Volume 2

The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī, or, Memoirs of Jahāngīr ... / translated by Alexander Rogers .. ; edited by Henry Beveridge.

  • Jahangir, Emperor of Hindustan, 1569-1627.
Date:
1909-1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī, or, Memoirs of Jahāngīr ... / translated by Alexander Rogers .. ; edited by Henry Beveridge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    27/332 (page 15)
    well. On Thursday, the 31st, Mir Jumla, who had come from Iran—a summary of what had happened to him has been already written—was honoured with the mansab of 1,500 personal and 200 horse. On this day, in consequence of the weakness I suffered from, I bestowed as alms on deserving people an elephant, a horse, and varieties of quadrupeds, with a quantity of gold and silver and other valuable things. Most of my servants also brought ahns according to their means. I told them that if their object was to parade their loyalty, their proceeding was not acceptable, and if they were acting from genuine piety there was no need for bringing their alms into the Presence ; they could secretly and personally distribute them to the poor and needy. On Muhdralc-shamha (Thursday), the 7th Tir, Divine month, Sadiq K. Bakhshi was promoted to the mansab of 2,000 personal and horse, original and increased ; Iradat K., the Mir Saman, to that of 2,000 and 1,000 horse, Mir Abu Salih Rizawi to the mansab of 2,000 and 1,000 horse, with the title of Rizawi Khan, and, being honoured with a standard and an elephant, he took leave for the Deccan. At this time it was represented to me that the Commander- in-Chief, the Ataliq Khan-khanan, as a sequel to the celebrated line, For every rose one must bear the pain of a hundred thorns,” had written an ode, and that Mirza Rustam Safawi and Mirza Murad, his son, had also tried their skill. An impromptu opening couplet came into my mind : “ A cup of wine should be poured* on the cheek of the rosebed. There are many clouds, much wine should be poured.” Of those who were present at the entertainment who had the poetic temperament each composed an ode, and presented it. It became known that the hemistich was from Maulara ‘Abdu-r-Rahman Jami. I looked at the whole of his ode (or odes). Except this hemistich, V\rhich like a proverb has become famous over the wmrld, he has not written anything * Compare Elliot, vi. 359. Ruhh-i-gulzdr also means the cheek of the rosebud (Ce., the beloved one). Apparently the conceit is that the cheek of the fair one is clouded over, so it should be reddened by pouring wine on it.