[Resolutions and Appointments]

Having instructed a commission of religious persons to arrange for me a collection of the simple names of God, as far as they could discover, they fur­nished me with a list of five hundred and twenty-two, exactly double the number of those contained in my royal father’s sacred rosary. They arranged these five hundred and twenty-two names under twenty numerical letters (abjed), which I caused to be inscribed (perhaps embroidered) in my mantle.* The evening of Friday throughout the year I devoted invariably to the society of the learned, and of pious and virtuous men of every description. For a twelvemonth prior to my accession to sovereign power I had adopted a resolution, on that evening never, on any consideration, to taste either of wine or any intoxicating beverage whatever. I trust in Providence to enable me to abide by this resolution to the last moment of my existence, even to the awful day of universal reckoning. Hitherto the Almighty has given me grace to persevere in it, and may the same grace be continued to me for the remainder of my life.

I encouraged such individuals as were immediately in attendance about my person, whenever it was found that the stipend was inadequate to their station, and the circumstance should have escaped my own observation, to make known the deficiency to me, in order that the allowance might be respectively increased according to necessity. I gave orders that, until the period of mourning for my father should have expired, the people should abstain from every species of sustenance but that dew made use of by the Souffies. During the same period I also directed that in the celebration of marriage ceremonies, neither drum, nor trumpet, nor any other description of music should be employed in any part of the dominions subject to my authority, on pain of heavy displeasure.

While this ordinance was yet in force, a report was brought to me that a cer­tain Hâkim Ally was celebrating the marriage of his son, and that in the enter­tainment which he was giving on the occasion, he had assembled at his house in the presence of the Kauzy the whole of a band of music belonging to Killidje Khaun, and that in fact the whole city resounded with the noise. I despatched Mahommed Tekky to remind him, that as his obligations to the bounty of my father were great, it might have been expected that he, beyond all other men, would have been overwhelmed with grief, shame, and sorrow: was this then the only period which he could find for the marriage of his son, and its noisy festivities? When the messenger appeared among them the party seemed absorbed in all the intoxication of mirth and jollity; but when the message was delivered, it was amusing to see the sudden change into confusion and dismay. Penetrated with remorse for such a proof of thoughtless levity, the same Hâkim Ally, as an atonement, brought me a chaplet of pearl of the value of a lak of rupees, of which at the moment I condescended to accept; but some days afterwards, sending for him to my presence, I threw the chaplet round his neck. It never could, in truth, afford me any real gratification to receive from any vassals gifts or presents in any shape: on the contrary, towards my hand should their eyes ever be turned; and so long as I retain the means, so long is it my part to bestow upon every one favour and rewards according to merit.

I bestowed upon Mahommed Khaun, now appointed to succeed to the govern­ment of the Punjaub, the donation of one lak of rupees, together with a costly dress, and a scimitar, belt, and dagger, all richly set with diamonds and other precious stones. This chief is of the family of the khauns of Ferrah. About the same time I despatched Mahommed Rezza with fifty thousand rupees, to be distributed among the poor and other inmates of the sacred or consecrated places at Dehly. I conferred the office of vezzeir of the empire upon Vezzeir Khaun, having, while yet only first prince of the blood, already bestowed upon him the title of Vezzeir-ul-Moulk, and advanced him from the command of five hundred to that of one thousand horse.

It is to be remembered that Sheikh Fereid Bokhaury was of the stock of Sheikh Jullaul, who was a distinguished disciple of Sheikh Behâ-ud-dein Zekka­reiah of Multân. The ancestor in the fourth degree of Sheikh Fereid was Seyed Abdul Ghoffaur of Dehly; and this latter had bequeathed it to his children as an irrevocable charge, never to engage themselves as civil stipendiaries, but to devote their services entirely to the hazards of a military life. They are illus­trious among the Seyeds of Bokhara. Sheikh Fereid had previously held the rank of four thousand, but I advanced him to that of five thousand, with the appendages of the great drum and standard.

To Mirza Rûstum, the son of Mirza Sûltan Hûsseyne, governor of Kandahâr; to Abdurrahim Khaun, who bears the title of Khaun Khanan, and who is the son of Beiram Khaun Kuzzelbaush (red cap);* and to his two sons, Eiridje and Darab; and lastly, to Sheir Khojah, of the family of Mirza Ally Beg Akbar-shâhy, I transmitted respectively, suitable to their rank, the proper khelauts, or dresses of honour, together with baldrics and swords enriched with precious stones, and horses with caparisons enriched in the same manner.* The son of Abdurrah­man Vaeg, on the contrary, who had left his post without invitation, I ordered back in displeasure: for the best proof of zeal is obedience, not verbal pro­fession.

