[Mirát-i-Sikandarí.]

without his command had acted improperly. Applications for titles and honours must be made to Khudáwand Khán, for he was the prime minister of the kingdom, and if anyone else interfered in the business no notice should be taken of it. So the Sultán refused his assent and rejected the application.*

As that slave ('Imád-ul-Mulk) was mutinously disposed, and as he had the army with him, Khudáwand Khán deemed it politic to advise that the title should be granted to please 'Imád-ul-Mulk, with an increase of allowances at some other time. The Sultán kept silence, which is said to be half consent. That infamous slave ('Imád-ul-Mulk) went out from that interview greatly enraged, and from that time took to plotting against the Sultán and to preparing his destruction. Those nobles and soldiers who were in league with him he kept ready and prepared, and those who had but little regard for him he endeavoured to win over by kindness and generosity. It is said that he would invite them one by one to his house and would inquire into their affairs, asking how many children they had, and when the number was told him he would ask if they (the children) were married or not, and would inquire into the pecuniary affairs. If anyone represented his want of means, he would offer a loan, and tell him to do the best he could for his children.t In this way he lent money to individuals, and took written acknowledgments from them, which he afterwards tore up in their presence. these means he gained over many men and bound them closely to him. Sultán Sikandar was heedless of these things, and was so exultant and so rejoiced in the pride of his youth and glory of his state and authority, that all his days were like the days of the 'I'd and his nights like the night of

By

* As has been said already, this kótwál was an excellent public servant, and later on received the title of Khán Jahán from Bahádar Sháh. The objection entertained by the Sultán was not as to the proposition itself, but as to the manner of making it.

I.e. in preparing the marriage of his children, always a serious and expensive affair in Muhamadan and, indeed, even in Hindú households.

Barát. Every day something new was devised. He collected together every means of pleasure which it is possible to conceive. Amongst other things he had a concubine, called Nazuk Bahr, to whom he was much attached; it is said that all the women in Gujarát at that time were unanimous in agreeing that never before in all the palaces of all the kings of Gujarát, indeed nowhere in Gujarát, had there been seen any woman as beautiful as Nazuk Bahr, or one so pleasant in manner, or so well behaved; or, indeed, anyone so pleasantspoken as Sultán Sikandar himself. After his murder, Nazuk Bahr passed into the female apartments of Sultán Bahádar, and he also became very fond of her. After the capture of Mandú by Sultán Bahadar, and when he had got the whole land of Málwah into his possession, he one day ordered that all the singing and dancing women of every sort,† either in Mandú or in his camp, should be collected together; and troop after troop of them came decked out and arrayed to the number of thousands of every class and nationality; many of them were beautiful, some remarkably lovely. The Sultán called them up one by one, gave them each a present, and dismissed them. There was present one, Shujá'a Khán, an intimate friend and companion of the Sultán, who quoted some verses,‡ and asked the Sultán if none of the arrows of their beauty had reached his heart. The Sultán replied, "Ah! Shujá'a Khán, I have in my palace a woman so lovely that the sun and moon pale before the glory of her beauty. Perhaps some day I may be able to show her to you." A few days after this Sultán Bahadar was drunk, and took offence at something that Nazuk Bahr did, to such a degree that he drew his sword and cut her in two. Having done this, he remembered his promise to

Shab-i-barát. A Muhamadan festival held on the eve of the 14th Sha'bán, on which occasion the night is spent in prayers and feastings, illuminations, and fireworks. In India, prayers are offered up for the souls of deceased ancestors on that occasion.

The names of the various classes of musicians, singers, and dancers, are all detailed in the text, but are of no interest.

These verses are given, but are not reproduced.

Shujá'a Khán, so he wrapped the corpse in a coverlet and sent for Shujá'a Khán. When he came he said to him, "I once promised to show you a concubine of mine more beautiful than the sun; to-day she has died. I cannot show you her in life, but look on her in death, and see how lovely she was." On this he drew aside the coverlet from off her face, and Shujá'a Khán gazed on her beauty; but when he saw also the blood which had trickled round her, he threw himself on the ground and cried, "Oh, what has happened! what calamity is this!” The Sultán also, in deep repentance, cast himself upon the ground, and beat his head against the earth; but it was of no avail.

When Sultán Sikandar ascended the throne all the Saíds and holy men came to congratulate him, excepting only Shékh Badah, the son of Shékh Jíú, who was at that time the chief of the Bukhárí Säíds of Batóh, who would not come because of a quarrel with the Sultán. The reason of the quarrel was as follows: : Shortly after Sultán Bahádar had left Gujarát, Shekh Jíú died, and Sultán Sikandar said, "The Saint is dead and his disciple is a wanderer."* Shekh Badah said in reply, "No, the Saint is not really dead,† nor is his disciple a wanderer. Your kingdom is like a vapour or a bubble, and has neither firmness nor permanence." On hearing this, the Sultán got more angry still, and resumed‡ the town of Batóh, which had always formed part of the jágír allowed to the chief of the Saids of Batóh, and made it over to Säíd Muhamad, who was one of the sons of Sháh 'A'lam; but he declined to accept it, and never would take possession of it.§ In the end the

* The Gujarátí original is given, “ Pír müá, muríd jogí.” Jógí is rendered as awárah in the Persian.

Meaning that the Saint's spirit survived, and his prophesies.

"Resumed" is here used in its technical sense of " confiscated." To have the town in the centre of his jágír taken away and given to someone else was doubtless a great annoyance and inconvenience to the Saint. Säíd Muhamad was probably a grandson of the Said 'A'lam.

§ The two anecdotes above are only given in a condensed form, and a third, of a somewhat indelicate nature, with certain verses written by a local

meaning of the speech became manifest; for after a reign of one month and sixteen days,* the traitor 'Imád-ul-Mulk slew the Sultán.

poet on the occasion, are omitted, as they are only intended to illustrate at once the Sultán's personal beauty and his want of royal dignity.

* Some MSS. and the "Táríkh-i-Alfí" make it two months and sixteen days, but the dates given show it was clearly one month and sixteen days, i.e. from the 28th of Jumádi-ul-ákhir to the 14th Sha'bán.

CHAPTER XI.

REIGN OF MAHMÚD SHAH II.

On the day of his accession Nasír Khán received the title of Mahmúd Sháh. 'Imád-ul-Mulk bestowed robes and horses and titles* upon the nobles and soldiers, but he did not confer the jágír, which is the concomitant of a title, upon which people said, "A title without a jágír is a disgrace." The result was that several of the amírs and soldiers were deeply offended at this shabby behaviour, and thirsted for the blood of 'Imád-ul-Mulk; but without a leader they could do nothing, and each one went to his own home or jágír.

When all the affairs of the kingdom were in confusion, as a last resource 'Imád-ul-Mulk wrote to 'Imád-ul-Mulk I'lichpúrí, stating that if he would show his friendship by coming to Nandarbár and Sultánpúr, he should receive in recompense a specified sum of money. He wrote in the same style to Ráná Sánká, and he also conciliated the zamindárs of the country round. He even sent to Bábar Pádsháh soliciting assistance.†

*According to Firishtah and the "Tab. Akbarí," 180 or 181 titles were thus bestowed in one day.

According to the "Tab. Akbarí," 'Imád-ul-Mulk wrote to Nizám-ulMulk Dakhiní," and says that the " Rájah of Pál" was also summoned, and marched as far as the neighbourhood of Chámpánír. Firishtah says the same thing, but adds that the Dakhiní King, to whom he sent a large sum of money (the "Tab. Akbarí" confirms this), took the money, and did nothing. The Rajah of Pál was told to bar the road by Chámpánír against Bahadar.