§ 35. Preaches meekness to Firuz Jang.

The Emperor learnt from the news-letter of Ghazi-ud-din Khan Bahadur Firuz Jang, that the Khan had laid it down that in the orders which he sent to various places the phrase ‘By the karamat-buniad command [of the Khan]’ should be written.

The Emperor wrote, “No harm. His ancestors were hermits and inmates of monasteries. I allow the use of ‘By command’ only. But a Commander of Seven Thou­sand does not possess miraculous power (karamat). I order that in future the customary present on the Emperor's coronation anniversary which he will send to [us] his slaves, will not be accepted [by us].”

When Ghazi-ud-din Khan got news of it, he petitioned thus, “He who repents of a sin becomes sinless as it were, and when a man confesses a fault verily God forgives all his faults, few and many.” On the petition the Emperor wrote, “Whosoever earns the pardon of his affliction by means of reformation, God will recompense him. And if a man returns to his sins, God wreaks vengeance on him.”

Text.–Ir. MS. 24b & 25a.

Notes.–Ghazi-ud-din Khan, the father of the first Nizam-ul-mulk, was the grandson of Alam Shaikh, a scholar and saint of Samar-qand, (M. U. iii. 837, 120), who claimed descent from Shaikh Shihab-ud-din Saharawardi, a renowned saint of Central Asia. There is a play upon the phrase karamat-buniad, which may mean (1) gracious and (2) miracle-working. Aurangzib takes it in the latter sense, hence his objection and ironical remark that he is only a slave of Firuz Jang.