'Aláu-d dín was a king who had no acquaintance with learning, and never associated with the learned. When he became king, he came to the conclusion that polity and government are one thing, and the rules and decrees of law are another. Royal commands belong to the king, legal decrees rest upon the judg­ment of kázís and muftís. In accordance with this opinion, whatever affair of state came before him, he only looked to the public good, without considering whether his mode of dealing with it was lawful or unlawful. He never asked for legal opinions about political matters, and very few learned men visited him. * * Kází Mughísu-d dín, of Bayánah, used to go to court and sit down in private audience with the amírs. One day, when the efforts were being made for the increase of the tribute and of the fines and imposts, the Sultán told the Kází that he had several questions to ask him, and desired him to speak the plain truth. The Kází replied, “The angel of my destiny seems to be close at hand, since your Majesty wishes to question me on matters of religion; if I speak the truth you will be angry and kill me.” The Sultán said he would not kill him, and commanded him to answer his questions truly and candidly. The Kází then promised to answer in accordance with what he had read in books. The Sultán then asked, “How are Hindus designated in the law, as payers of tribute (kharáj-guzár) or givers of tribute (kharáj-dih)?” The Kází replied, “They are called payers of tribute, and when the revenue officer demands silver from them, they should, without question and with all humility and respect, tender gold. If the officer throws dirt into their mouths, they must without reluctance open their mouths wide to receive it. By doing so they show their respect for the officer. The due subordination of the zimmí (tribute-payer) is exhibited in this humble payment and by this throwing of dirt into their mouths. The glorification of Islám is a duty, and contempt of the Religion is vain. God holds them in contempt, for he says, ‘Keep them under in subjection.’ To keep the Hindus in abasement is especially a religious duty, because they are the most inveterate enemies of the Prophet, and because the Prophet has commanded us to slay them, plunder them, and make them captive, saying, ‘Convert them to Islám or kill them, enslave them and spoil their wealth and property.’ No doctor but the great doctor (Hanífa), to whose school we belong, has assented to the imposition of the jizya (poll tax) on Hindus. Doctors of other schools allow no other alternative but ‘Death or Islám.’”

The Sultán smiled at this answer of the Kází's, and said, “I do not understand any of the statements thou hast made; but this I have discovered, that the khúts and mukaddims ride upon fine horses, wear fine clothes, shoot with Persian bows, make war upon each other, and go out hunting; but of the kharáj (tribute), jizya (poll tax), karí (house tax), and charí (pasture tax), they do not pay one jítal. They levy separately the Khút's (land­owner's) share from the villages, give parties and drink wine, and many of them pay no revenue at all, either upon demand or without demand. Neither do they show any respect for my officers. This has excited my anger, and I have said to myself, ‘Thou hast an ambition to conquer other lands, but thou hast hundreds of leagues of country under thy rule where proper obedience is not paid to thy authority. How, then, wilt thou make other lands submissive?’ I have, therefore, taken my measures, and have made my subjects obedient, so that at my command they are ready to creep into holes like mice. Now you tell me that it is all in accordance with law that the Hindus should be reduced to the most abject obedience.” Then the Sul-tán said, “Oh, doctor, thou art a learned man, but thou hast had no experience; I am an unlettered man, but I have seen a great deal; be assured then that the Hindus will never become submissive and obedient till they are reduced to poverty. I have, therefore, given orders that just sufficient shall be left to them from year to year, of corn, milk, and curds, but that they shall not be allowed to accumulate hoards and property.”

Secondly.—The Sultán next put the following question: “Is there any reference made in the Law to revenue officers and clerks who are guilty of dishonesty, peculation, or receiving bribes?” The Kází answered, “There is no mention made of this, nor have I read of it in any book; but if revenue officers are insuf­ficiently paid,* and they appropriate the revenue belonging to the treasury, or receive bribes, then the ruler can inflict punishment upon them, either by fine or imprisonment; but it is not allow­able to cut off hands for robbing the treasury.” The Sultán said, “I have given orders to recover from the various revenue officers whatever they have misappropriated or received in excess, pun­ishing them with sticks, pincers, the rack, imprisonment, and chains. I now hear that alienations of the revenue* and bribery have diminished. I have ordered such stipends to be settled on the various revenue officers as will maintain them in re­spectability, and if, notwithstanding, they resort to dishonesty and reduce the revenue, I deal with them as thou hast seen.”

Thirdly, The Sultán put this question, “That wealth which I acquired while I was a malik, with so much bloodshed at Deogír, does it belong to me or to the public treasury?” The Kází replied, “I am bound to speak the truth to your Majesty. The treasure obtained at Deogír was won by the prowess of the army of Islám, and whatever treasure is so acquired belongs to the public treasury. If your Majesty had gained it yourself alone in a manner allowed by the law, then it would belong to you.” The Sultán was angry with the Kází and said, “What sayest thou? Let thy head beware of what thou utterest. That wealth which I won at the risk of my own life and of the lives of my servants, from Hindus whose names had never been heard of in Delhí, and before I became king, that wealth I have retained and have not brought it into the public treasury. How can treasure won like this belong to the state?” The Kází answered, “Your Majesty has put to me a question of law; if I were not to say what I have read in the book, and your Majesty, to test my opinion, were to ask some other learned man, and his reply, being in opposition to mine, should show that I had given a false opinion, to suit your Majesty's pleasure, what confidence would you have in me, and would you ever afterwards consult me about the law?”

Fourthly, The Sultán asked the Kází what rights he and his children had upon the public treasury. The Kází replied, “The time of my death is at hand,” and upon the Sultán inquiring what he meant, he said, “If I answer your question honestly you will slay me, and if I give an untrue reply I shall hereafter go to hell.” The Sultán said, “State whatever the law decrees, I will not kill thee.” The Kází replied, “If your Majesty will follow the example of the most enlightened Khalífas, and will act upon the highest principle, then you will take for yourself and your establishment the same sum as you have allotted to each fighting man: two hundred and thirty-four tankas. If you would rather take a middle course and should think that you would be disgraced by putting yourself on a par with the army in general, then you may take for yourself and your establishment as much as you have assigned to your chief officers, such as Malik Kírán, etc. * * If your Majesty follows the opinions of politicians,* then you will draw from the treasury more than any other great man receives, so that you may maintain a greater ex­penditure than any other and not suffer your dignity to be lowered. I have put before your Majesty three courses, and all the krors of money and valuables which you take from the treasury and bestow upon your women you will have to answer for in the day of account.” The Sultán was wroth, and said, “Fearest thou not my sword when thou tellest me that all my great expenditure upon my harem is unlawful?” The Kází re­plied, “I do fear your Majesty's sword, and I look upon this my turban as my winding-sheet; but your Majesty questions me about the law, and I answer to the best of my ability. If, how­ever, you ask my advice in a political point of view, then I say that whatever your Majesty spends upon your harem no doubt tends to raise your dignity in the eyes of men; and the exalta­tion of the king's dignity is a requirement of good policy.”