70 —« Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XVII, 
of the despot, such an institution, rude as it is, or indeed any 
other professing to forward the means of redress, was commend- 
able and might be useful. But its revival in a more advanced 
age betrays an extreme want of legislative skill; and it must 
be confessed that in this, as in many other of Humayiin’s reg- 
ulations that have been noticed, there is a great want of plain 
practical sense, a pedantic application of inapplicable learning, 
and too great an appearance of playing at kings.” (‘ History of 
Baber and Humayun,’ IT, 533-4. 
may add that the drum of justice is associated in 
Oriental tradition with the name of the Sassanian Emperor, 
Khusrt Anishirvan (Chosroes). 
Jahangir takes great credit to himself in the ‘ Tizuk,’ for 
having revived in a slightly altered form, the ‘ institution’ 
and says that Jahangir was following the idea of an old 
Persian King. Itismentioned in the ‘ Siyaral-Muta’akhkhirin’ 
(Reprint, I, 230) that Muhammad Shah in 1721 revived this, and 
ung a long chain with a bell attached to it from the octagon 
tower which looked towards the river.” (Ibid 
imitation of what was attributed to one of the early Chinese 
Emperors, Yu-tu. ‘ Modern Universal History,’ Vol. VII, p. 206. 
And Raja Anangpal had already done the same at Dehli. See 
extract from Mir Khusria’s Nuh Sipihr, supra, Vol. III, p. 565.’ 
Elliot and Dowson, VI, 262.! 
! Jahangir’s bell of justice is described also by Captai i 
\ : : in Hawkins. 
(‘ Hawkins Voyages, Hakluyt Society’s Edition, 1878. 4 434), res 
delslo, who was in India in 1638-9, and paid a visit to Agra has 
Davies, 2nd ed. 1669, p 36.) Manucci says that wh a in 
Day 569, p. 36. en Shah Jahan 
directed the empire, officials walked so uprightly, that in spite of the 
daily beating of the big drum to call into his i 
2 : , call in presence anyone wanting to 
complain of having received an injustice, months and Be aie would pais 
