1870.] Translations from the Tdrihh i Firuz SMhi. 7 



Owing to this prohibition also, no information of a treasonous con- 

 ference ever reached Sultan 'Alauddin, nor did any revolt again occur. 



After settling the above regulations, Sultan 'Alauddin requested his 

 councillors to suggest some rule or regulation, whereby the Hindus 

 might be ground down, and their property or wealth, which is the 

 source of rebellion and dissaffection, might no longer remain with 

 them ; and that one law respecting the payment of revenue might be 

 instituted for all of them, whether landlords or tenants,* and the re- 

 venue due from the strong might not fall upon the weak ; and that 

 so much should not be left to the Hindus as to admit of their riding 

 horses, wearing fine clothes, and indulging in sumptuous and luxu- 

 rious habits. 



In furtherance of the above object, which is indeed the chief of all 

 objects of government, they suggested two regulations. First this, that 

 whatsoever the Hindus cultivated, whether great or little, they should 

 give one half agreeably to the measurement and [the full value of the 

 produce per biswah], without any distinction, and that they should leave 

 the landlords nothing beyond their proprietary rights [?]. Secondly, 

 that they should levy a grazing tax on every animal that gives milk, from 

 a cow to a she-goat, and that they should collect them in a fold in rear 

 of every dwelling house [?]f , so that no opportunity might be left for 



* The text has Jt>&ij &bj^. Lower down we find ujyklbj i^)l^yL. Baldhar 



maybe Hindustani, and signify a low-caste servant. Khut is a rare Arabic word 

 signifying a fine, strong man. From the passages below it is quite clear that 

 these terms mean the strong and the weak, and most probably landlords and 

 tenants, as translated by Major Fuller. If I did not know that Major Fuller's 



MS. had AJ^k with a X. — he says in a foot note that the words Jb&ij &JsyL. 



are unintelligible to him — , I would say that <Xjy.iw was a blunder for <XJy.i 

 with a (j. 



I have never seen these terms used in any other book. 



■(" The text has bahukm i masdhat o wafd i biswah bikunand, — very unclear 

 terms. Major Fuller left a blank. 'Alauddin wants to grind down the Hindus ; 

 they are to pay taxes amounting to one-half, i. e. 50 per cent., and their lands are 

 to be measured, and not even a biswah of their grounds is to escape taxation. 



The words from ivithout distinction to dwelling house, with all due deference 

 to a scholar like Major Fuller, are wrongly translated, though I am not sure 

 whether the following is absolutely free from objections. Translate — 



' First this, that they (the officers) should measure, and tax to the full value, 

 even the last biswah, whatever grounds the Hindus cultivated, whether great 

 or little ; and that the Hindus should pay 50 per cent, without distinction, and 

 that there should be no difference between the powerful and the weak, and 

 that they (the officers) should remit the powerful nothing of the sums due by 

 them for their wealth. Secondly, they should levy a grazing tax on every 



