1699. LETTER CLXX.

Hidáyat Keesh* and Ikhalás Andeesh boast much of their being converted into Islam. (But) their boasting is unnecessary. The former boasts in my presence while the latter displays a bad disposition before prince A’azam. You should make them understand (not to behave in this way). (Verse) “O Nakhashaby*! get up and put up with time; otherwise you will be a butt for the world (i.e., you will be ruined in the world). The wise men of the world say, ‘Wisdom consists in putting up with time’”. May God make you listen with your ears and see with your eyes. May peace be upon men of discretion and of virtue. You may have heard the details of the conduct of these two ungrateful wretches towards the prince. What can be done? There is no remedy for one’s affairs. I gave orders according to the requests of these ungrateful wretches. (But now) I issued an order to imprison them. It was not known that these irreligious persons would become so very impudent as to represent untruth to the prince and to attribute untrue things to this auspicious person (i.e., Aurungzebe himself). Very well. A friend and friendship must be constant. If the High God wishes I will look to their cases.

According to (my) order you should write a letter to prince A’azam and send it soon to him with Iaar Ali Beg:* “In order to shew partiality to the most stupid Afazal, you have not dismissed the tyrant, Hasan Beg of Chakleh Kūrá. The inhabitants of this place lament constantly, strike their heads against the ground (i.e., bewail) and say, (verse) ‘If you will not give us justice, there is the day of judgment for our justice’. The last remedy is of branding, i.e., this Chakleh will be deprived of your ‘jághir’ and you will have no recompense for that*. The earth is firm and the sky is far away. The trustworthy agent (or the trustee) said to the secretary (or the minister) before the land­lord and the subjects, ‘It is easy to be a secretary but it is difficult to be a trustee’. In some of the districts your army get money by oppressing the people. You should select God-fearing and virtuous men, look carefully into their character, and appoint them (in the places at present filled by the tyrants), so that both you and I will be free from responsibility on the day of judgment. Officers should not be the relatives and brothers of a minister and reporters should not be the sons of a ‘faujdár’ and of a trustee”.