And however much the Emperor sent for him he still remained there, and committed himself to God.

In this year he sent for the renowned Shaikhs from all sides and quarters, and had a private interview with each, and investigated several matters. Most of them made themselves agreeable, having a grant of some bígahs of land in view (may dust be scattered on their heads!), and indulged in flattery, and wheedling, and open blasphemy. And their real intentions broke through their cloke of dissimulation. This is the portion of the enemies [of the Faith]: Morals remained after the loss of Renunciation, Solitude, Trust, Contentment, Aspiration; and even that too men saw stripped from them all, and so suspicion of them crept into other quarters:—

	“This lot of fools are clothed in rags, They mumble some mysterious words.*
(P. 286)	They have never advanced far in sincerity and purity, Though they have destroyed many a good name.”

Of the number of these was Shaikh Cháníldah, successor of the great Shaikh 'Abd-ul-'azíz, an inhabitant of the town of Síwahnah. In accordance with the Emperor's command he went down to the Ibádat Khánah* and began to display and sell perverted prayers. He fore­told that a certain lady of the harem would bring forth a son, but as it so happened that a daughter was born, the prophesy fell rather flat. In the same way Sayyid Háshim Fírozábádí opened that kind of business with a hundred marvels; and they became the cause of discrediting former teachers. But when the Emperor sent for Shaikh Muttahi Afghán Kásí from the Panjáb, in obedience to his summons he came from the monastery on foot in company with the messengers, while they carried his litter behind him. At Fatḥpúr he alighted at the house of Shaikh Jamál Bakhtyár, and sent word: “My eye has not rested on any blessed sign of the Emperor.” So the Em­peror without granting him an audience sent him quickly about his business. Also Shaikh-ul-hadyah Khairábádí came to Court in accordance with a message from the Emperor, who received him standing with great respect. He had traversed the desert of Poverty with the foot of Trust and Solitude, and had not accepted any land from the Emperor. He was very intimate with the own son of Abu-l-Fatḥ, with whom the Author at Samb'hal towards the end of the reign of Islím Sháh, in accordance with the command of the famous Moulawí, the great Master Miyán Ḥátim, Sambhalí (God have mercy on him!), read the Irshád-i Qází, and the commentary thereon. He has now succeeded his father, and is the great autho­rity on all knowledge and practice and Çúfi-ism. When a question was asked Shaikh-ul-hadyah, he pointed to his ear and said: “I hear an exalted word!”, and the Emperor having excused him hastily dismissed him.

In this year low and mean fellows, who pretended to be learned, but were in reality fools, collected evidence (P. 287), that His Majesty was the Çáḥib-i-Zamán, who would remove all differences of opinion among the seventy-two sects of the Islam and the Hin­dús. Sharíf* brought proofs from the writings of Maḥmúd of Basakhwán, that he had said that in the year 990 a certain person would abolish lies, and how he had specified all sorts of inter­pretations of the expression “Professor of the true Religion,” which came to the sum-total 990. And Khwájah Mouláná of Shíráz, the heretic of Jafrdán, came with a pamphlet by some of the Sharífs of Makkah, in which a tradition was quoted to the effect that the earth would exist for 7,000 years, and as that time was now over the promised appearance of the Mahdí would immediately take place. The Mouláná also brought a pamphlet written by himself on the subject. The Shíahs mentioned similar nonsense connected with 'Alí, and quoted the following Rubá'í, which is said to have been composed by Náçir-i-Khusrou, or according to some by another poet:—

“In 989, according to the decree of fate,
The stars from all sides shall meet together.
In the year of Leo, the month of Leo, the day of Leo,
The Lion of God will stand forth from behind the veil.”

All this made the Emperor the more inclined to claim the dignity of a prophet, perhaps I should say, the dignity of something else.*

Meanwhile a despatch arrived from Rájah Todar Mal, stating that all this while he had kept Ma'çúm Khán Farankhúdí along with him by conciliatory treatment, and all sorts of expedients. But that Khwájah Sháh Mançúr Díwán had claimed a good deal of money due from him and Tarsún Muḥammad Khán, and had written them exceedingly harsh and threatening letters and had caused them great annoyance. And, that at this critical juncture these payments were the cause of dissensions in the army. Since the exactions of Sháh Mançúr had several times been reported at Court, the Emperor refused him admittance, and after some days, thinking it the best thing to do, handed him over as a prisoner to Sháh Qulí Khán Muḥarram, and in his place (P. 288) appointed Vazír Khán, brother of Áçaf Khán of Herát, as Díwán-i-kul. And to Qází 'Alí Baghdádí, a heart-troubler, unlucky, preposterous, owl­like, rejected of God and mankind, he granted the honour of being his assistant, that in conjunction they might decide important cases. Glory to God! what a proper combination it was!

