That palace, which they called Hajjah, was so arranged, that each house in it had a double court. Where there are two courts, they call it in those parts Hajjah. All round the gate of my residence were lofty buildings with houses and porticos; the situation was very healthy and airy. It lies in an open space in the city. Its northern portico is to the east of a bázár of great extent, as much as thirty yards wide and about two kos long. Before each shop was a beautiful green tree, and the whole bázár was extremely clean and pure. It was filled with rare goods, such as are not seen or heard of in any other town. There were shops of cloth-sellers, jewellers, armourers, vintners, bakers, fishmongers, and cooks. To give some idea of the whole bázár, I will describe a small section in detail.
In the jewellers' shops were jewels of all sorts, wrought into
a variety of articles, such as daggers, knives, mirrors, necklaces,
and also into the form of birds, such as parrots, doves and peacocks,
etc., all studded with valuable jewels, and arranged upon
shelves, rising one above the other. By the side of this shop will
be a baker's, with rare viands, placed in the same manner, upon
tiers of shelves. Further on a linendraper's, with all kinds
of cloths, shelved in like manner. Then a clothier's. Then a
spirit-merchant's, with various sorts of china vessels, valuable
crystal bottles, and costly cups, filled with choice and rare
essences, arrayed on shelves, while in front of the shop were jars
of double-distilled spirits. Beside that shop will be a fruiterer's,
filled with all kinds of fruit and sweetmeats, such as pistachio-
On another side may be a wine-merchant's shop, and an establishment
of singers and dancers, beautiful women adorned with
various kinds of jewels, and fair-faced choristers, all ready to
perform whatever may be desired of them. In short, the whole
bázár was filled with wine and beauty, dancers, perfumes, jewels
of all sorts, palaces, and viands. In one street were a thousand
bands of people drinking, and dancers, lovers, and pleasure-
At that time the Emperor used to retire for a long interval, after evening prayers, during which time the servants and courtiers used to disperse, assembling again when they expected His Majesty to re-appear. That evening he happened to come out sooner than usual, to hear the news from the Dakhin, and at first found none of the servants in the palace. When he came near the throne and couch, he saw a luckless lamplighter, coiled up like a snake, in a careless death-like sleep, close to the royal couch. Enraged at the sight, he ordered him to be thrown from the tower, and he was dashed into a thousand pieces. In the midst of his anger, the unhappy Khwája Amíru-d dín, whose watch it was, came in sight. Akbar addressed him with harshness and anger, and after abusing and disgracing him, turned him out of the tower, and ordered him instantly to start off and join the Prince's camp. He severely reprehended Daulat Khán, who was also on guard at the time, and disgraced and dishonoured him. Even Rám Dás had a share in that misfortune, but he was not so severely punished. The Emperor then sat down on the royal couch, and in great fear I approached and saluted him.
As soon as his eyes fell upon me, he bestowed upon me the office which Khwája Amíru-d dín had held for some years, and in which he had enjoyed great respect and honour, and at the same time said to Rám Dás, “I have bestowed the office of that wretch on Asad: we shall see how he conducts himself. Bring him now to do homage.”
In Bíjápúr I had found some tobacco. Never having seen the like in India, I brought some with me, and prepared a handsome pipe of jewel work. The stem, the finest to be procured at Achin, was three cubits in length, beautifully dried and coloured, both ends being adorned with jewels and enamel. I happened to come across a very handsome mouthpiece of Yaman cornelian, oval-shaped, which I set to the stem; the whole was very handsome. There was also a golden burner for lighting it, as a proper accompaniment. 'Ádil Khán had given me a betel bag, of very superior workmanship; this I filled with fine tobacco, such, that if one leaf be lit, the whole will continue burning. I arranged all elegantly on a silver tray. I had a silver tube made to keep the stem in, and that too was covered with purple velvet.
