Additional information on the migrant population of the Zig tribe can be found in an 18th-century work by a Mughal historian. Among the details he records is the long-standing Kurdish aversion to hot climates, a recurring theme in sources concerning Kurdish migrants. Premodern Kurds who relocated to places such as Baghdad often described the heat in terms that made it seem scarcely preferable to hell itself.
It is therefore understandable why the Mughal emperor found it necessary to accommodate the Kurdish man's delicate constitution. On this matter, compromise was apparently not an option:
His father was Ganj 'Ali K. Zīg, which is a Kurdish tribe. He was an old servant of Shah 'Abbās Māzī ('Abbas the Ist). In the time of Shah Abbās' childhood and when he was living at Herat, Ganj 'Alī was a head servant, and during his reign, by good ser-vice and courage-which he showed during the Uzbeg interregnum in battles with that tribe-he attained to high rank, and received the title of Arjmand Bābā (honoured father) and for nearly thirty years was ruler of Kerman. He always showed the notes of justice and subject-cherishing. When the Shah in the time of Jahangir besieged Qandahar and after 45 days took it from 'Abdul-1-'Az-īz K. Naqshbandi, he made over the government to him. One night in the year 1034, 1625, he was sleeping in the verandah of the citadel of Qandahar on a couch which rested against the verandah railing. The railing gave way, and he between sleep and waking fell down, without any one's noticing it. After a while some of his servants came upon him and found him dead. The Shah gave his son 'Ali Mardan K. the title of Khan and made him governor of Qandahar and called him Bābā 'Şānī (Bābā the 2nd).
After the Shah's death, and when the sovereignty came to Shah Safi his grandson, the latter, on unfounded suspicions, degraded many of the Shah Abbāsi officers. Ali Mardān got frightened and considered that his safety lay in joining Shah Jahan, and wrote and spoke to S'aid K. the governor of Kabul. He also set about strengthening the walls and bastions, and made a fort on the top of the Koh Lakah-which is part of the fortress of Qandahar, and finished it in forty days. When the Shah heard this he resolved to destroy him, and in the first place sent for his eldest son. 'Ali Mardān was obliged to send him, but when after that the Shah put to death every one whom he suspected he threw off the mask. The Shah despatched Sīyāwash Qul-lar-aqāsī who had been sent to Mashhad-against him. Ali Mardān K. sent a petition to Shah Jahan to the effect that the Shah was seeking his life and requested that the king would send one of his officers in order that he might make over the fortress and come to court.
In the 11th year 1047, 1637-38, S'aid K. the governor of Kabul, Qulij K. the governor of Lahore, as well as the governor of Ghaznin and Bhakar and Siwistan, went, in accordance with orders, to Qandahar. When S'aid K. arrived before Qulīj K. he perceived that as long as Sīyāwash was in the neighbourhood of Qandahar, the people would not be properly submissive. In concert with 'Ali Mardān-his whole force being 8000 horse-he at the distance of one farsakh (league) from Qandahar attacked Sīyāwash who 1 had 5 or 6000 horse. A great battle took place, and the Persians fled, and did not turn rein till they had got to their camp on the other side of the Arghandab river. S'aid K. did not give them time to halt there, but went against them, and they left their baggage and evacuated the place. The heroes spent the night in the Persians' tents, took all the property and returned to Qandahar. On the arrival of Qulīj K., who had been appointed governor of Qanda-har, 'Ali Mardan went off to the Presence, and in the 12th year he kissed the threshold in Lahore. As before he arrived he had been made a panjhazārī zāt u sawār (holder of 5000 with 5000 horse) and had received a flag and drum, he was on this day made an officer of 6000 with 6000 horse, and was given the mansion of I'timādu-d-daulah which now belonged to the government. Ten of his leading servants received suitable positions. And out of special grace, 'Ali Mardān who was accustomed to the climate of Persia, and could not stand the heat of India, was made governor of Kashmir. At the time of the royal standard's proceeding to Kabul, 'Alī Mardān took leave to his post, and when in the begin-ning of the 13th year 1049, 1639-40, Lahore became the royal residence, 'Ali Mardān was summoned from Kashmir and made an officer of 7000 with 7000 horse, and in spite of his being governor of Kashmir, he was also made governor of the Panjab, so that he might by winter quarters and summer quarters pass the hot and cold seasons in comfort. In the 14th year, 1050, he was made governor of Kabul in succession to S'ald K. In the 16th year-when the royal residence was in Agra-he was summoned there and received the high title of Amiru-l-Umarā, the present of a kror of dams and the gift of I'tiqad K.'s house, which was the finest mansion that officers of high rank had erected on the bank of the Jumna, and which at the king's request I'tiqād had presented as peshkash. Thereafter 'Ali Mardān received permission to return to Kabul.
