Asaf Khan, a distant relation of Ghias, held a high place at court, and was much in the confidence of the Emperor.  He made his kinsman his private secretary.  Much pleased with his diligence and ability, Asaf soon brought his merits to the special notice of Akbar, who raised him to the command of a thousand horse, and soon after appointed him master of the household.  From this he was promoted afterwards to that of Itimad-ud-daula, or high treasurer, one of the first ministers.[5]

The daughter who had been born in the desert became celebrated for her great beauty, parts, and accomplishments, and won the affections of the eldest son of the Emperor, the Prince Salim, who saw her unveiled, by accident, at a party given by her father.  She had been betrothed before this to Sher Afgan, a Turkoman gentleman of rank at court, and of great repute for his high spirit, strength, and courage.[6] Salim in vain entreated his father to interpose his authority to make him resign his claim in his favour; and she became the wife of Sher Afgan.  Salim dare not, during his father’s life, make any open attempt to revenge himself; but he, and those courtiers who thought it their interest to worship the rising sun, soon made his [Afgan’s] residence at the capital disagreeable, and he retired with his wife to Bengal, where he obtained from the governor the superintendency of the district of Bardwan.

Salim succeeded his father on the throne;[7] and, no longer restrained by his (scil. Akbar’s) rigid sense of justice, he recalled Sher Afgan to court at Delhi.  He was promoted to high offices, and concluded that time had removed from the Emperor’s mind all feelings of love for his wife, and of resentment against his successful rival—­but he was mistaken; Salim had never forgiven him, nor had the desire to possess his wife at all diminished.  A Muhammadan of such high feeling and station would, the Emperor knew, never survive the dishonour, or suspected dishonour, of his wife; and to possess her he must make away with the husband.  He dared not do this openly, because he dreaded the universal odium in which he knew it would involve him; and he made several unsuccessful attempts to get him removed by means that might not appear to have been contrived or executed by his orders.  At one time he designedly, in his own presence, placed him in a situation where the pride of the chief made him contend, single-handed, with a large tiger, which he killed; and, at another, with a mad elephant, whose proboscis he cut off with his sword; but the Emperor’s motives in all these attempts to put him foremost in situations of danger became so manifest that Sher Afgan solicited, and obtained, permission to retire with his wife to Bengal.