V.-Daud Khan Quraishi, Governor of Bihar and Founder of the Town of Daudnagar. By Khan Bahadur Saiyid Zamiruddin Ahmad. Daud Khan came of a Quraish family of Hisar-i-Feroza on the north-western frontier of India. His father was Bhikhan Khan. (1) He began life in the service of Khan-i-Jahan Lodi and received his baptism of fire in the battle fought at Dholpur between Khan-i-Jahan and the Imperial forces. After Khan-iJahan's death he joined the service of Dara Shikoh during the latter's heir-apparency. In the 30th year of Shah Jahan's reign he was appointed to the Faujdari of Mathura, Mahaban, Jalesar and some other Mahals that had been transferred to the jagir of Dara Shikoh on the death of Sadullah Khan. He was further given charge of the communications (rāhdārī) between Agra and Delhi, with 2,000 horsemen. The same year, on the recommendation of Dara Shikoh, he was given the title of "Khan ”. (2) In the latter half of the eleventh century A.H., when Shah Jahan was ailing, a dispute arose among his sons as to the succession. Each of them wanted to make his way to the throne by crushing the others. Aurangzeb was then in the Deccan. He was too shrewd to be outwitted and crushed by his brothers, nor was he a man to let others steal a march upon him. No sooner did he get reliable information (3) that the Emperor was (1) This is Masir-ul-Umara's version, but in the Tarikh-i-Daudia, written by Saiyid Muhammad Nasir Bilgrami, printed at the Aini Press, Allahabad, it is stated that Bhikhan Khan was the elder brother of Daud Khan, and that both were sons of Kabir Khan, son of Farid Khan, son of Razin Khan. (2) Maasir-ul-Umara, Patna Oriental Library MS., pp. 158-59. too weak to attend to the affairs of State, and that he was simply a tool in the hands of Dara Shikoh, who was using his name to promote his own interests, than he started, after making full preparations, for the Imperial Court. On his way (1) up he seized almost all the important towns and forts that he passed en route, and emptied them of all the treasure and ammunition kept there. When Dara Shikoh, who was with his father in the capital, heard of the manner of Aurangzeb's approach, he at once suspected him of evil intentions, and prepared to intercept him on his way. Shah Jahan tried to dissuade him from taking this step, but Dara, paying no heed to his father's advise, at length marched (2) out in command of a strong force with some of the Imperial generals, and Daud Khan and Askar Khan of his own service, to stop Aurangzeb. On the 7th Ramzan, (3) 1068 A.H., a pitched battle was fought between the two brothers at Dabalpur near the river Chambal. Daud fought in this battle with great intrepidity. The battle, however, went against Dara Shikoh, who was no match for Aurangzeb, that past master in the school of hard fighting. Dara fled from the field (4) to Agra, but he stopped there only for a few hou.s, escaping the same night with a dozen of his trusted servants and his family to Delhi. (5) He did not even call on Shah Jahan before his flight. He carried away with him, however, whatever money, jewels and valuables he could lay his hands on. Daud Khan and others joined him later on. He did not stay long at Delhi: hearing that Aurangzeb was approaching in his pursuit, he (6) pushed on into the Punjab. On his way he left Daud Khan, who was one of his best generals, with a detachment of troops at Talun (7) to check the pursuing army in its passage across a river, and thus enable him to gain time at Lahore, in order to seize the royal exchequer there and fit out a strong army to face his brother. But the passage of Aurangzeb's army was not checked, as Dara Shikoh himself shortly after summoned (1) Daud Khan to Lahore, and the crossing of the river was thus left undisputed. (2) Daud Khan was now sent with a detachment to the river Bayah. (3) When he examined the position, however, he found it strategically untenable, and reported the fact to Dara Shikoh. He was ordered, in the circumstances to proceed (4) to Gobindval in company with Sipahr Shikoh and intercept the enemy there. He reached the place, but before the enemy came up, Dara recalled (5) Sipahr Shikoh to Lahore, and taking him along with him, left with all the artillery and valuables, for Multan, (6) sending at the same time instructions to Daud Khan to remain on the bank of the river for some time, and to join him later, after burning or sinking all the ferry boats that he could find. Daud carried out the instructions of his master and joined (7) him at Multan. Dara being again pressed left for Bhakkhar, (8) but he soon found this place also too hot for him. It