In the 18th year Tardi 'Ali Qatghan, the guardian of Subhān Quli K. the son of Nazr Muhammad K.-who had been appointed by Nazr Muhammad to the charge of Kahmard and its neighbour-hood in succession to Ilangtosh (Yālāngtosh)- wickedly attacked the Baluchis living in Zamīndāwar and plundered some of the Hazārī tribes who dwelt on the bank of the Helmand. He then halted twenty kos from Bamian with the intention of making another attack when an opportunity offered. Ali Mardān sent Farīdūn and Farhad, who were his confidential servants, against, him, and they marching quickly fell upon the Uzbeg encampment. Qatghan after some struggle took to flight. His wife and some of his kins-men, and all his property were seized, and in the same year the Amiru-l-Umarā came to court and obtained leave to go and con-quer Badakhshān, where Nazr Muhammad had fallen out with his sons and servants. Aşālat K. Mir Bakhshi was appointed to accom-pany him. 'Ali Mardan K. in the 19th year sent an army from Kabul against Kahmard, and as there were few men in the fort, they fled without drawing the sword, and the fort was taken possession of. On hearing this the Amiru-l-Umarā left with the Kabul army. On the march it appeared that the Kahmard garri-son had, from cowardice, at the approach of the Uzbeg army, sur-rendered the fort, and been plundered by the Aimaqs and other tribes on their route. As under these circumstances it was, on account of the want of provisions and forage, difficult or rather impossible for the army to proceed, the recapture of the fort had to be put off to another time, and 'Ali Mardān turned his atten-tion to the taking of Badakhshan. When he came to Gulbihar, the thanadar of Panjshir (Daulat Beg), who knew the road, stated that it would be difficult for a large army to get thr ugh the defiles and passes. It would also be necessary to cross the Panjshir river in eleven places, which could not be done without bridging. Accordingly the Amiru-l-Umarā sent off Aşālat K. to attack Khin-jan. He went and came in sixteen days, and then went (with 'Alī Mardān) to Kabul. This going and coming at such a time when there was confusion in Türān did not please Shah Jahan.
In the same year, in the beginning of 1056, 1646, Prince Murad Bakhsh, 'Ali Mardān and others with 50,000 horse were appointed to take Balkh and Badakhshān and to chastise the Uzbegs and Almānān. As at this time Jannisār K. was sent off to Persia to offer condolences for the death of Shah Safi, and con-gratulations on the accession of 'Abbas the 2nd, a request was made to the latter for the sending of the Amiru-l-Umara's eldest son who was a hostage with the Shah. The Shah did not sever the links of old friendship but sent him. The Amiru-l-Umarā went off with Prince Murad Bakhsh by the route of the Tül (long) Pass. When they came to Sirāb, Sultan Khusrau, the second son of Nazr Muhammad, who was in charge of Qanduz, could not maintain his ground there on account of the predominance of the Almānān (robbers) and joined the prince. Afterwards when the prince came to Khulm, three stages from Balkh, he sent the king's letter to Nazr Muhammad, in which were comforting messages and an invitation to him to come in. He said in reply that the whole country belonged to the empire, and that he desired after doing homage to go to Mecca. But that it was likely that the Uzbegs in their wickedness would kill him and plunder his property. The Amiru-l-Umară went on rapidly with the prince to the Imam's.
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