Inasmuch as the dominions are extensive, and the soldiery numerous, as cupidity increases daily, right-thinking diminishing, ⁴⁰⁴ the courageous and veridical not to be found, the false and flatter­ing plentiful, the wicked contrivers in troops, and the acute and just-thinking scarce (khāl-khāl), there soon comes a great rift in affairs, and evil grows prevalent. Therefore is it that the world's lord every now and then augments his circumspection, and imparts new freshness to the garden of the State. Accordingly at this time, he, from brilliance and foresight and from the quest of truth, erected a new palace of administration. He made over every department to distinguished loyal men who were unavaricious and well-disposed, and he associated the majesty of the Shahinshah with paternal benignity. He made over to Prince Selīm the Divine tasks of sever­ity and lenity, and the superintendence of marriage and birthday feasts—which are sources of stability and ornament of eternal dominion. That pearl of the crown of the sultanate carried out what­ever the just sovereign ordained and addressed himself to giving currency to the orders. As colleagues are indispensable, M. Khān, S. Abū-l-faiẓ Faiẓī and the faithful Fatḥ Ullah were appointed to assist him. The management of the household—which is equal to the administration of a great kingdom—was made over to Prince Sulān Murād. Rai Sāl Darbārī, Karm Ullah, Khwāja 'Abdu-ṣ-ṣamad Shīrīn Qalm, Muḥammad 'Alī Khazāncī served under him. The superintendence of faith and religion and of wisdom and work was committed to Prince Sulān Daniel. Ghāzī K. Badakhshī, Rai Sarjan and the writer of this noble volume were appointed to lay matters before him. First, they (i.e. the officers in charge of the departments) studied the choice regulations which had lighted up the heavenly soul (of Akbar) and had adorned therewith the raw material of the minds of the simple; and secondly, they guided the bewildered to the highway of Divine worship. Allowances and charities were made over to Sulān Khwāja, Ḥakīm Abū-l-fatḥ, Mīr Abū Turāb and to the Qāẓī and the Muftī (law officer). The development of the dominions, and the appointment and dismissal of the officers of the Khāla were made over to Rājah Todar Mal, Khwāja Yahiya, Rai Durgā and Yār 'Alī. The charge of the army and the arrangements for the pay of the soldiers were made over to Shahbāz K. J'aafar Beg and 'Alī Dost K. The superintendence of the rates of goods was assigned to Zain K. Koka, Ism'aīl Qulī K., Payinda K. and Hājī Habīb Ullah. The care of the armour and the look­ing after the roads were made over to Qulīj K., Jagannāth, Lon Karn and Ṣāliḥ 'Āqil. The watching over the property of deceased persons and the conveyance of it to the heirs were made over to Sharīf K., Rajah Askaran, Naqīb K. and 'Abdu-raḥmān the son of Muyīd Beg. The department of buying and selling jewels and other minerals was made over to I'timād K. Gujrātī, Bāqī K., Jagmāl, Ḥakīm Ain-al-mulk, and N'aamat K. The charge of buildings was ⁴⁰⁵ given to Naurang K., Qāsim K. Makhṣūs K. and Laif Khwāja. The administering of justice to complainants was made over to Rajah Bīrbar, Qāsim 'Alī K., Ḥakīm Hamām and Sham Sher K. Kotwāl. The writer of the book of fortune (A. F.) was also appointed to this office. An order was issued that they should not be satisfied with witnesses and oaths, but make a profound investigation. The deeds of the one party (the oppressor) were very base, and the condition of the other (the petitioner) very bewildered. On account of the bribery of the oppressor and of his high position, and of the empty-headedness and helplessness of the oppressed, it was necessary that there should be no slackness in the inquiry, and that the thought of presents (pāra) should not turn the heart out of the way, nor that the shafts of injury should lead one to the lane of cowardice, and cause the veiling of the truth. In a short time the outer world attained an excellent management and the spiritual world a new development. There was, as it were, a new palace constructed for the appreciativeness of the sovereign, and humanity was tested in the square of knowledge. The wicked descended into the hollow of ignominy, and the good were exalted. Every great one who makes use of the medicine for senselessness, and chooses, with a thousand eyes of the heart, watchfulness, will assuredly make Fortune his servant, and the empire of rulers will come under the shade of his justice.

