92 Fayz Muhammad “Katib” Events of the Year One Thousand Three Hundred and Five Hijri, Down to the Beginning of Which Year Seven Years, Three Months, and Twenty-Five Days Have Passed Since the Auspicious Accession to the Throne of His Majesty At the beginning of this year, Yafiqub fiAli, Muhammad Tahir, and Muhammad fiAli the sons of Sayyid Ahmad, one of the sayyids of Sarab of Ghaznin, had built a well-fortified six-tower fort. Despite the royal might they had shown themselves to be willful and unsubmissive and had picked a fight with Ghulam Husayn Khan, the son of Gulistan Khan Hazarah, over a tenancy matter involving the people of Sarab. Because of this and also because of the fact that they had been acting arbitrarily in seizing property belonging to Afghan nomads and robbing them with impunity and bringing grief and injury to the people, a farman went out from His Majesty to Sardar Muhammad Hasan Khan, the governor of Ghaznin, telling him to arrest the men, send them to Kabul and confiscate their money and property for the royal purse (kh�lißah). Thereupon (the governor) quickly dispatched Muhibb fiAli Khan, the kütw�l with Muhammad Din ßad-b�shı and a group of Sakhlu infantry to Sarab and they confiscated the fort, and the money and property of those sayyids. The ßad-b�shı went to Nahur to confiscate their forts and property there and brought them all into the confines of the confiscation accounts. Yafiqub fiAli who had at this time had just come to Kabul was arrested and jailed. Muhammad fiAli was arrested and sent to Kabul under detention. Their wives and children were also summoned to Kabul. After awhile, all were released but ordered to live in the capital. After a few years, Yafiqub fiAli and Muhammad Tahir fell victim to cholera and died. Muhammad fiAli managed to escape to Mashhad with his family. During this time, on Tuesday, the second of Muharram/20 September 1887, because of a letter from Parwanah Khan, deputy field marshal, General Ghulam Haydar Khan sent to Kabul two banners (bayraq) of Sakhlu infantry from Gardiz who had been serving under his flag since the rebellion of the Taraki, and fiAli Khayl. He dispatched them from the fort at Shinkay with the messenger who had brought the letter as well as a chestnut (surkhang) horse which His Majesty had given the general to use from the royal stables. Also, the new Durrani regiments which were wending their way to Kabul arrived in Muqur on the second of the month, departed from there for the capital, were reviewed by the noble prince Sardar Habib Allah Khan, and were enrolled in the regular army. On Wednesday, the third of Muharram, seven of the leaders of the Khajuri tribe, seven from Mihr fiAli Khayl, fourteen from the Ayyub Khayl trivbe, seven from Kamal Khayl, fifty individuals of middling status from those tribes, together with Malik Qazi, Gul Mir, and five leaders and thirty individuals of middling status of the Ghalang who had come forward in obedience and, as was recounted under the events of the previous year, were shown consideration and had returned home, repentantly presented themselves before Sardar Shirindil Khan and, using the Glorious Qur’an and sayyids as intercessors sought 93 Fayz Muhammad “Katib” forgiveness for their misdeeds, begged for pardon with the tongue of humility, and presented three head of sheep as a customary offering (tafi�ruf). Sardar Shirindiul Khan along with Colonel Sayyid Asghar Khan, the regular army commanders Muhammad Nasir Khan and fiAli Muhammad Khan, and Fayz Muhammad Khan ris�lah-d�r assuaged the fears (of the delegation), put their minds at ease, obtained a solemn pact, sworn on the Praiseworthy Qur’an, and resolved with them they would follow no path but obedience and, as friends of the allies of the government they would utter not one word in agreement with its enemies. On Thursday, the fourth of Muharram/22 September, Mulla Wali Allah Tirahi who was behind all the trouble and turmoil which has been previously recorded, having departed the world at his appointed time, two of his disciples who had gone among the Mangal people to perform the Friday prayers, were expelled from their midst by an order from His Majesty which he had sent to Sardar Shirindil Khan. On this same day, Malik Surat Matuni and fiAlam Gul Makani presented themselves before Sardar Shirindil Khan and rubbed the temples of subservience on the ground of submission. They had fled to the Mangal mountains and then settled there and were now reconciled through the mediation of those who had come (to