His Majesty was enjoying himself, after receiving my presents, and asking me how I had collected so many strange things in so short a time, when his eye fell upon the tray with the pipe and its appurtenances; he expressed great surprise, and examined the tobacco, which was made up in pipefuls; he inquired what it was, and where I had got it. The Nawáb Khán-i 'Azam replied: “This is tobacco, which is well known in Mecca and Medína, and this doctor has brought it as a medicine for Your Majesty.” His Majesty looked at it, and ordered me to prepare and take him a pipeful. He began to smoke it, when his physician approached and forbade his doing so. But His Majesty was graciously pleased to say he must smoke a little to gratify me, and taking the mouthpiece into his sacred mouth, drew two or three breaths. The physician was in great trouble, and would not let him do more. He took the pipe from his mouth, and bid the Khán-i 'Azam try it, who took two or three puffs. He then sent for his druggist, and asked what were its peculiar qualities. He replied that there was no mention of it in his books; but that it was a new invention, and the stems were imported from China, and the European doctors had written much in its praise. The first physician said, “In fact, this is an untried medicine, about which the doctors have written nothing. How can we describe to Your Majesty the qualities of such unknown things? It is not fitting that Your Majesty should try it.” I said to the first physician, “The Europeans are not so foolish as not to know all about it; there are wise men among them who seldom err or commit mistakes. How can you, before you have tried a thing and found out all its qualities, pass a judgment on it that can be depended on by the physicians, kings, great men, and nobles? Things must be judged of according to their good or bad qualities, and the decision must be according to the facts of the case.” The physician replied, “We do not want to follow the Europeans, and adopt a custom, which is not sanctioned by our own wise men, without trial.” I said, “It is a strange thing, for every custom in the world has been new at one time or other; from the days of Adam till now, they have gradually been invented. When a new thing is introduced among a people, and becomes well known in the world, every one adopts it; wise men and physicians should determine according to the good or bad qualities of a thing; the good qualities may not appear at once. Thus the China root, not known anciently, has been newly discovered, and is useful in many diseases.” When the Emperor heard me dispute and reason with the physician, he was astonished, and being much pleased, gave me his blessing, and then said to Khán-i 'Azam, “Did you hear how wisely Asad spoke? Truly, we must not reject a thing that has been adopted by the wise men of other nations merely because we cannot find it in our books; or how shall we progress?” The physician was going to say more, when His Majesty stopped him and called for the priest. The priest ascribed many good qualities to it, but no one could persuade the physician; nevertheless, he was a good physician.
As I had brought a large supply of tobacco and pipes, I sent some to several of the nobles, while others sent to ask for some; indeed, all, without exception, wanted some, and the practice was introduced. After that the merchants began to sell it, so the custom of smoking spread rapidly. His Majesty, however, did not adopt it.
At last orders were passed, that royal farmáns should be addressed to the governors of the provinces of the Dakhin, namely, Bíjápúr, Golconda, Bídar, and the Carnatic. His Majesty said to me, “You went before, in great discomfort, to fetch Mír Jamálu-d dín and the daughter of 'Ádil Khán and the presents, because it was necessary. But this time you must go in state to the four provinces of the Dakhin, and remain in each place so long as may be necessary, to collect whatever they may have of fine elephants and rare jewels throughout their dominions, to bring back with you. Their money you may keep. I want nothing but their choice and rare elephants and jewels. You must secure things of this kind for the Government, the rest I give you. You must not relax your efforts as long as there is one fine elephant or rare jewel out of your grasp in the Dakhin.” In short, I was sent for these purposes. But nearly two months passed from the time of my first appointment before I received my dismissal. Again His Majesty said, “Don't trouble yourself about money; all those countries are at your disposal, and shall come to you.” I made my preparations according to these gracious and kind orders. Though I was only a commander of 200, I enlisted 600 chosen horsemen of I'rák, Khurásán, and Turkistán; many among them being men of rank. To each servant I gave a fine horse and three or four months' pay in advance. Even commanders of 1000 or 2000 could not boast of so well-accoutred a train as was then assembled. I appointed Sháh 'Alí of Ispahán, a beautiful writer, as my bakhshí, and hired 100 musketeers, 100 guards and servants, and 100 archers. In short, I made great preparations.