Lâla Beg, the Kabûlite, had received from me, previous to my accession, the title of Bauz Bahauder; but about a month subsequent to my ascending the throne, coming to render homage to me, I raised him from the rank of one thou­sand to that of two thousand horse, and invested him in the government of Bahâr, presenting him at the same time with a donation of one lak of rupees; the feudatories of the provinces, of whatever rank, being publicly apprized that it was at the discretion of Bauz Bahauder to put any to death who disobeyed or resisted his authority. I provided moreover that his jaguir, or fee, should be of a higher value than that of any of his subordinates; for I could not but bear in mind that he belonged to that class of the soldiery most faithfully devoted to my family. His father, I must observe, bore the name of Nizam-e-kabaub,* and he was Chirâghtchei, or conductor of the flambeaux, or lamplighter to my uncle.

To the only son of the deceased Mahommed Hakaim Mirza of Kabûl, who previously held the rank of five hundred, I now gave that of one thousand; and Kanûjen, a Raujpout Mahratta, distinguished beyond his equals for loyalty towards my person, I raised from the rank of eight hundred to that of fifteen hundred horses.

Meiran Suddur-ud-dein, who held the rank of three hundred only, I advanced to that of a thousand. This person was one of the oldest on the list of my father’s servants, and at the period when Sheikh Abdul Nebby was instructing me to read the forty traditions, was employed in the imperial library. In truth I can allege, that I ever looked upon him as my khalifah, or supreme pontiff. But in my father’s esteem no person held so lofty a place as my preceptor Abdul Nebby; unless it were, indeed, Mekhdoum-ul-Moulk, whose original name was Sheikh Abdullah, and who in science, good sense, and narrative eloquence, was without his equal in the age in which he lived. He was a man far advanced in years, and had in early life possessed unbounded influence with Sheir Khaun the Afghan, and his son Seleim Khaun. He was, moreover, unrivalled in his knowledge of the heavenly bodies: and yet his star did not brighten in the esteem of my father. In the end, Sheikh Abdul Nebby gained the advance.

When Hakim Hammaum was appointed on his embassy to Ma-wer-un-neher, (Transoxiana), Meiran Suddur Jahaun (the same referred to as Suddur-ud-dein) was despatched on the mission of condolence on the death of the father of Abdullah Khaun, monarch of the Ouzbeks. On his return after an absence of three years, my father thought fit to place him in a military station; and he was at different periods advanced to the rank or two thousand, and to the important trust of suddur, or grand almoner of the empire. I shall finally observe that, under whatever change of circumstance, Meiran Suddur Jahaun has always evinced an unabated zeal in his attachment to my interests; neither is he in any degree deficient in any of the qualities of true courage and virtue: and it might be truly said that his affection towards me was a sentiment implanted in his heart from his very cradle, so meritoriously has he ever discharged the claims of gratitude and true loyalty. When yet only prince royal, I had freely engaged either to advance him to any rank he might require, or to discharge for him any debts he might have contracted, to whatever amount. In fulfilment of such engagement, when placed by Omnipotence on the throne of Hindûstaun, I com­municated to him accordingly, that I was prepared to make good my promise in either of the alternatives that he might determine upon. The bukhshies of my court announced to me in reply from the Suddur, that if the command of four thousand were conferred upon him, he would trust to his own resources for the liquidation of his debts.

In compliance with this request, although at variance with the rule which I had prescribed myself, never in the first instance to bestow a higher rank than that of one hundred, I created him a grandee of the class of four thou­sand. In truth, considering the heart as the genuine seat of true devotion, I esteem the securing to myself of one such faithful heart not inferior in merit to a thousand grand pilgrimages to the sacred cities. Neither would I neglect, so far as compliance rests within my power, to fulfil the just expectations of any man, without distinction of infidel or true believer. This age-stricken ruin of a world has survived hundreds of thousands such as I am; what then can be more desirable than to do something in the fleeting present, of the merit of which we may avail ourselves in an eternal hereafter? Even in this world, the advantages of a benevolent action, of gaining to ourselves the attachment of mankind, are beyond all price; and for my part, I should derive a greater satisfaction from rejoicing the heart of a single individual, than from leaving behind me jewels and gold by the horse-load, to be squandered by a profligate heir.