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Have you forgotten that the astrologers predicted a glorious future for her? You must call off this wedding.’
    Shaking her head, Asmat Begum said, ‘The emperor wishes her to be married to Ali Quli, and we cannot defy his wishes. He may be a crass soldier but he is a favourite of the emperor.’
    ‘It is not his fault that he is unrefined,’ said Ghias Baig.
    This was true: the young man had never had an opportunity to be anything else other than a soldier.
    After losing both his parents at an early age, Ali Quli Baig Istajlu began earning his livelihood by working as a stable attendant at the Shah’s palace in Persia. Although the work was menial, the young man gained the attention of those who mattered in the court. When things changed after the Shah’s death, Ali Quli managed to escape from Persia. He made his way to Kabul, from where he journeyed to Lahore.
    With no other qualification than his brawn to see him through life, the only profession he could adopt was that of a soldier. Determined to distinguish himself as a warrior, Ali Quli practised sword-fighting, hand-to-hand combat, horse riding, and many other war skills before he made his way to the camp of Abdur Rahim Khan-é-Khana, the brilliant general of the Mughal emperor, to get himself enlisted as a foot soldier. The Khan-é-Khana was on a campaign at Thatta and required as many soldiers as he could gather.
    During the battle, things suddenly swung in favour of the rebels and the Mughal army began retreating. Unwilling to give up, the Khan-é-Khana charged ahead, followed by a few loyal soldiers, Ali Quli among them. Suddenly, the general found himself surrounded by the enemy. Spotting him within the enemy circle, Ali Quli snatched a horse and rode up to him. Fighting heroically, he rescued the general and reversed the tide of the battle with his intelligent strategy. The battle was won and the grateful Khan-é-Khana promoted the young foot soldier as his personal bodyguard.
    As days passed, the ageing Khan-é-Khana became increasingly dependent on Ali Quli for battle plans. Ali Quli was brave, honest and loyal–three things that were uncommon during the turbulent days of war. Soldiers switched camps faster than they changed clothes, depending upon the money offered to them. Under these conditions, when the Khan-e-Khana discovered the gem he had found in his army, he nurtured and promoted the young man to become his chief aide. Loneliness, war fatigue and uncertainties are strong binding factors, and the two warriors developed a warm relationship that was based on mutual respect and trust.
    When the victorious imperial army returned to the capital, it was the Khan-é-Khana who presented the young Persian soldier at Akbar’s court. The tall and battle-hardened soldier performed a clumsy kornish and stood in obedience before the emperor.
    ‘Young man, I hear that you rescued our general with absolutely no regard for your own personal safety. We are pleased to have a brave soldier like you in our army. As a gesture of our pleasure we grant you a mansab of two hundred.’
    Ali Quli stood speechless with emotion. Although he had heard many tales of Shehanshah Akbar’s generosity, no one had been able to describe the great ruler’s charisma. As he gaped in wonder, his mentor gave him a gentle nudge to remind him about court decorum. The Persian quickly bowed to the ruler to express his gratitude and struggled to put forth a refined speech.
    ‘I am a humble servant of Your Majesty and I only performed my duty by coming to the aid of the general. I am not worthy of your magnanimous gesture.’
    The experienced eyes of the emperor immediately spotted the awkwardness of the soldier, but they were pleased with the humility of the man. In a court filled with flatterers, the emperor was happy to see a man who did not resort to sycophancy. The emperor appointed him an officer in the royal guards. News of the plots hatched by his rebel nobles reached his ears from