The author of this history, who arrived at Bíjánagar at the close of Zí-hijja, took up his abode in a lofty mansion which had been assigned to him, resembling that which one sees in Hirát on the high ground at the King's Gate. Here he reposed himself after the fatigues of the journey for several days, and passed under happy auspices the first day of the new moon of Muharram in that splendid city and beautiful abode.
One day messengers came from the king to summon me, and towards the evening I went to the Court, and presented five beautiful horses and two trays,* each containing nine pieces of damask and satin. The king was seated in great state in the forty-pillared hall, and a great crowd of Brahmans and others stood on the right and left of him. He was clothed in a robe of zaitún* satin, and he had round his neck a collar composed of pure pearls of regal excellence, the value of which a jeweller would find it difficult to calculate. He was of an olive colour, of a spare body, and rather tall. He was exceedingly young, for there was only some slight down upon his cheeks, and none upon his chin. His whole appearance was very prepossessing. On being presented to him, I bowed down my head. He received me kindly, and seated me near him, and, taking the august letter of the emperor,* made it over (to the interpreters), and said, “My heart is exceedingly glad that the great king has sent an ambassador to me.” As I was in a profuse perspiration from the excessive heat and the quantity of clothes which I had on me, the monarch took compassion on me, and favoured me with a fan of Khatáí which he held in his hand. They then brought a tray, and gave me two packets of betel, a purse containing 500 fanams, and about 20 miskáls of camphor, and, obtaining leave to depart, I returned to my lodging. The daily provision forwarded to me comprised two sheep, four couple of fowls, five mans of rice, one man of butter, one man of sugar, and two varáhas in gold. This occurred every day. Twice a week I was summoned to the presence towards the evening, when the king asked me several questions respecting the Khákán-i Sa'id, and each time I received a packet of betel, a purse of fanams, and some miskáls of camphor.
The monarch addressed us through his interpreter, and said, “Your kings feast ambassadors and place dishes before them, but as I and you cannot eat together,
“This purse of gold represents the repast of an ambassador.”
This betel is a leaf which resembles that of an orange, but is longer. It is held in great esteem in Hindustán, in the many parts of Arabia, and the kingdom of Hormúz; and indeed it deserves its reputation. It is eaten in this way: they bruise a piece of areca nut, which they also call supárí, and place it in the mouth; and moistening a leaf of betel or pán together with a grain of quick-lime, they rub one on the other; roll them up together, and place them in the mouth. Thus they place as many as four leaves together in their mouths, and chew them. Sometimes they mix camphor with it, and from time to time discharge their spittle, which becomes red from the use of the betel.
This masticatory lightens up the countenance and excites an intoxication like that caused by wine. It relieves hunger, stimulates the organs of digestion, disinfects the breath, and strengthens the teeth. It is impossible to describe, and delicacy forbids me to expatiate on its invigorating and aphrodisiac virtues. The following verses display and confirm only some of its valuable properties.
It is probably owing to the stimulating properties of this leaf, and to the aid of this plant, that the king of that country is enabled to entertain so large a seraglio; for it is said that it contains as many as 700 princesses and concubines. With respect to all these establishments no male child is permitted to remain in them after attaining the age of ten years. Two women do not dwell together in the same apartment, each one having her concerns separate. When any beautiful girl is found throughout the whole kingdom, after the consent of her father and mother has been purchased, she is brought in great state to the harem, after which no one can see her; but she is treated with great consideration.
At the time that the writer of this history was detained at the city of Kálíkot an extraordinary circumstance and singular transaction occurred in the city of Bíjánagar. The details are these. The brother of the king had constructed a new house, and invited the king and the nobles of state to an entertainment. The custom of the infidels is, not to eat in the presence of one another. The guests were seated in a large hall, and, from time to time, the host, or some one that he sent, invited one of the nobles to come forward and partake of the viands prepared for him. He had taken care to collect together all the drums, tymbals, trumpets, and horns in the city, which were beaten and blown together with great force and dissonance. As each guest was summoned and conducted to the proper apartment, two assassins advanced from the place of their concealment behind the door, and, wounding him with a dagger, cut him to pieces. When his remains were carried off, another one was summoned and treated in like manner, and whoever entered that slaughter-house was never heard of more, for he became like a traveller on the road of eternity; and the tongue of fortune addressed the murdered man in these words—
“You will never return; having gone, you have gone for ever.”
From the noise of the drums and the clangour and the tumult, not a soul knew what had occurred, except a few who were in the secret: and in this manner every one who had a name and position in the State was murdered. While the assembly was yet reeking with the blood of its victims, the murderer went to the palace of the king, and, addressing the guards with flattering language, invited them also to the entertainment, and sent them to follow the others; and thus, having denuded the palace of the guards, he advanced to the king, bearing in his hand a tray of betel, in which there was a brilliant dagger concealed beneath the leaves, and thus addressed the monarch: “The entertainment is prepared, and only waits your august presence.” The monarch, according to the saying, powerful princes are divinely inspired, said that he was indisposed, and begged that his attendance might be excused.
When this unnatural brother despaired of the king's attendance, he drew forth the poignard, and wounded him several times severely, so that the monarch fell down behind the throne; and the perfidious wretch, believing that he was dead, left one of his myrmidons behind to cut off the king's head. He himself rushed out to the portico of the palace, and exclaimed, “I have killed the king, his brothers, the nobles, the ministers, and the other chiefs, and I am now your king.” But when the bravo advanced to fulfil his murderous orders, the king, seizing the seat behind which he had fallen, dealt with it such a blow upon the breast of the villain, that he felled him to the ground, and, assisted by one of his guards, who in alarm had concealed himself in a corner, put him to death, and ran out of the chamber by the way of the female apartments. While his brother, seated at the head of the tribunal of justice, was inviting the people to recognize him as their sovereign, the king himself came forward and exclaimed, “Behold, I am alive and safe, seize the assassin.” The multitude immediately bore him down, and slew him. The king then summoned to his presence his other brothers, and all the nobles; but every one had been slain except the minister, the Danáík, who, previous to this dreadful tragedy, had gone to Sílán. A courier was despatched to summon him, and inform him of what had transpired. All those who had been concerned in that plot, were either flayed alive, or burnt to death, or destroyed in some other fashion, and their families were altogether exterminated. The person who had brought the invitation* was also put to death. When the Danáík had returned from his tour, and had become acquainted with all that had transpired, he was astounded, and after being admitted to the honour of kissing the royal feet, he offered up his thanks for the safety of the king's person, and made more than usual preparations to celebrate the festival of Mahanáwí.*