Hail! the garden of the two worlds rejoices because of thee,
The foundation of life is firm because of thee.
Solomon had a ring, thou hast faith,
Alexander had his mirror, thou the code,
Alexander with his mirror, Kaikhusrū with his cup,
Have not seen what thou art beholding for many days.

One of the occurrences was that Wazīr K. was victorious and that Qutlū Nohānī (Lohānī) was defeated. When the Divine aid had deprived the rebels of endurance, M'aṣūm K. Kābulī and the other seditious and ill-fated ones took flight, as has already been narrated. Thereupon the Khān Â'im and the other great officers set about finding a remedy for the crafty Qutlū. He by wiles and flatteries brought forward a proposal of peace, and sent eloquent and skilful persons to court, and made use of blandishments. The answer came that if his works corresponded to his words, they should admit him as a servant and restore Orissa to him. At this time the Khān Ā'im's heart was alienated from the country and he was eager to depart. He wished that on the arrival of the order of leave he might hasten off to his estates, and that Ṣādiq K. might in these few days take the command and conclude this great affair (the settlement with Qutlū) to a conclusion. He (Ṣādiq K.) made unsuitable stipulations, and so the Khān Ā'im turned to Wazīr K. He gladly accepted the task, and the Khān Ā'im went off to Ḥājī­pūr (where his estates were). Upon his departure, the devious Qutlū in his shortsightedness and narrow capacity uplifted the head ⁴⁰⁶ of presumption, and made unfitting conditions with regard to the peace. The officers, who had betaken themselves to repose, were somewhat annoyed and marched from Sherpūr* in order to give battle to him. On 10 Tīr they encamped at Bardwan. That turbu­lent one was six kos off and had recourse to vulpine tricks. He made use of humility and supplications. They were deceived by him, and added Madāran, Mednīpūr and other places to Orissa. He agreed to take the burden of obedience on his shoulders, and to send his brother's son with choice presents to court. Again he had recourse to rebellious thoughts, and determined that he should by stratagem get one of the leaders into his clutches—perhaps in this way he might gain his object. He represented that he was sending the apple of his eye to court, and asked that Ṣādiq K. should come without a large retinue from the camp, while he too would come out with a few followers so that they might see one another and be materially comforted, and that he might make over to him the cream of his life (his nephew). Ṣādiq K. had the foresight to keep away, and S. Farīd Bakhshī* was sent. He from his good intentions and simplicity, went off along with usain K., Abū-l-Qāsim, 'Abdul Hādī, and Maḥmūd K. Khwāṣ. When he came to the appointed place, there was no trace of Qutlū. As he was continually sending messages of concord, he went on. Some plausible persons brought him to his quarters and he (Qutlū) prepared a feast. From time to time he expressed fresh supplications, but his sole intention was that when the men had gone to their repose he should seize the Shaikh and take him to a remote place, and gain his objects by using him as a hostage. The Shaikh perceived this and at the beginning of the night proceeded to depart. No horse (bāragī) had been left in the stable, and when they had gone a little way there was a hot fight for a while, and some men were killed. In the midst of this the Shaikh came out on his own elephant. By the jugglery of fortune the animal proved unmanageable and rushed off into space. Owing to the darkness of the night his men could not follow him. The Shaikh thought of crossing a stream and so escap­ing, but was bewildered owing to there being no ford.* Suddenly some men came up and shot arrows at him and wounded him. The Shaikh threw himself off the elephant and turned aside. By the guidance of the mysterious arrangers (i.e. protectors) he proceeded on his way. The scoundrels thought that the Shaikh was still in the haudah ('amārī) and was trying to escape. While he was going on in this bewildered way a faithful servant joined him and gave him a mount (bāragī) and conducted him to the camp. The officers* emerged from their heavy slumbers of negligence and attacked that contriver of long plots. They crossed the Damūdar river and went on for two kos in battle array. That scoundrel (Qutlū) established* forts and firmly planted the foot of audacity.