ring districts crowded in to
pay homage, and the King of distant Khandesh sent an embassy to greet
him. Akbar received the ambassador with distinction. It deserves to
be mentioned, as a characteristic feature of the customs of those
times, that when Akbar honoured the ambassador with a farewell
audience, he placed in his hand a firman addressed to his master,
directing him to send to Mandu any one of his daughters whom he might
consider worthy {99} to attend upon the Emperor. The native historian
adds: 'when Mubarak Shah,' the ruler of Khandesh, 'received this
gracious communication, he was greatly delighted, and he sent his
daughter with a suitable retinue and paraphernalia to his Majesty,
esteeming it a great favour to be allowed to do so.' After a short
stay at Mandu, Akbar returned to Agra, by way of Ujjain, Sarangpur,
Sipri, Narwar, and Gwalior. During the ensuing cold weather he spent
a great part of his time hunting in the Gwalior districts.

There can be but few travellers from the West to India who have not
admired the fortress, built of red sandstone, which is one of the
sights of Agra. At the time of the accession of Akbar there was at
Agra simply a citadel built of brick, ugly in form and ruinous from
decay. Akbar had for some time past resolved to build on its ruins a
fortress which should be worthy of the ruler of an empire, and in the
late spring of 1565 he determined on the plans, and gave the
necessary orders. The work was carried on under the direction of
Kasim Khan, a distinguished officer whom Akbar had made a commander
of three thousand. The building of the fortress took eight years of
continuous labour, and the cost was thirty-five lakhs of rupees. It
is built, as I have said, of red sandstone, the stones being well
joined together and fastened to each other by iron rings which pass
through them. The foundation everywhere reaches water.

The year did not close without an event which afforded Akbar the
opportunity of displaying his {100} decision and prompt action in
sudden emergencies. I have shown how, on his visit to Mandu, the
Uzbek governor of that city had taken fright and rushed into
rebellion; how Akbar had caused him to be pursued and punished. The
treatment of the rebel, though not unduly severe, had spread in the
minds of the Uzbek nobles at the court and in the army the impression
that the Emperor disliked men of that race, and three or four of them
combined to give him a lesson. The r