Yar Ali Beg, the superintendent of the office of the High Diwan, submitted to the Emperor, “By your Majesty's order, whosoever does not get a jagir for six months, makes a demand on your Majesty's agent (wakil) and takes his cash salary for six months. This order appears to me difficult to carry out. I have, in order to effect a saving to Government, laid it down that they should not demand [their salary] until they get their jagirs.”
The Emperor wrote, “First one request, then another. It is not the act of a wise man to attend to the profits of this perishable world and thereby earn eternal punishment. Wait for a few days, so that, after the close of the utterly dark reign of this man drowned in the ocean of sin and [the commencement of] the times of my foolish sons, the officers will get promissory bonds that their due jagirs would not be given to them before the Day of Judgment!” Then he added in slanting lines, “You are the superintendent of the office. Why do you not exert yourself about giving jagirs to people, which may be a cause of your good name in this world and of merit in the next life, and which may relieve this rancour-less humble creature [i. e., Aurangzib] of the heavy load of the [unsatisfied] dues [of my officers]? (Verse)
Alas, my life has been wasted in vain!
This world has passed away in labour, and faith has gone out of my hand!
I have angered God, and [yet] not pleased the people,
I have [merely] consumed a quantity of water and fodder [like a cattle].
Though I am a bad man and know myself to be such, yet, O Great God! save [men] from the greater wickedness than mine that will prevail after my time!”
Text.—Ir. MS. 17a & b.
Notes.—Yar Ali Beg was appointed assistant (peshdast) of the 2nd paymaster in Oct. 1686. He is best known as superintendent of the postal department, and greatly increased the power of the news-writers. (Khafi Khan, ii. 410).