Date: 11/03/2016
A Mughal Padshanama
The Padshahnama is a Moghul transcript held in the Royal Iibrary Windsor Castle. It is a beautiful manuscript and full of Mughal paintings . However it pulls no punches about the cruelty of Mughal Rule in India.
In Padshahnama in the preface Shah Jahan's lineage to is carefully set forth was thus in the most flowery terms speaks of his father Jahangir, then Akbar, then then Humayun, then Babur, then finally to wait the "Great Lord and universal conqueror, The Pillar of the World and Religion, Emperor Amir Timur Gurgan the first Sahib-I-Qiran [Lord of the Auspicious Planetary Conjunction]
Mind boggling the flowery language
The Padshahnama has been translated into English by elite Western Historians and is available in libraries.
As I have said before the Moslems of the Indian sub-continent take pride in calling themselves of the Timurid Dynasty and that it why Timur to them is the first Moghul conqueror of India. I now describe him as a Mongol which he was so that he appears to you Gentle Reader in his true personality " a cruel conqueror, murderer and war criminal"
What my guru Purushottam Nagesh Oak began to do was to delve intensively into what the Moslem and later Mongol conquerors had written and quote their own writings to show how history has failed us. Yes, Professors of Jawaharlal National University, Cambridge, Oxford, etc etc have not read the dark passages.
Let me take you though Timur's owm memoirs so freely available on the internet.
Timur'd description of his conquest of Delhi should be read by every man woman and child in India.
I quote some excerpts from it with my comments
After conquering Delhi he writes us
page 202
When I had finished, the amirs and others testified their approbation, and, carefully treasuring up my counsel, they departed, expressing their blessings and thanks.
At this court Amir Jahan Shah, Amir Sulaiman Shah, and other amirs of experience informed me that, from the time of entering Hindustan up to the present we had taken more than one hundred thousand infidels and Hindus prisoners, and that they were all in my camp. On the previous day, when the enemy’s forces attacked us, the prisoners made signs of rejoicing, uttered imprecations against us, and were ready, as soon as they heard of the enemy’s success, to form themselves into a body, break their bonds, plunder our tents, and then to join the enemy, and so increase his numbers and strength. I asked the amirs for advice about the prisoners, and they said that on the day of battle these one hundred thousand prisoners could not be left with the baggage, and that it would be entirely opposed to the rules of war to set these idolaters and foes of Islam at liberty, so that no course remained but to make them all food for the sword.
Page 203
http://www.ibiblio.org/britishraj/Jackson5/img/p203IndianDagger.jpg
An Indian Dagger
When I heard these words, I found them to be in accordance with the rules of war, and I immediately directed the commanders to proclaim throughout the camp that every man who had infidel prisoners was to put them to death, and that whoever neglected to do so, should himself be executed and his property given to the informer. When this order became known to the champions of Islam, they drew their swords and put their prisoners to death. One hundred thousand infidels, impious idolaters, were slain on that day. Maulana Nasir-ad-din Omar, a counsellor and man of learning, who had never killed a sparrow in all his life, now, in execution of my order, killed fifteen idolatrous Hindus, who were his captives.
Another reason was that some of the ladies of my harem expressed a wish to go into the city and see the Palace of a Thousand Column
Page 216
which Malik Jauna had built in the fort called Jahanpanah.
Karam's interpolation ..Palace of a Thousand columns and fort called Jahanpanah must mean the ancient and sacred Red Fort built by King Anangpal which stands evey today and is wrongly ascribed to Shah Jahan. Now read the gory and bloodthirsty details so endemic in Moslem/Mongol histories
I granted this request, and I sent a party of soldiers to escort the litters of the ladies. Another reason was that Jalal Islam and other officials had entered Delhi with a party of soldiers to collect the contribution laid upon the city. Another reason was that some thousand troopers with orders for grain, oil, sugar, and flour had gone into the city to collect these supplies. Another reason was that it had come to my knowledge that great numbers of Hindus and infidels had come into the city from all the country round with their wives and children, and goods and valuables, and consequently I had sent some amirs with their regiments into Delhi and directed them to pay no attention to the remonstrances of the inhabitants, but to seize these fugitives and bring them out.
For these various reasons a great number of fierce Turkish troops were in the city. When the soldiers proceeded to apprehend the Hindus and infidels who had fled to Delhi, many of them drew their swords and offered resistance. The flames of strife thus lighted spread through the entire city from Jahan-panah and Siri to Old Delhi, consuming all they reached. The savage Turks fell to killing and plundering, while the Hindus set fire to their houses with their own hands, burned their wives and children in them, and rushed into the fight and were killed. The Hindus and infidels of the city showed much alacrity and boldness in fighting. The amirs who were in charge of the gates prevented any more soldiers from entering Delhi, but the
Page 217
http://www.ibiblio.org/britishraj/Jackson5/img/p217HinduWomen.jpg
Hindu women
flames of war had risen too high for this precaution to be of any avail in extinguishing them.
