The Sultán was very diligent in providing slaves, and he carried his care so far as to command his great fief-holders and officers to capture slaves whenever they were at war, and to pick out and send the best for the service of the court. When the feudatories went to court, each one according to his ability took with him beautiful slaves, dressed and ornamented in the most splendid style. They also, when they paid their annual visit, brought other presents suited to their means and station—high-priced horses of the best breeds, fine elephants, valuable gar­ments of every kind, vessels of gold and silver, arms, camels and mules,—each man according to the extent of his fief, some as many as a hundred, some fifty, some twenty, and some eleven. They also brought slaves. Under an edict of the Sultán, all the presents which the feudatories brought were valued, and the amount was deducted from the dues payable by them to the Government. This was a regulation established by Sultán Fíroz. Before his time, in the reigns of his predecessors, the feudatories brought whatever they could, but no remission in their payments was made in consideration of their presents. Sultán Fíroz saw that the expenses of his feudatories were very large, and decreed that they should not be required to make presents.

From this arrangement two advantages were expected—the chieftains' pride would be spared (the fear of being outdone), and the gifts themselves would be more worthy of the Sultán's notice. This regulation remained in force for forty years throughout the reign. Those chiefs who brought many slaves received the highest favour, and those who brought few re­ceived proportionately little consideration. When the chiefs perceived the Sultán's eagerness for slaves, and that their efforts to get them were highly appreciated, they exerted themselves in providing them, and the numbers brought every year exceed description. Great numbers of slaves were thus collected, and when they were found to be in excess, the Sultán sent them to Multán, Dípálpúr, Hisár-Fírozah, Sámána, Gujarát, and all the other feudal dependencies. In all cases provision was made for their support in a liberal manner. In some places they were provided for in the army, and villages were granted to them; those who were placed in cities had ample allowances, varying from 100 down to 10 tankas, which was the lowest amount. These allowances were paid in full, without any deduction, at the treasury, every six, four, or three months.

Some of the slaves spent their time in reading and committing to memory the holy book, others in religious studies, others in copying books. Some, with the Sultán's leave, went to the temple at Mecca. Some were placed under tradesmen and were taught mechanical arts, so that about 12,000 slaves became artisans (kásib) of various kinds. Forty thousand were every day in readi­ness to attend as guards in the Sultán's equipage or at the palace. Altogether, in the city and in the various fiefs there were 180,000 slaves, for whose maintenance and comfort the Sultán took especial care. The institution took root in the very centre of the land, and the Sultán looked upon its due regulation as one of his incumbent duties. To such an extent were matters carried that there was a distinct muster-master (majmú'-dar) of the slaves, a separate treasury for the payment of their allowances, a separate jáo-shughúrí, and deputy jáo-shughúrí,* and a distinct díwán, that is to say, the officers for administering the affairs of the slaves (asháb-i díwán-i bandagán), were entirely distinct from those under the Prime Minister (asháb-i díwán-i 'ala-e wizárat).

When the Sultán went out in state the slaves accompanied him in distinct corps—first the archers, fully armed, next the swordsmen, thousands in number (hazár hazár), the fighting men (bandagán-i áward), the bandagán-i máhilí* riding on male buffa­loes, and slaves from the Hazára, mounted on Arab and Turkí horses, bearing standards and axes. These all, thousands upon thousands, accompanied the royal retinue. The slaves increased to such a degree that they were employed in all sorts of domestic duties, as water coolers, butlers [etc., etc.]. In fact there was no occupation in which the slaves of Fíroz Sháh were not employed. None of the Sultán's predecessors had ever collected so many slaves. The late Sultán 'Aláu-d dín had drawn together about 50,000 slaves, but after him no Sultán had directed his attention to raising a body of them until Sultán Fíroz adopted the practice. * * * When the slaves under the great feudal chieftains became too numerous, some of them, by order of the Sultán, were given into the charge of amírs and maliks, that they might learn the duties of their respective employments. These amírs and maliks treated them like children, providing them with food and raiment, lodging them and training them, and taking every care for their wants. Each year they took their slaves to court, and reported upon their merits and abilities. These reports were received by the Sultán with great interest. Such was the care and attention which Sultán Fíroz devoted to his slaves; but after his death, the heads of these his favoured servants were cut off without mercy, and were made into heaps in front of the darbár, as I will describe in my chapter on the reign of Sultán Muhammad bin Fíroz.

Third Mukaddama.—Arrival of robes from the Khalífa.

The author has described how a robe was sent by the Khalífa to Sultán Muhammad bin Tughlik Sháh, in the account (zikr) which he wrote of that Sultán. A similar robe was now sent to Fíroz Tughlik with great courtesy and marks of respect. Three robes in all were sent, one for the Sultán, one for the Prince Fath Khán, and one for Khán-i Jahán. * * *

Fourth Mukaddama.—How Sultán Fíroz used to sit in State.

There were three palaces in which Sultán Fíroz used to sit publicly in state. One was the Mahal-í sahan-i gilín* (the palace of the clayey quadrangle). It was also called the Mahal-i dikh, i.e., the Mahal-i angúr, or Palace of Grapes. The second was called Mahal-i chhaja-i* chobín. The third was the Mahal-i bár-i 'ámm, or Palace of the Public Court, and it was also called Sahn-i miyánagí, the central quadrangle. The first palace was appropriated to the reception of the kháns, maliks, amírs, officials and distinguished literary men. The Mahal-i chhaja chobín was for the reception of the principal personal attendants. The palace of the Sahn-i miyánagí was used for general receptions. * * *

Sultán Fíroz had given up residing in Dehlí, and stayed at Fírozábád. When it was necessary to hold a court, he left his devotions [which are described] and proceeded to the capital to hold his Court. [Precedence, ceremonial, and dress.] Khán-i Jahán, the wazír of the State, used to sit on the right near the throne. The Amír-i Mu'azzam Amír Ahmád Ikbál sat higher up and a little (yak zánú) behind Khán-i Jahán, which position was considered to be neither higher nor lower than that of the Khán. Malik Nizámu-l Mulk, Amír Husain, Amír Mírán, who were deputies of the wazír, sat near the throne below Khán-i Jahán. [Positions of the various officials.] In those days the humble author of this work, Shams-i Siráj 'Afíf, used to go into the reception chamber, under the royal regulations, in at­tendance upon the officers of the wazír's department. [Precedence and ceremonial of the Court. Reception of the Shaikhu-l Islám.]

Fifth Mukaddama.—Prosperity and happiness of the nobles.

During the reign of Fíroz Sháh * * * all men, high and low, bond and free, lived happily and free from care. * * * When the Sultán went to the palace, at the “grand city” of Fírozábád, the Khán-i Jahán used to make preparations some days before­hand for his reception, by having the palace whitewashed and ornamented with pictures. Every possible care was taken by the Khán for the proper reception of the Sultán. [Splendour and ceremonial of the Court. Easy condition of the people.] Things were so plentiful and cheap; and the people were so well to do, and enjoyed such ease, that the poorest married their daughters at a very early age. Nothing in the least degree unpleasant or disagreeable happened during his reign; how wonderful is it that, since his decease, the city of Dehlí has been turned up­side down. Those who survive will ever call to mind the reign of Fíroz Sháh, and exclaim, “The reign of Fíroz will always dwell upon the memory, and can never be forgotten.”