17i Blochmann — On Mr. Beales Fathpur Sikri Inscriptions. [August, 



Fathpur Si'kri'. 



The village of Sikri was called Fathpur by Akbar in memory of 

 his conquest of Gujarat. 



1. 



The High Gate, or ' Baland Darwazah,' in front of Akbar's Masjid at 

 Fathpur Sikri was built in 983 A. H., or A. D. 1575, as appears from tha 

 tarikh (metre, Mutaqdrib) — 



It rivals the portico of the high heaven. 

 It bears the following Arabic and Persian inscription — 



JlajG ^^ ^L:L^(^i.lA^4.*5 ^ J Uj^A^li g^kijl Uij.Jf ^il^Jf &xii> j^m-ap jls 

 AlJf ^^/c i>.JJj ^ AJLi <Xa1J' <Xx/a ^j^Jj »^J./^i| ^yh Js^^^ jUL^]^9 - l^/ «X^Jjif ^ 



Jesus, — upon whom be peace ! — said, ' The world is a bridge ; pass over it and do 

 not cultivate it.' It is written in the Hadis, ' He who thanks that he will live to-mor- 

 row, may as well think that he will live for ever.' The world is called a moment ; there- 

 fore make it an act of worship. The remainder of one's life has no value. It is also said 

 in the Hadis, ' He who comes to prayer and his heart is not with him, will only increase 

 his distance from God.' ' The best property is what is spent on the road of God.' Sell- 

 ino" the world for the life to come is profitable. Poverty is a realm in which there is 

 God's reward. 



1. N a m i, how would it be, if thou didst make a place of worship, and if thou didst 

 take refuge in the gilded castle [of Paradise]. 



2. Look upon the beauty of the world as upon a looking-glass : take it up, and thou, 

 too, hast taken a glance at it. 



The composer and writer of this inscription is Muhammad Ma'9um, whose 

 nom-de-plume is Nami, the son of Sayyid Cafai of Tirmiz and subsequently of Bhakkar, who 

 traces his descent from Sayyid Slier Qalandar, son ofBaba Hasan Abdal, who was 

 born at Sabzwar and lived at Qandahar.* 



* This inscription is also given in Sayyid Ahmad's edition of the Tuzuk i Jahangirf, 

 Preface, p. 4, note ; but there it is mixed up with one of the following inscriptions. 



