1 A favourite antelope.
2 Foundation of Gujrat.
3 * The emperor's des~
4 cription ofthe fort of
5 Rohtas,
6 And of Hassan Abdal.
7 His fishing at the
8 lake,
9 152 TISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
10 which I had called Raj. It was the best fighter I possessed, and was’ the °
11 best decoy for wild ones. A marble stone affixed to this minaret contained
12 the following inscription of Mulla Muhatnmad Husain of Kdshmir, well known
13 for his excellence in the art of caligraphy:—~‘In this delightful. spot, an
14 antelope was caught by the Emperor Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir, which,
15 in the space of one month, became quite tame and was considered the best
16 of all the royal antelopes.’ The tombstone was carved in the shape of
17 adeer. Out of regard for this animal, I prohibited the hunting of ante-
18 lopes in this forest. On Thursday, the 14th of Zil Hij, we encamped in the
19 pargana of Chandwala, and on Saturday reached Hafizdbdd, where we put
20 up in the buildings constructed under the superintendence of Mir Kiran-
21 ud-din, the karovi at that station.” On 21st Zil Hij, the emperor reached
22 Gujrdt. When the Emperor Akber was on his march to Késhmir, he built a
23 fort on the other side of the river, and had it inhabited by Gujars, who had
24 hitherto lived on plunder. The place was, in consequence, named Gujrat
25 and formed into a separate pargana. On the first of Moharram the emperor
26 marched to Rohtds. “The fort of Rohtds,” writes the emperor, “ was built
27 by Sher Khan, the Pathan king. The fort is constructed in ravines, most
28 difficult of access. It was built with the object of overawing and keeping
29 in check the turbulent race of the Ghakkars, who inhabited the adjoining
30 country. Sher Khan died leaving the work incomplete. It was completed
31 by his son and successor Salem Khan. On one of the gates the cost of the
32 building is engraved on stone, and it amounts to 16,10,00,000 déms, which is
33 equal to 34,25,000 rupees of Hindostén coin. The camp moved to Hassan
34 Abddl on the 12th. About a kos to the east of this place is a cataract
35 which flows with much rapidity. On all the road to Kabul there is no
36 cascade like this, though on the road to Kdshmir there are two or three
37 of the same kind. In the middle of the basin, whenee the water flows,
38 Raj& Mau Singh has built a small edifice. It abounds in fish from a quarter
39 to half a yard long. I staid three days in this attractive spot, and partook
40 of wine with my companions. I also had the pleasure of fishing there.
41 Hitherto I had never thrown the bhanwar jal (net) so common in India.
42 It cannot be thrown without some difficulty; but I tried it with my own
43 hands, and succeeded in catching ten or twelve fish. Having strung pearls
44 in their noses, I let them go again in the cold water. I asked the inhabi-
45 tants and people acquainted with history who Bébé Hassan was, but no one
46 could give any defivite information. The most noted spot in this locality is
47 a spring which issues from the foot of a small hill. The water is exceeding-
48 ly pure, deliciuus and fragrant, and the following verse of Khusrow well
49 applies to it :-— ‘
50 -
51 oye Aylines AP ag
52 Dyed rt Jor Sled dx5
53 “The water is so transparent that a blind man in the middle of the night could count the
54 - particles of sand at the bottom.”
55 _ Khwdja Shams-ud-din Muhammad Khan, who was fora long time the
56 minister of my father, had a summer house * erected there, and a cistern
57 excavated, into which the water of the spring flows, irrigating the fields and
58 * Sir Henry Elliot thinks it probable that this is the place now occupied by the Sikh
59 1
60 Granthis, who have set up there the j N f i
61 x é panja, or haud, of Baba Nanak, and have established the
62 cistern as a sacred spot where they fced fat fish. “Considering at how late a period this place
63 “came under the dominion of the Sikhs, it is curious,” remarks Sir Henry, “that popular feel-
64 ing should concur in the new belief that Babi Nanak visited the spot and performed the
65 apoE, gle ascribed to him, which is recorded by our modern travellers who have visited the
66 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com