At this time they brought a man to Court, who had no ears nor any trace of the orifices of the ear. In spite of this he heard every­thing that was said to him, though the place of the ears was quite level. And in this year, in order to verify the circumstances of this case, an order was issued that several suckling infants should be kept in a secluded place far from habitations, where they should not hear a word spoken. Well-disciplined nurses were to be placed over them, who were to refrain from giving them any instruction in speaking, so as to test the accuracy of the tradition which says: “Every one that is born is born with a natural tendency,” by ascertaining what religion and sect these infants would incline to, and above all what creed they would repeat. To carry out this order about twenty sucklings were taken from their mothers, for a con­sideration in money, and were placed in an empty house, which got the name of “Dumb-house” After three or four years they all turned out dumb, and the appellation of the place turned out pro­phetic. Many of these sucklings became the nurselings of mother earth:—

“My mother is earth, and I am a suckling,
The propensity of children for their mother is not strange.
Soon will it be that resting from trouble
I shall fall drunk with sleep on my mother's bosom.”*

In this year the Emperor sent the prince Dániyál with Shaikh Faizí, who was his teacher, and Shaikh Jamál Bakhtyár, and a number of courtiers to Ajmír. And he presented a donation of 5,020 rupees to the faqírs of that monastery.

In this year Rajah Todar Mal and the other imperial Amírs passed the rainy season in Hájípúr. (P. 289.)

And Ma'çúm Khán Farankhúdí, who was in a discontented state of mind went to Jounpúr without the permission of the Amírs, and broke out into rebellion. The Emperor sent Peshrou Khán, known as Mihtar Sa'ádat, the head of the chamberlain department (dáro-ghah-e-faráshkhánah ), with a farmán to appease him, and the government of Jounpúr was given to Tarsún Khán, and that of Oudh to Ma'çúm Khán Farankhúdí. He uttering some wild speeches like a crazy man, and considering Oudh an out-of-the-way corner of the Empire, went there and began to prepare for war.

Meanwhile Mihtar Sa'ádat came to Court, and again recounted how that Mullá Muḥammad Yazdí had issued a fatwá authorizing rebellion and insurrection. This was the cause of Mullá Muḥam-mad Yazdí and Mír Mu'izz-ul-mulk being sent for, as has been narrated.*

At this time Niyábat Khán, son of Háshim Khán, Níshápúrí, who at the time of the Emperor's going to Patnah had found favour, revolted in Jhosí and Piyáj, which was his jágír; and march­ing against Kaṛah, which sided with Isma'íl Qulí Khán: and an Afghán named Ilyás Khán, who was governor of that place, slew Ilyás Khán in battle. They then laid seige to the fortress, and began to ravage and lay waste the country. The Emperor appointed Isma'íl Qulí Khán Vazír Khán, and Muṭlab Khán, and Shaikh Jamál Bakhtyár, and other Amírs, to march against Niyábat Khán.

Sháh Qulí Khán Muḥarram, and Bírbar bádfarosh,* he sent to Oudh to try and appease Ma'çúm Khán Farankhúdí.

After the departure of Vazír Khán, the Emperor released* Khwá-jah Sháh Mançúr, and reappointed him díwán-i-kul.

When Niyábat Khán heard of the despatch of this army against him, he raised the seige of Kaṛah, and went towards Gasht a depen­dency of the district of Patnah. The Amírs crossed the river and quickly attacked him. He turned back to offer battle, and alone against so many Amírs fought such a desperate battle, that imagina­tion fails to picture it (P. 290). At first he threw their army into utter confusion, and having dismounted Shaikh Jamál spared his life. But eventually he was put to flight, and retreated to Oudh to Ma'çúm Khán.