D. G. Serial. TITLES OF THE ANECDOTES.
      Part III, Chapter XIX = LXIX: On the Contemptibility of Tale-bearing and Spying.
f261a f273b 1721 Introduction illustrated by verses of the Qur’án. A citizen invites a military chief and entertains him with a royal dish, forbidden to the public; the chief reports the matter to the Kisrá, whereupon the Persian king severely chastises him for his ingratitude and tale-bearing. (The Ta’ríkh-i-Mulúk-i-‘Ajam as the source, see above, pp. 55—6).
1722 A malicious slave creates a disaster by setting his master and his master’s wife against each other by devilish reports.
f261b f274a 1723 The Caliph al-Mu‘tadhid warns a tale-bearer of the consequences, if his report proved to be false, and chastises him for neglecting his obligations to his neighbour.
f262a 1724 ‘Abdu’l-Malik b. Marwán’s counsel to his favourite Qabíṣa: never to tell lies, never to flatter him, and never to impeach others in his presence.
1725 al-Mu‘taṣim curses a secret reporter for bringing to his notice the legacy left by a chief of the army.
1726 A spy returns disappointed from the court of ‘Abdu’l-Malik, after hearing his warning to the tale-bearers.
f262b 1727 al-‘Attábí, the poet, is accused of heresy (I‘tizál), and is brought before the Caliph Hárún; Yaḥyá, the Barmecide, intercedes and restores him to the favour of the Caliph, and punishes the false reporter. (See Ibn Khallikán (Wüst.), Biog. No. 538, for the verses cited).
f274b 1728 Túmán (?), the son of a slave, gets into the favour of the Amír ‘Abdu’r-Rashíd of Ghazna, and terrorises the people by espionage; Khwája Abú Ṭáhir Ḥusayn is sent to India for investigation, and on his report to the Ṣáḥib-i-Díwán Abu’l-Fadhl Bayhaqí, Túmán is dismissed, but later on again comes into power and ruins the whole state, which ultimately leads to the murder of the Amír and rebellion in the country. (The Ta’ríkh-i-Náṣirí as the source, see above, pp. 62—3).
f263b f275a 1729 Jamál, the Pársá, (or pious) persuades the Qádhí Muḥammad Gardízí to impeach Ḥusámu’d-Dín Aghlabak for extortion, upon which Abú Sa‘d al-Junaydí Niẓámu’l-Mulk, the Wazír of Iltutmish, appoints Abú Bakr ‘Imádu’l-Mulk Sharafu’d-Dín, the general, to investigate the affairs of the people of Miyána, and when the charges were proved false, the mischievous Qádhí and the slanderous Jamál were publicly disgraced.
      The chapter ends with a eulogy on the illustrious Wazír.