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拍品专文
In this firman, the Emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58) appoints Husam al-Din Hasan as the Bakhshi (military supervisor) and Waqi‘a-Nawis (news-writer) of the Deccan and increases his rank (mansab) to 1000 dhat (personal rank) and 500 sawar (cavalry rank). This means that he was elevated from 3rd to 2nd subdivision (Yusuf Husain Khan, Selected Documents of Shah Jahan’s Reign, Hyderabad, 1950, p.vii). Shah Jahan's titles on the seal are surrounded by the names of his ancestors, beginning with Timur. His flanking tughra also give his titles.
While dated 8th Rabi‘ I of regnal year 14 of Shah Jahan’s reign, that is accepted to have promulgated in 1051 (meaning 17 June 1641), a note next to the date in a different hand gives the date as 1052 (6 June 1642).
According to Shahnavaz Khan Aurangabad’s 18th-century Ma’athir al-Umara’, Husam al-Din “was a careless man of pleasure”. He became active in Shah Jahan’s services through family connections, and “his prudence and ability enabled him to conduct himself so well that he was much praised,” by the governors of the Deccan, especially Khan Dauran Nasrat Jang. Jang was instrumental in his advancement and impressed upon Shah Jahan his skill and honesty.” A man of many worldly affairs, including hunting and the arts of poetry and calligraphy, he would eventually be elevated to the 1st subdivision, earning the title Khan, and receive two governorships, of Udgir and Berar, and the office of Faujdar before his death under Emperor Aurangzeb (r. 1658-1707) (H. Beveridge, The al-Maathir-ul-Umara, reprint 1979, New Delhi, pp.651-2).
For other examples of Mughal firmans sold in these Rooms, see 30 October 2025, lot 80; 24 October 2024, lot 139; 25 June 2020, lot 66; 10 April 2014, lot 133.
While dated 8th Rabi‘ I of regnal year 14 of Shah Jahan’s reign, that is accepted to have promulgated in 1051 (meaning 17 June 1641), a note next to the date in a different hand gives the date as 1052 (6 June 1642).
According to Shahnavaz Khan Aurangabad’s 18th-century Ma’athir al-Umara’, Husam al-Din “was a careless man of pleasure”. He became active in Shah Jahan’s services through family connections, and “his prudence and ability enabled him to conduct himself so well that he was much praised,” by the governors of the Deccan, especially Khan Dauran Nasrat Jang. Jang was instrumental in his advancement and impressed upon Shah Jahan his skill and honesty.” A man of many worldly affairs, including hunting and the arts of poetry and calligraphy, he would eventually be elevated to the 1st subdivision, earning the title Khan, and receive two governorships, of Udgir and Berar, and the office of Faujdar before his death under Emperor Aurangzeb (r. 1658-1707) (H. Beveridge, The al-Maathir-ul-Umara, reprint 1979, New Delhi, pp.651-2).
For other examples of Mughal firmans sold in these Rooms, see 30 October 2025, lot 80; 24 October 2024, lot 139; 25 June 2020, lot 66; 10 April 2014, lot 133.