And 'Arab Bahádur was at the same time defeated by Shahbáz Khán, and also took refuge with Ma'çúm Khán. Shahbáz Khán went in pursuit of 'Arab Bahádur, first to Jounpúr, and afterwards to Oudh. Ma'çúm Khán, who had such a quantity of war matériel that, to use an hyperbole, he could have withstood the kings of Irán and Turán both at once, and had thirty or forty banners and tails and kettle-drums in his army, and paraphernalia in the same proportion, hastened to attack Shahbáz Khán, and in the twinkling of an eye overcame him. Shahbáz Khán fled in one day a distance of forty cosses as far as Jounpúr. But by good luck Tarsún Mu-ḥammad Khán, who was in the right wing of Shahbáz Khán's army, had remained hidden in the jungle, and at the moment that the troops of Ma'çúm Khán were dispersed after booty, he with a few followers seizing his opportunity charged in among his disorganized soldiery and defeated him. As soon as Shahbáz Khán heard this news, he hasted back just as quickly as he had gone, and joined the force of Tarsún Muḥammad Khán. He attacked Ma'çúm Khán a second time, and a great battle was fought in the environs of Oudh. This time Ma'çúm Khán was put to fight, and disappeared. His mother and sister and wife and son and his goods and chattels, and all his paraphernalia of pomp and power were taken as spoil. He himself fled headlong, not knowing his crupper from his reins, and took refuge in the Sawálik mountains. This event took place in the month of Zi-ḥájjah* in the year nine hundred and eighty-eight (988).

At this time an organ, which was one of the wonders of creation, and which Ḥájí Ḥabíb-ulláh had brought from Europe, was ex­hibited to mankind. It was like a great box (P. 290) the size of a man. A European sits inside it and plays the strings thereof, and two others outside keep putting their fingers on five peacock-wings ,* and all sorts of sounds come forth. And because the Em­peror was so pleased, the Europeans kept coming at every moment in red and yellow colours, and went from one extravagance to ano­ther. The people at the meeting were astounded at this wonder, and indeed it is impossible for language to do justice to the descrip­tion of it.

At one of the meetings the Emperor asked those who were present to mention each the name of the man, who could be considered the wisest man of the age; but they were not to mention kings, as they formed an exception. Thus Ḥakím Humám mentioned himself, and Shaikh Abu-l-Fazl his own father.

During this time the four degrees of devotion to His Majesty were defined. The four degrees consisted in readiness to sacrifice to the Emperor Property, Life, Honour, and Religion. Whoever had sacrificed these four things possessed the four degrees; and whoever had sacrificed one of these four possessed one degree. All the courtiers now put down their names as faithful disciples of the Throne.