1 A severe but tmequal
2 combat.
3 Prodigies of valour
4 performed by Sher Af-
5 gan.
6 His fall.
7 The emperor's re-
8 morse at what had
9 been done.
10 Mihr-ul-misa is neg-
11 Jected,
12 _ And lives in seclu-
13 sion,
14 But is eventually
15 married to Jahangir,
16 Gil.
17 Wer great influence
18 over the emperor,
19 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary
20 156 HISTORY OF THE PANSAB.
21 dishonourable proposal with disdain, but resigned his command, and left off
22 wearing arms, as a token of freedom from the king’s bondage. The’ viceroy
23 subsequently took occasion to visit the estates of Sher Afgan and invited his
24 attendance. Sher, suspecting something wrong, waited on him with a dagger
25 concealed in his dress. On the viceroy’s renewing the subject, high words
26 passed between him and Sher, who plunged his dagger into the bulky person
27 of the governor, so that his bowels gushed out. The wounded Kutb-ud-din
28 called aloud to the guards to prevent the assassin’s escape, on which
29 Pir Muhammad Khan, Kdshmiri, a brave officer, charged Sher Afgan and
30 dealt him a blow with his sword on the head, but Sher returned it so dex-
31 terously that his assailant was killed on the spot. The guards now rushed
32 forward against the solitary rebel, and four more men fell beneath his aveng-
33 ing dagger. Seeing that he must succumb to superior numbers, he pro-
34 posed to his assailants to come forward one by one to single combat, but the
35 invitation was not responded to. The courage of the hero did not fail him
36 even in this extreme hour. Turning his face to Mecca, he threw some dust
37 over his head by way of ablution and stood firmly to meet his fate, His
38 body was perforated by bullets and he at last fell a victim to the basest
39 treachery. His assailants had not the courage to approach him until they -
40 saw that he was in his last agonies.* The murder of his foster brother gave
41 Jahangir a pretext for taking proceedings against Sher Afgan’s family.
42 The whole of his property was confiscated. The lovely widow was sent
43 under custody to Agra, as an accomplice, but was not prosecuted. On her
44 arrival at the court, Jahdngir offered her marriage; but she was so deeply
45 affected by the death of her brave husband, that she turned a deaf ear to
46 the king’s addresses, notwithstanding her early attachment to him. The
47 repugnance shown by her disgusted Jahdugir, whose mind was, moreover, so
48 tortured with remorse at the base and impolitic deed commnitted by him
49 that he took no notice of his dearly bought prize for four years, and Mihr-
50 ul-nisa remained neglected in the seraglio as an attendant on the king’s
51 mother. . She received an allowance of two shillings a day to support her-
52 self and her female attendants, and the smallest and most uncomfortable
53 apartment in the harem was allotted to her. There she supplemented the
54 small allowance she received by needle-work and painting, and managed to
55 adorn her rooms so beautifully that everything that artistic instincts, inven-
56 tive genius and exquisite taste could produce was to be found in her little
57 habitation, which was crowded by the ladies of the harem, who came to con-
58 sult her about fashions and styles, and make purchases of her painted silk
59 and admirable needle-werk. ;
60 On a New Year's Day (the Mahomedan Now Roz) festival, as Jahangir
61 entered the royal seraglio, he happened to cast his eyes on Mihr-ul-nisa, his
62 old love, who now lived in solitude and seclusion. She was dressed in plain
63 white muslin, which enhanced her loveliness and fascinating beauty. This
64 one view acted like magic on Jahdngir, and the flame of love was rekindled
65 in his heart. He instantly threw round her neck the necklace he wore, con-
66 taining forty pearls, each valued at £4,000, and she was removed to the
67 king’s quarters and installed as his Sultana. In 1611 their marriage took
68 place with unusual pomp. Her ascendancy over J ahdngir was unbounded,
69 and her influence at the court paramount. She was cousulted by the em-
70 peror on all affairs of importance, and his Majesty resigned to her the direc-
71 tion of his imperial household, Mihr-ul-nisa managed it with magnificent
72 pomp and with due regard to economy and order. The emperor’s chief con-
73 * A handsome domed mausoleum in the neighbourhood of Bardwan still stands and marks
74 the grave of the hero, ae :
75 NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com