercepted the letter and divulged In this way he would have been able to make terms with its contents. either party. Khán came to the vicinity of Dhandúkah,* and sent a message to Táj Khán soliciting his support, and promising to place the administration of all the affairs of Gujarát in his hands. Táj Khán, in reply, sent a messenger, saying that he had already allied himself with Bahádar Khán, and could do nothing inconsistent with the part he had taken. He also advised Latíf Khán to withdraw into retirement. 'Imád-ul-Mulk and his supporters, when they heard of the approach of Bahádar Khán and the support given to him by the nobles, were much alarmed. 'Imád-ul-Mulk sent 'Azd-ul-Mulk Abrás, with six hundred horses from the royal stables, and fifty elephants, to occupy Morásah, and prevent anyone from going to Bahádar Khán.† At this time Rizá-ulMulk and Khurram Khán departed from Muhamadábád with the intention of joining Bahadar Khán. The Prince also moved out on his way to Kapranj, otherwise called Mahmúdnagar. There he was waited upon by several of his friends, 'Azim son of Pír, Malik Yúsuf son of Lutfulláh, Rájí Muhamad son of Faríd, Malik Mas'úd, and several others of similar positions, who had fled and concealed themselves through fear of 'Imád-ul-Mulk. Bahádar Khán went on from thence to Morásah, and afterwards to Harsól and Sangargaon. At this stage he was joined by Khurram Khán, Rizá-ul-Mulk, and several other of the old Muzaffar Sháhí nobles. Next day he went on to the city of Nahrwálah. -- The author of the "Táríkh-i-Bahádar-Sháhí" writes thus :On the 26th of the month of Ramazán, A.H. 932 (August *Firishtah says Latíf Khán's object was to join his cousin, Fateh Khán. One MS. of the "Mirát-i-Sikandarí" says Táj Khán sent Latíf Khán a good sum of money. Both the "Tab. Akbarí " and the "Táríkh-i-Alfí" say that on reaching within a march of Morásah, Bahádar's forces were so swelled that 'Azdul-Mulk was alarmed, and fled without fighting. Bahádar occupied Morásah the next day. Muzaffar Sháh died, as has been seen, on the 22nd of Jumádi-ul-ákhir, 932 A.H. Sikandar probably formally ascended the throne on the 28th or 29th of the same month at Muhamadábád, and was murdered there on the 14th Sha'bán of that year. Bahádar, therefore, entered Nahrwálah just thirty-two days after that event. Bábar's first fight with the Afghans took 1526), Prince Bahádar received at Nahrwálah the homage of Táj Khán,* Mujáhid-ul-Mulk, Sa'íd-ul-Mulk, and the author of the "Táríkh-i-Bahádar-Sháhí," and others, great and small, from the city of Ahmadábád. From Nahrwálah he went on, having assumed royal pomp and state, towards Ahmadábád, which city he entered by the Kálúpúrah gate. First he paid a visit to the mausoleum of his ancestors, Sultáns Muhamad Sháh, Ahmad Sháh, and Kutb-ud-dín, in Mánik Chók, and afterwards went to the royal palace called Bhadar. On the night of the 27th all the nobles met at the palace, and each one being seated in the proper place assigned to him according to the regulations of the time of Sultán Muzaffar, they were feasted; and everyone returned thanks to God on account of the safety and arrival of the new Sultán. The city of Ahmadábád began again to prosper, and the entire country of Gujarát, which had been left in darkness by the setting of the sun of government, began again to flourish on the rising of this sun of the kingdom, Bahádar Sháh; and every dispute vanished from the hearts of all men. When he heard of this, 'Imád-ul-Mulk advanced to his supporters one year's allowances from the royal treasury, and made them swear on the Kurán that they would not desert Mahmud Sháh. The nobles took the money, but went quietly out of the city and joined Bahádar Khán, the favourite of Fortune. Among them, Bahá-ul-Mulk and Dáwar-ul-Mulk, place at Siálkót on the 1st of Rabí'-ul-awal, 932; and Ibráhím's final defeat occurred on the 10th of Rajab following. Bahadar would have been present with the Afghán army after the first, and have quelled it before the last of these two events. As he did not hear of his father's death till he reached Baghpath, he must have been there, probably, some time towards the latter part of Rajab or early in Sha'bán. There can be little doubt that as soon as he heard of his father's death he started for Gujarát, with the intention of putting forward his own claims to the throne. Sikandar's death was, no doubt, opportune in his interests; so much so that 'Imád-ul-Mulk is represented as surprised that Bahadar resented it. Still, there is no reason to accuse him of being privy to it, though he was no doubt ready, backed by the interest of the Bukhariat Säids and a powerful party among the nobles, to attack his brother's throne. Táj Khán is called, in the "Táríkh-i-Alfí," Khán 'A'zím. According to Firishtah, Bahádar had forwarded to him for publication a moderately-worded manifesto. |