All day Thursday and throughout the night, nearly fifteen thousand Turks were engaged in slaying, plundering, and destroying.
When Friday morning dawned, my entire army, no longer under control, went off to the city and thought of nothing but killing, plundering, and making prisoners. The sack was general during the whole day, and continued throughout the following day, Saturday, the
Page 218
seventeenth (Dec. 27), the spoil being so great that each man secured from fifty to a hundred prisoners, men, women, and children, while no soldier took less than twenty. There was likewise an immense booty in rubies, diamonds, garnets, pearls, and other gems; jewels of gold and silver; gold and silver money of the celebrated Alai coinage; vessels of gold and silver; and brocades and silks of great value. Gold and silver ornaments of the Hindu women were obtained in such quantities as to exceed all account. Excepting the quarter of the Sayyids, the scholars, and the other Mussulmans, the whole city was sacked. The pen of fate had written down this destiny for the people of this city, and although I was desirous of sparing them, I could not succeed, for it was the will of God that this calamity should befall the city.
On the following day, Sunday, it was brought to my knowledge that a great number of infidel Hindus had assembled in the Jami’ Masjid of Old Delhi, where they had carried arms and provisions, and had prepared to defend themselves. Some of my people who had gone that way on business were wounded by them, whereupon I immediately ordered Amir Shah Malik and Ali Sultan Tawachi to take a party of men and clear the house of God of infidels and idolaters. They accordingly attacked these infidels and put them to death, after which Old Delhi was plundered.
I ordered that all the artisans and clever mechanics who were masters of their respective crafts should be selected from among the prisoners and set aside, and
Page 219
http://www.ibiblio.org/britishraj/Jackson5/img/p219MausoleaumOfTimur.jpg
Mausoleum of Timur at Samarkand
accordingly some thousands of craftsmen were bidden to await my command All these I distributed among the princes and amirs who were present, or who were officially engaged in other parts of my dominions.
I had determined to build a Jami’ Masjid in Samarkand, the seat of my empire, which should be without a rival in any country; and for this reason I ordered that all builders and stone-masons should be set apart for my own especial service.
Page 220
By the will of God, and by no wish or direction of mine, all the three cities of Delhi, Siri, Jahan-panah, and Old Delhi, had been plundered. The official prayer of my sovereignty, which is an assurance of safety and protection, had been read in the city, and it was, therefore, my earnest wish that no evil might happen to the people of the place. It was ordained by God, however, that the city should be ruined, and he accordingly inspired the infidel inhabitants with a spirit of resistance, so that they brought on themselves that fate which was inevitable.
When my mind was no longer occupied with the destruction of the people of Delhi, I took a ride around the cities. Siri is a round city, with lofty buildings surrounded by strong fortifications built of stone and brick. Old Delhi has a similar strong fort, but it is larger than that of Sin, and from the fort of Sin to that of Old Delhi, which is a considerable distance, there runs a strong wall, built of stone and cement. The district called Jahan-panah is situated in the midst of the inhabited city. The fortifications of the three cities have thirty gates. Jahan-panah has thirteen gates, seven on the south side bearing toward the east, and six on the north side bearing toward the west. Siri has seven gates, four toward the outside and three on the inside toward Jahan-panah. The fortifications of Old Delhi have ten gates, some opening to the exterior and some toward the interior of the city.
When I was tired of examining the city, I went to the chief mosque, where I found a congregation
Page 221
http://www.ibiblio.org/britishraj/Jackson5/img/p221InteriorOfTimursTomb.jpg
Interior of Timur’s tomb at Samarkand
of Sayyids, lawyers, shaikhs, and other principal Mussulmans, together with the inhabitants of their parts of the city, to whom they had been a protection and defence. I called them to my presence, consoled them, treated them with every respect, and bestowed upon them many presents and honours. I also appointed an officer to protect their quarter of the city, and guard them against annoyance, after which I remounted and returned to my quarters.
After spending fifteen days at Delhi, passing my time in pleasure and enjoyment, and in holding royal courts and giving great feasts, I reflected that I had come to Hindustan to war against infidels, and that my enterprise had been so blessed that wherever I had gone I had been victorious. I had triumphed over my adversaries, I had put to death hundreds of thousands of infidels and idolaters, I had dyed my proselyting sword with the blood of the enemies of the Faith, and now that I had gained this crowning victory, I felt that I ought not to indulge in ease, but rather to exert myself still further in warring against the infidels of Hindustan. Having made these reflections, on the twenty-second of Rabi’-al-akhir, 800 A.H. (Jan. 1,
===================
000000000