1870.] Translations from the Tdrihh i Firuz Shdlii. 13 



recovered from them with stripes ; and accordingly you yourself can 

 see how it fares in the present day with persons holding these ap- 

 pointments." 



The third question proposed by the Sultan to Qazi Mughis was 

 this : " As regards the wealth that I brought from Deogir with 

 so much trouble, on my gaining the sovereignty ; is that wealth my 

 private property, or does it belong to the national treasury of all 

 Musulmans ?" Qazi Mughis replied : " I have no option but to 

 speak the truth before the royal throne ; the wealth that your Majesty 

 brought from Deogir, was gained by the force of the army of Islam ; 

 and whatever is gained by such means, becomes the national treasure 

 of all Musulmans. Had your Majesty acquired the wealth from any- 

 where by yourself, it would be a satisfactory reason according to 

 divine law, and the wealth so acquired would be Your Majesty's pri- 

 vate property." 



The Sultan getting testy with Qazi Mughis, then exclaimed, " What 

 is this you say ? and are you thoroughly aware of what you are speak- 

 ing about ? How can the wealth, for which I staked my own life 

 and that of my followers, and which at the time of my gaining the 

 sovereignty I took from certain Hindus, whose name and designation 

 even were not known at Dililf, reserving it for my own use without 

 placing it in the royal coffers ; how can such wealth (I say) belong 

 to the national treasury?" Qazi Mughis replied: "Your Majesty 

 has proposed a question in divine law to me, and if I speak not agree- 

 ably to what I have read in the Scriptures, and your Majesty should, 

 by way of test, enquire of other learned men also, and they give a 

 different opinion to what I have given, while I speak in accordance 

 with the royal inclination, how could your Majesty retain any confi- 

 dence in me, or enquire of me as to the statutes of the divine law ?" 

 The fourth question proposed by Sultan 'Alauddin to Qazi 

 Mughis was this: " What portion of the national treasury belongs 

 by right to myself and my children ? Qazi Mughis exclaimed : 

 " Surely my hour of death has arrived ;" to which the Sultan replied ; 

 " Why should your hour of death have arrived?" "Because," said 

 the Qazi, " if I answer this question which your Majesty has put to 

 me, according to the truth, your Majesty will get into a passion, 

 and put me to death ; and should I tell an untruth, on the day of 



