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Source: Asanid-us-Sanadid, pp. 3-5, 79-83; 117-18; Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh,
(tr.) op. cit., Vol. II, pp 143-44; Akbar Namah, op. cit., Vol. II, p.
542; Ain-I-Akbari, op. cit., Vol. I, p.422.
It is important to note that Akbar’s relations with the Khadims of
Dargah did certainly influence his religious perception and policy.
Details of the Emperor’s lengthy discussions and sittings with Khadims
have been furnished by many contemporary writers, where matters about
religion, philosophy, Sufism, specially of Chishty order, were the
themes of talk and discussions. Here, it appears that the Khadims to a
certain degree were successful in impressing upon the Mughal Emperor,
the need of the persuasion and propagation of Chishty ideals of
humanism, piety, catholicity, tolerance, and brotherhood, in the
pluralistic society of India.
For example, it appears that after each of his earlier visits to the
Dargah, Akbar abolished the practice of enslavement of war prisoners
(1562), remitted the pilgrimage tax (1563), and finally abolished Jaziya
in 156, after paying homage to the Shrine of Shaikh Niazamuddin at
Delhi.
It has also been claimed that Akbar had received the Wazifa (litany) of
‘Ya-Hadi’ Ya-Moin, which he frequently used in the wars, from the
Khadims of the Shrine. He was the first and foremost Emperor in the
history of Muslim rule in India (of course followed by his son, Jahangir)
who had inscribed ‘Ya-Moin’ on his famous gold coins Adal-Gatka,
Lal-I-Jalali Gird, and even introduced a new coin called Moini. He even
had dispatched several Haj caravans from Ajmer in a company of these
Khadims. He once brought Raja Man Singh with him in the Dargah, for
getting the blessings of the Saints, for success of the campaign against
Rana of Kokanada and Kombhelner. Here it will be interesting to note
that Mahrana Pratap too had prayed and invoked the blessings of the
great Saint, for his own success, against Mughals as has been mentioned
by Dayal Das in Rana Raso. Stipends to the students belonging to Khadims
community were also sanctioned by the officials of Akbar.
Source: For details see: Akbar and the Ajmer Shrine, op. cit.,
Asnanid-us-Sanadid, op.cit., pp. 14-19, 22-23, 25-26.
During the stay at Ajmer once Jahangir fell seriously ill and made a vow
at Dargah that after the recovery from illness, he would perforate his
ears, wear ear-rings as a mark of slavery to Khwaja. On regaining
health, he fulfilled his vow by perforating his ears, wear ear rings as
a mark of slavery to Khwaja. Many of his nobles also followed the
Emperor and wore ear-rings. He also offered a golden railing around the
Mazar, and issued a gold coin bearing the novel inscription of Ya-Moin
on it. He also presented a Degh (cauldron) and cooked the food and
distributed it with his own hands, performed the ritual of candle
lighting and distributed cash and kind rewards to many recluses and also
offered Nazar to the Khadims.
Source: Tuzuk-I-Jahangiri, Vol. I (tr.) op. cit., pp. 267-68, 256, 279,
297, 329 W. Foster (ed.), early travels in India (1583-1619), London,
1927, pp. 171, 280. Purchas and his Pilgrimages (op. cit.), P. 491,
Ajmer through inscriptions, p. 18, M.K. Hussain: Jam-e-Sahat coin of
Jahangir, the journal of Numismatic society of India, Vol. XLI, pt. II (Varanasi
1997), pp. 103-15.
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