One day, three jewels had been brought for him to look at. The price of one was 700,000 tankas, the second 500,000, the third 300,000. Asad Khán said to one of his associates, who happened to be present at the time, “Tell me truly which of these three precious stones have you selected as that which you expect to receive from me?” He answered, “In truth, I never thought of such a thing.” The Khán said, “Make up your mind then on the subject now.” He said, “The jewel which is worth 300,000.” Asad Khán smiled, and said, “You pass over the stones of great value, and choose the smallest. You have pre­ferred the least expensive one, and I have chosen the most valuable one. The third alone remains. I give all these to you.”*

Once on a time Sultán Sikandar appointed Asad Khán for the performance of a particular service, and he proceeded by uninter­rupted marches into the district of Chanderí. The backs of all the baggage-animals carrying the treasure were galled. The chiefs informed him of this, saying, “If you give the order, we will distribute the treasure amongst the troops, and afterwards deduct it from their jágírs, and make it over to the government.” He approved of this proposal, and seven lacs of tankas were thus distributed, and their receipts shown to the Khán. Asad Khán said, “Have I become a saráf, that I should lend and then take back?” He tore up the documents with his own hands, and said, “I have given this trifle to the army.” May the Most High God shield and cover him with his mercy!

Another of the nobles of Sikandar was the Khán-i 'azam Lád Khán, the son of Ahmad Khán. He was a youth of high courage. To every one whom he wished to reward, he presented as much gold and silver as his shield would hold; he never mentioned a tolcha or a dirham, and could only count as far as ten. He knew not what even one and a half was, or two and a half;* and it was his custom to make over the presents which were brought to him to the officers on duty at the time. Thus, it is said, that on a Friday he was inspecting the armoury. At that time the Rájá of Bhata sent him an elephant, and some presents of merchandize: he gave all these to Shaikh Muhammad, the keeper of the armoury. And so, if anything came whilst he was drinking water, the ábdár received it. During the winter­time he daily wore two outer garments, which he gave away on the second day, and was in the habit of supplying every soldier with four or five dresses every winter. Whenever he went out to the game of chaugán, or was on a journey, if he supplied any person with a horse as a beast of burden or to ride on, he never again permitted it to be fastened in his stable, but still gave the animals their daily food at his own expense. If the person sold the horse, the daily allowance was not withdrawn, although the beast was no longer in his possession. If travellers arrived at his darbár, he gave each man one tanka, and a buffalo was daily slaughtered for their use; and they received the above-mentioned provision so long as they stayed in the Khán's darbár; on leaving, 200 tankas were given to them, and then they received permission to depart. Many of the nobles of Sultán Sikandar spent vast sums of money. Diláwar Khán, the son of Míán Bhuwá, daily purchased 500 tankas worth of roses for his harem.*

To what extent could I not write the praises of Sikandar's chiefs? But these few instances must suffice.

It was a wonderful age! All enjoyed peace.
In every house was pleasure and festivity.
There was no thief to twist the noose round your neck.
No one saw rebellion, even in his dreams.
The Musulmáns were dominant, the Hindus depressed,
And no one knew the tribe of Mughals even by name.
He was a king, who protected Islám like Alexander,
And therefore he has obtained the title of Sikandar Sání.*

One of the most extraordinary phenomena of Sultán Ibráhím's time was, that corn, clothes, and every kind of merchandize were cheaper than they had ever been known to be in any other reign, except perhaps in the time of Sultán 'Aláu-d dín Khiljí; but even that is doubtful. Moreover, in the time of the latter, the cheapness was occasioned by every kind of disgusting interference and oppression, and by a hundred thousand enforcements and punishments; whereas the cheapness of this reign was occasioned by abundant harvests. In the time of Sikandar, also, the markets were very cheap, but still not so much so as in the time of Ibráhím. Ten mans of corn could be purchased for one bahlolí; five sírs of clarified butter, and ten yards of cloth, could be pur­chased for the same coin. Everything else was in the same exuberance; the reason of all which was, that rain fell in the exact quantity which was needed, and the crops were consequently luxuriant, and produce increased ten-fold beyond the usual pro­portion. The Sultán had likewise issued an edict that his chiefs and nobles of every degree should take nothing but corn in pay­ment of rent, and no money was to be taken from the cultivators on any account. The consequence was, that countless quantities of grain accumulated in the several jágírs, and as ready money only was necessary for maintaining the personal expenses of the nobles, they were eager to sell their grain at any price which was procurable. The abundance of God's blessings reached such a height, that ten mans of corn would sell for a bahlolí. Gold and silver were only procurable with the greatest difficulty. A respec­table man with a family dependent on him might obtain wages at the rate of five tankas a month. A horseman received from twenty to thirty as his monthly pay. If a traveller wished to proceed from Dehlí to A'gra, one bahlolí would, with the greatest ease, suffice for the expenses of himself, his horse, and escort.

After the conquest of Multán by Haibat Khán, Sher Sháh went (from A'gra) to Dehlí in the year 947 H. (1540 A.D.); and actuated by unworthy feelings he destroyed the fort of 'Aláu-d dín, which stood in Sírí, conspicuous for its strength and loftiness, and built on the bank of the Jún, between Fírozábád and Kílú Kharí, in the village of Indrapat, a new city, about two or three kos distant from the old one. He filled it with inhabitants, as it remains to this day. He also laid the founda­tions of a magnificent masjid, which was very quickly completed. The name of this fort he called “Sher-garh,” and the walls of it were of great breadth, length, and height; but on account of the shortness of his reign, he did not live to complete it. Within the fort was a small palace, also left incomplete, which he called “Sher-mandal.”

Whilst he was so occupied in building Dehlí, the thieves of Pálí and Páhal, who are of the Gújar tribe, began to be exceed­ingly audacious in their depredations; insomuch that Sher Sháh himself marched towards the hills occupied by that tribe. The Gújars were completely reduced to subjection, and he left orders that they should be expelled from that country. Consequently, not a vestige of their habitations was left.

Sher Sháh, on his return from Bengal (in 948 H., 1541 A.D.), came to Patna, then a small town dependent on Bihár, which was the seat of the local government. He was standing on the bank of the Ganges, when, after much solid reflection and sage determination, he said to those who were standing by, “If a fort were to be built in this place, the waters of the Ganges could never flow far from it, and Patna would become one of the great towns of this country; because this place is situated to the west, on the banks of the Ganges which flows from the north. The strength of the stream is broken, and it cannot advance towards the north.” He therefore ordered skilful carpenters and bricklayers to make out immediately an estimate for building a fort, where he then stood. These experienced workmen submitted an estimate of five lacs, which on the spur of the moment was made over to trustworthy persons. The fort was completed, and was considered to be exceedingly strong. Bihár from that time was deserted, and fell to ruin; while Patna became one of the largest cities of the province.