was here that in the first week of Muharram, 1069 A.H., Daud Khan with others deserted (*) Dara Shikoh. Daud went away to his home at Hisar-i-Feroza via Jesalmir. Shortly afterwards he became reconciled (10) with Aurangzeb, who sent him a khillat. On the 27th Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1069 A.H., Daud Khan came to Aurangzeb's court and was rewarded with a robe of honour, (11) a sword, and "Mansab" of Charhazari ¦(1) seh-hazar sawar. From this date his services to the State began, and he took rank with the other generals and grandees of the Imperial court. In the following month (2) he accompanied Aurangzeb in his operations against Shah Shuja, and fought with great ability and dash, in command of the right wing of Aurangzeb's army in the battle that took place near Khujwa, proving himself a general of resource and personal bravery. Shuja was routed, and fled from the field. Alamgir deputed a strong force under the supreme command of his son Muhammad Sultan (3)in his pursuit. Daud (4) and other famous generals accompanied this expedition. After his defeat Shuja went to Allahabad, but he found the capture of the fort there a difficult matter. The commandant (5) of the fort, who had been on his side before, and on whose fidelity he had counted, had turned against him since his recent defeat, and gave him the cold shoulder. The pursuing army was also close on his heels and Shuja retreated towards Bengal. In the meanwhile an Imperial order was received appointing (6) the Khan-i-Dauran and Daud Khan to the Subadaris of Allahabad and Patna, respectively. Daud Khan was ordered to take over charge of his new office at once on his arrival at Patna. He (1) Charhazari was a 'mansab'. The pay of each Amir was fixed according to his mansab'. Every 'mansabdār' was bound to keep horses, camels, mules and chhukrās (caits) on the scale fixed for the mansab' he held. Besides this he got permission under an Imperial Firman' to keep with him a number of cavalry and infantry. The pay of this army the mansabdar 'realized from the Imperial exchequer. The rates of pay were usually as follows :—(1) Cavalry from Rs. 12 to Rs. 30 and (2) Infantry from Rs. 6 to Rs. 12-8-0. From time to time there used to be increments in the mansab' as well as in this army. Here Seh hazar sawar indicates that the holder of this mansab > was allowed to bare 8,000 horse under bis command. "Umarai-Hunud ": Printed at the Nani Press, Cawnpore, p. 381. was further granted an increment of a thousand troopers, who were to be do-aspa and (1) seh-aspr. The appointment of Daud Khan as Subadar of Bihar must surely have been made on some weighty political grounds, else to trust the charge of such a province, which was in the throes of political convulsion, at a time when Aurangzeb was not yet securely seated in his saddle, to a man who had shortly before been fighting against him in behalf of another claimant, who, though defeated, was still alive, would have been a very risky step. Let us take a brief survey of the general condition of affairs at the time. All the provinces of the Empire were then passing through a period of unrest and agitation owing to the dispute for the crown between the royal brothers. The collapse of the civil authority was inevitable under such conditions; and it was but natural that local ambitions chiefs should break out into acts of lawlessness and defiance of authority. To aggravate the situation in Bihar, Shah Shuja was still giving trouble both within and without the province. A man familiar with the affairs of the province, endowed with powers of administration and organization, and tried in the field of battle was required to keep Shah Shuja in check, to curb the unruly and to pacify the masses. Daud Khan who had previously been in the service of Dara Shikoh, must have been in touch with the province and its people, as Dara had of latter years, with the connivance of Shah Jahan, been meddling with the governance of the several provinces of the Empire Daud had, morcover, already given proof of considerable powers of organization and administration as a Faujdar and as officer in charge of rahdari during the last reign. Aurangzeb knew that in a polity where personal rule prevails, the character of the head of the Government, his temperament, his personality and his outlook upon affairs count for everything. These are the determining factors which influence the fortunes and happiness of the people committed to his charge. (1) Do-aspa and seh-aspa indicate the number of horses each soldier was entitlel to Lave, and to draw the expenses for, from the Imperial exchequer, |