DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3909#0182
( 60 )
sons of Suleyman Shah, descendants of Patsha (?), Shins. They came there on the fourth
day and surrounded the place. Mahtar would not fight and surrendered on the tenth
day, saying that they all came from one stock and were subjects to Gauhar Aman.
A'smat Shah fled to . swat. Mahtar paid his respects with 1000 young men and was
apparently received in a friendly manner by Mulk Aman, who said he wanted to talk
to him privately. There is a hall for the princes 100 yards from the fort, and to this
he led Mahtar and after a conversation of two hours struck off his head. Then he
came out and killed 20 of Mahtar's relatives and friends. The rest he put into the fort,
as they were merely Zamindars. He then asked Gauhar Aman to come to Yasin with
his whole family.- On the good news reaching him he assembled the Gilgitis and told
them that, as his illness was sure to carry him off, he wanted to be buried in his own
country where also his ancestors reposed. In reality, he wanted to marry the widow of
Mahtar. When he came near Yasin, some one told him that his son had married the
widow. This rendered him furious and made him think of killing his son. In this
state of mind he reached Yasin, where he said nothing but ascertained that the widow had
been married eight days ago. He then threw Mulk Aman into a prison which was at the top
of the highest tower of the Yasin fort and ordered that he should not receive sufficient food.
The woman was also placed under surveillance. He left Ghulam as Wazir of Gilgit.
Gauhar Aman remained ill for a year, being unable to move and one side being shrivelled
up. When he felt his death nigh, he released Mulk Aman and made the woman over
to him. A few days after he died and Mulk Aman had accomplished the funeral rites, he
ascended the throne. When Isa Baghdiir [Isa Bahadur ] and the fugitive A'smat Shah heard this
in Swat, they rejoiced as they did not think that Mulk Aman was a hero like his father. Isa
Bahadur of Sher Kila' had also fled to Swat having heard of the defeat of the Sikhs and being
afraid of being dispossessed by Gauhar Aman--an idea which was confirmed by Akbar
Aman, the brother on the father's side of Gauhar Aman—(Isa Bahadur and Akbar were
cousins, sons of two sisters) (Isa Bahadur and Gauhar Aman were tarburs jy.j>, namely
brothers' children). There is a road from Swat to Yasin which is much used and is near.
Mulk Aman, wishing to conquer other countries, enquired who had caused Isa Bahadur's
flight and offered a reward for the information. Hayatulla, a servant of Gauhar Aman,
told him a month after about his uncle being the cause, as they were related on the
women's side (the stronger tie ; being related on the father's side is not a strong bond wher-
ever polygamy is common). This convinced Mulk Aman, for having taken the throne from his
uncle to whom it by right belonged, he always felt suspicious of him. However, he kept his
own counsel, when one day he invited Akbar Aman to go out shooting with him. They
went about one kos from the Yasin fort, where a fine plain comes in view. Mulk Aman advised
all retainers to get down from their horses as he wanted to rest a little and then start
the game which would come in sight in that place. This they did not do, so he jumped from his
sons of Suleyman Shah, descendants of Patsha (?), Shins. They came there on the fourth
day and surrounded the place. Mahtar would not fight and surrendered on the tenth
day, saying that they all came from one stock and were subjects to Gauhar Aman.
A'smat Shah fled to . swat. Mahtar paid his respects with 1000 young men and was
apparently received in a friendly manner by Mulk Aman, who said he wanted to talk
to him privately. There is a hall for the princes 100 yards from the fort, and to this
he led Mahtar and after a conversation of two hours struck off his head. Then he
came out and killed 20 of Mahtar's relatives and friends. The rest he put into the fort,
as they were merely Zamindars. He then asked Gauhar Aman to come to Yasin with
his whole family.- On the good news reaching him he assembled the Gilgitis and told
them that, as his illness was sure to carry him off, he wanted to be buried in his own
country where also his ancestors reposed. In reality, he wanted to marry the widow of
Mahtar. When he came near Yasin, some one told him that his son had married the
widow. This rendered him furious and made him think of killing his son. In this
state of mind he reached Yasin, where he said nothing but ascertained that the widow had
been married eight days ago. He then threw Mulk Aman into a prison which was at the top
of the highest tower of the Yasin fort and ordered that he should not receive sufficient food.
The woman was also placed under surveillance. He left Ghulam as Wazir of Gilgit.
Gauhar Aman remained ill for a year, being unable to move and one side being shrivelled
up. When he felt his death nigh, he released Mulk Aman and made the woman over
to him. A few days after he died and Mulk Aman had accomplished the funeral rites, he
ascended the throne. When Isa Baghdiir [Isa Bahadur ] and the fugitive A'smat Shah heard this
in Swat, they rejoiced as they did not think that Mulk Aman was a hero like his father. Isa
Bahadur of Sher Kila' had also fled to Swat having heard of the defeat of the Sikhs and being
afraid of being dispossessed by Gauhar Aman--an idea which was confirmed by Akbar
Aman, the brother on the father's side of Gauhar Aman—(Isa Bahadur and Akbar were
cousins, sons of two sisters) (Isa Bahadur and Gauhar Aman were tarburs jy.j>, namely
brothers' children). There is a road from Swat to Yasin which is much used and is near.
Mulk Aman, wishing to conquer other countries, enquired who had caused Isa Bahadur's
flight and offered a reward for the information. Hayatulla, a servant of Gauhar Aman,
told him a month after about his uncle being the cause, as they were related on the
women's side (the stronger tie ; being related on the father's side is not a strong bond wher-
ever polygamy is common). This convinced Mulk Aman, for having taken the throne from his
uncle to whom it by right belonged, he always felt suspicious of him. However, he kept his
own counsel, when one day he invited Akbar Aman to go out shooting with him. They
went about one kos from the Yasin fort, where a fine plain comes in view. Mulk Aman advised
all retainers to get down from their horses as he wanted to rest a little and then start
the game which would come in sight in that place. This they did not do, so he jumped from his