AUTHORITIES OP MOSULMA^ LAW. 509 



catalo2:ue of books appertaining to the Ni'ia7?iut Adalut 

 (among which is an incoiKpkte copy of the Arabic 

 Futazva-i AdJumgecree) the kii%ee ool koozat describes 

 this work in the following terms : — *' It was com- 

 menced A, H. lOo:*, corresponding with the llth 

 year of Aa'lumgeer's reign. Credible persons have 

 related, that when Meetza' Ka'zim, author of the 

 AiihifTtgeernaniah, had finished, and presented to his 

 Majesty, the history of the first ten years of the reign, 

 it occurred to the King that there were many books 

 of history in the world, and thut fi"om the inchnation 

 which mankind have to read such books, they are 

 composed without orders from Kings and Nobles ; 

 that the foundiirion of good governm.ent is justice ; 

 and that this depends upon a knowledge of the 

 ordinances of the law; that although the learned of 

 every age had compiled expositions of the law, 

 yet in some instances the examples were so dis- 

 persed that they could not recdily be found, when 

 required ; and in others, the cases of less weight were 

 not distinguished from those adjudged to be authorita- 

 tive ; whilst some decisions also had been unnecessarily 

 repeated ; and others, tliongh requisite, had been 

 omitted ; wherefore it was proper that, in the present 

 reign, a new Fulazva should be compiled, to be ar- 

 ranged in the m.o&t approved manner ; and to contain 

 the most authoritative dccis ons of law, including eyciy 

 useful case, which had been adjudged, without repeti- 

 tion or omission. As scon as the King had formed 

 tins design, he ordered Meebza' Kazim to discontinue 

 \vr\t.\ng:' the Aahirfi'retr?i{2j7i(i/: ; and not to take in future 

 the sum allotted for it from the royal treasury, fie 

 then assembled a number of eminent lawyers from the 

 Piinjau, the environs of Shahjahan ahad, Akhur alnul. 

 l]ah-al\id^ and the Di'.UiU7i ; and employed them in 

 compiling the work, which was afterwards called tiie 



