Iraj Khan Afshar
He was the son of Qazalbash Khan Afshar. In his father’s
lifetime he became known for his rectitude and ability, and did courageous
deeds. As the Superintendent of the artillery in the Deccan he acquired fame by
his skill and disinterestedness. When his father, the governor of the fort of
Ahmadnagar, died in the 22nd year of Shah Jahan’s reign he was
raised to the rank of 1,500 with 1,500 horse, the title of Khan, and the charge
of the said fort. As a result of his high spirit and generosity he did not let
his father’s men be dispersed, but kept all of them as soldiers or servants (shagird-pesha).
He sought fame, and because of honest-mindedness he took his father’s debts
upon himself and set himself to support his relations and kindred. In the 24th
year, he had an increase of 500 and on the death of Qazzaq Khan, he became thanadar
of Pathri, in the Deccan. He afterwards came to the Court, and, in the 25th
year, was made Mir Tuzuk. When Prince Dara Shikoh was appointed with a
large army to the Qandahar expedition, Iraj Khan was made Bakhshi and
given a flag. On his return, he was raised to the faujdari of Jammu and
Kangra and received a grant of 57 estates in that hill-country. In the 30th
year when Prince Aurangzib was made Nazim of the Deccan and appointed to
chastise ‘Ali ‘Adil Shah and to ravage his territory, Iraj Khan was sent in
company with Mir Jumla who had been appointed to assist the Prince with a large
army of auxiliaries. After the Prince had taken the fort of Bidar he sent Iraj
Khan with Nasrat Khan and Kartalab Khan to Ahmadnagar as the men of Siva
(Shivaji) and Manaji Bhonsle had stirred up strife there. When the incident of
Shah Jahan’s illness occurred, Dara Shikoh, who was lying in wait for his
opportunity and was always intent upon defeating his brothers, but was unable
to carry out his plans, issued strict orders and sent out sazawals1
for the presence at the Court of the officers in charge of the auxiliaries.
Iraj Khan, who was closely connected with Dara Shikoh and styled himself
Darashikohi took the road to Upper India in company with Mu’taqid Khan, the
eldest son of Najabat Khan. They say that the Prince (Aurangzib) had written to
Vazir Khan the Na’ib at Burhanpur to practise conciliation upon the two,
and to keep an eye upon them, or else to use deceit and stratagem and to arrest
them. When they came near the city in question the said Khan invited them to a
feast, and they wished to accept, but they came to know that there was a
half-cup2 (saucer) under the cup. They immediately set off and from
the banks of the Narbada Iraj Khan sent off by the hands of the Prince’s
couriers this couplet which evidently was intended for Vazir Khan.
A hundred thanksgiving that we have forded the
Narbada,
Centum flatus podicisque tortiones3 quia flumen transivimus.
When he came to the presence (of Shah Jahan), he was
given the faujdari of one of the Eastern districts, and in the time of
war he, at the instance of Dara Shikoh, kept a large body of troops in
attendance and proceeded towards the Capital. Afterwards when the drum of the
success of ‘Alamgir beat high and Dara Shikoh traversed the desert of flight,
the said Khan placed the brow of shame on the ground of humiliation, and
through the intercession of ‘Umadat-ul-Mulk Ja’far Khan was forgiven his
faults, and made the subject of princely clemency. At the same time Ja’far Khan
was made the governor of the province of Malwa, and Iraj Khan went there as one
of the auxiliaries. In the beginning of the 3rd year, he was made faujdar
of Bhilsa in that province, and after that was made faujdar of Ilichpur.
When in the 9th year, Diler Khan was appointed to collect the
tribute of Chanda and Deogarh, Iraj Khan went with him. By his good service on
this occasion he acquired royal favour, and was promoted to the rank of 2,500
with 2,000 horse. Afterwards he spent some time in the Deccan, and, in the 19th
year, again became faujdar of Ilichpur in succession to Khan Zaman. In
the 24th year, he was made the governor of Burhanpur, and later of
Berar. On the 23rd Ramadan, 1096 A.H. (23rd August, 1685
A.D.) he rolled4 up the carpet of life and was buried in his own
garden close to the walls of Ilichpur. He had made a sara and quarter (pura)
near his town and he had also, opposite the town and on the bank of the river
which traverses it, laid the foundation of a dwelling, the remains of which are
still standing. He was of a very pleasant disposition and of agreeable manners.
He was a copious eater of choice foods, and as his establishments, etc., were
greater than his appointments he was always in debt. At first he was married to
the daughter of Sadiq Khan Mir Bakhshi, and on this account he assumed a
higher position than others. She died childless. He had three sons, but none of
them rose high. Mir Mu’min, his son, was the best of all. For some time he
acted as the deputy of Hasan ‘Ali Kgan Bahadur ‘Alamgirshahi the Subadar of
Ilichpur. The eldest of his son Mirza ‘Abd-ur-Rida as he had charge of his
father’s accounts became possessed of the sara and quarter without
sharing them with anyone else. He was childless. His wife known as Bahu5
Begam was a virtuous matron and lived in becoming fashion till her death. The
source of her livelihood was the income of the said quarter. Another son Mir
Manuchihr died in his youth. He had a son who was of bad character. Bahu Begam
mentioned above adopted as a daughter the child of her brother and gave her in
marriage to him. Some seven or eight years ago when that matron died all the
property reverted to her (the adopted daughter). After two years she too died
and her sons have the property. The third son, Mirza Muhammad Sa’id, was
chiefly employed in service; he had some knowledge of poetry and language and
was generally well-informed. This verse is by him:
Regard not as idle the superscription on a gold coin,
It is an incantation which can evoke a fairy.
He was granted his father’s title and was for some time tahsildar of Chanda. At last he fell into difficulties and could not get a hold anywhere. He went off to the Carnatic and spent some time at Balaghat, Carnatic, in the Payanghat and died there. He had no children. Even in old age he was not without physical beauty, and was a friend of the writer. May God forgive him!
1 For Sazawals, see Wilson, Glossary of
Revenue Terms, p. 473 and Sir Jadunath Sarkar, Mughal Administration,
p. 42, note.
2 Zer kasa nimkasa hast is a phrase for a trick. See Bahar-i-‘Ajam
lith. edition, p. 479; the metaphor is taken from a wrestling trick.
3 Resh appears to be a contraction for resha
or twisting, but it may mean pimples. There is a play on nud which means both
ninety and the posteriors. Perhaps buttock-sores is the most correct
translation of nudresh.
4 Maathir-i-‘Alamgiri, p. 262.
5 In the text Babhu, but three lines lower down it is
Bahu.
Shah Nawaz Khan, The Ma'athir-ul-Umara, Being Biographies of the
Muhammadan and Hindu Officers of the Timurid Sovereigns of India from 1500 to
about 1780 A.D. Beveridge, H. (tr.). Revised, annotated and completed by Baini
Prasad, vol. I, Calcutta, 1941. Pp. 685 —687.
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