Sardar Shirindil Khan). Sardar Shirindil Khan gave robes of honor to all one hundred and twenty-four Mangal leaders and followers who had come to him. Some of them he kept by his side for government service (as nawkars) and to the rest he gave permission to return home. He sent (some of the) the notables along with their sons and brothers’ sons whom he had detained as nawkars to Kabul, a few /574/ being kept by him. During this time, Sayyid Shir Muhammad Khusti and the brother of Malik Qazi, the two of whom had been sent to conciliate and win over fiAla al-Din and the leaders of the Jani Khayl, now presented themselves at the majlis of Sardar Shirindil Khan accompanied by Qazi Mir Hashim Khan; the son of Qazi fiAbd al-Rahman Matuni; Gul Din, the brother of Mulla fiAla al-Din; Kamal Khan, his cousin (father’s brother’s son); eight disciples of that mulla; five leaders of the Jani Khayl; Nur Allah Khan of Jaji Maydan; Dihbashi Gul Baz Khusti; and Shah Dad and Mir two men of the Sabri (tribe), all of whom up to now had wandered in the valley of foolishness but now came forward in repentance, Qur’ans on their heads. They brought two goats to Sardar Shirindil Khan and apologetically requested forgiveness for their crimes. All were treated kindly and their minds were set at ease. Mulla fiAla al-Din himself feigned illness and sent a message promising that after he recovered his health he would come to see Sardar Shirindil Khan with the Jani Khayl leaders. The reason for his feigning illness was this: he wanted to wait and see, along with the Jani Khayl leaders, what happened, good or bad, to the Ma√i Khayl leaders who had been sent to His Majesty. When, as will come in due course, the leaders of the Ma√i Khayl were honored with the gift of ceremonial robes in the nobility-bestowing presence of His Highness, their imprisoned members released, the Mangal leaders and sons Sir�j al-taw�rıkh 1305/1887–1888 94 of the leaders of the first rank honored at the court whose axis is justice, kept at Kabul with leaders of the second rank to serve the government and provided with salaries, expenses, and a wardrobe, and leaders of the third rank were given permission to return home, then Mulla fiAla al-Din and the Jani Khayl leaders came to Sardar Shirindil Khan in obedience and put their heads beneath the writ of the farman. During these events, Mulla Khalil Akhundzadah who had given the hand of allegiance to His Majesty and had set forth to destroy the Khan of Jandul who refused to swear obedience, fell upon the latter at Miyan Kali and two sides fought. The battle was fierce and in the end sixty of Mulla Khalil’s companions were killed or wounded. Of that total, two who were killed were disciples of the late Mulla Din Muhammad, known as “Mushk-i fiAlam” (Fragrance of the World). Mulla Khalil turned his back on the fight and headed for home. He informed the court of his defeat and at the end of his letter he wrote these few words, Although I was defeated, nevertheless before this, presently, and after this, all the heroes of the art of obedience and the braves of the craft of service have tightly tied the belt of service to the padshah of Islam, stand with integrity and, having knotted the rope of the oath (of obedience) to firm faith, are resolute in both word and deed, and as long as they live, they deem it their task to exterminate the Khan of Jandul who has turned his face from the felicity of allegiance. To affirm this letter of his, he dispatched a number of the ulema and leaders there to go to the court of world refuge in Kabul, give the hand of the oath of allegiance, and return. Thus they were received and after the oath returned home. Also during this time, a letter from Jan Muhammad Khan, the governor of Hazarah-i Day Zangi, Muhammad Amir Beg Ilkhani, Mir Yusuf Beg Lafil, and Mir Ibrahim Beg Sar Jangal arrived at the throne. It informed His Majesty of their negotiations at the head of Charkh Pass with Mir Muhammad fiAzim Beg Sih Pay, as recorded above. He (His Majesty) wrote The matter of a robe of honor and title of sardar for Muhammad fiAzim Beg who has embarked on the road of allegiance and service to the government has met with acceptance and we approve. The end. He referred the matter of marriage to the sister of Muhammad fiAzim Beg to those mirs and wrote that they themselves, with the approval and consent of the tribes and families of the girl should formalize the marriage contract. If consent were not forthcoming, the daughter of (that) person should not be given to anyone.