Exalted son, this verbal story has reached my ears from a reliable source. I write it to you in details so that you may also know it. One day His Majesty (Sháh Jehán) honoured Ali Mardán Khán* and Sa’ad Alláh Khán* with the distinction of special audience before H. M.’s presence; and said eloquently, “The order and management of the kingdom and property simply depend upon wisdom and justice. May God forbid, if an unworthy king attains to the dignity of sovereignty and appoints ministers and nobles having no sound judgment to posts (in the kingdom), absolute disorder will prevail in the management of the country. Then follow the ruin and poverty of the subjects, and the country yields a reduced revenue and (thus) is ruined. For pleasing God you should associate with the pious and the religious. After the five prayers you should pray for me that the splendour of the kingdom may not diminish and that no one may use abusive language. After my death the son who succeeds me* will be helped with good graces. Many times I have been thinking that though the eldest son of sovereignty* possesses dignity and pomp and grandeur and glory, he is an enemy of the good and a friend to the bad.* (Verse) ‘He is good towards the vicious and unfriendly towards the virtuous.’ Shūjá* possesses no quality except generosity. Mūrád Bakhsha* has no virtue at all. He is engaged in eating and drinking and is constantly indulging in wine. But such and such a person, i.e. this humble mortal (i.e. Aurungzebe), seems to me to possess determination and foresight*. Most probably he will be king after me.” Sa’ad Alláh Khán recited the (following) hemistich of ‘the Spiritual Leader’*: “A foresighted man is auspicious.” His Majesty observed, (verse) “Who will be selected by God and towards whom will His inclination be?”