1870.] Translations from the Tdrihh i Firuz Shdhi. 23 



whatever sum. is fixed upon at first ; and if I settle a high rate of pay 

 upon the soldiery, and continue to disburse money to them at that 

 rate annually, at the end of a few years, notwithstanding all the trea- 

 sure I possess, nothing will be left, and without treasure it is of course 

 impossible to govern or deliberate." 



" I am accordingly desirous of having a large force, well mounted, 

 of picked and chosen men, expert archers, and well armed that will 

 remain embodied for years ; and I will give 234 tankahs to a Murattab 

 and 78 tanlcahs to a Du-aspah ; from the former of whom I shall require 

 two horses with their corresponding equipments, and from the latter 

 one* with its usual gear. Consider now and inform me how this idea 

 that has entered into my mind about raising a large force, and main- 

 taining it permanently, may be carried into execution." 



The councillors, endowed with abilities like those of Acaf, exercised 

 their brilliant intellects, and after some reflection unanimously ex- 

 pressed the following opinion before the throne : " As it has entered into 

 yonr Majesty's heart, and become implantedf there, to raise a large force 

 and permanently maintained on small allowances \ba maiodjib i andak,~j 

 such can never be accomplished unless horses, arms, and all the equip- 



* I. e., one horse. The Edit. Bibl. Ind. has yah aspah, one horseman. 



This passage is unfortunately unclear and useless, because Barani has not 

 supplied a commentary. First, it is clear from the following that the wages of 

 78 and 234 (i. e., 78 X 3) tankahs were unusually low, and Barani has not 

 stated what the ordinary rates were. Secondly, it is also clear that 'Alauddin 

 takes the terms Murattab and Duaspah in a new sense, because he defines them 

 for his councillors, and Barani has not stated what their usual meanings wei'e. 

 The word Murattab does not appear to occur in later histories ; it may mean 

 equipped, though muroMib would give a meaning too. To call a man duaspah, 

 because he joins the army with one horse, is extraordinary, and against the 

 meaning which the word has in the Akbarnamah, Badaoni, the Padishahnamah, 

 &c. Vide the annotator's note on Akbar's Mancabs (Ain translation, p. 238 to 

 247). Thirdly, we expect in the wages a proportion of 1 : 2, not 1 : 3, because 

 ' Alauddin' s Murattab furnishes two, and his Buaspah one horse ; but this diffi- 

 culty may be explained away (vide Ain translation, p. 251, 1. 3, where also the 

 rates are given which Akbar gave his Yahaspahs. 



Badaoni's interesting remark that Akbar's Ddgh-l&w had been the rule under 

 'Alanddin i Khilji and Sher Shah (Ain translation, p. 242, and J. A. S. Bengal 

 for 1869, p. 120) can but little be verified by a reference to Zia's work, though 

 the word ddgh (in Akbar's sense) occurs on p. 319, 1. 2 from below (Ed. Bibl. 

 Ind.), and p. 477, 1. 6, (Muhammad Shah's reign) — also an interesting page for 

 the military history of India, inasmuch an army of 380,000 troopers is men- 

 tioned, a. statement which may advantageously be compared with Ain trans- 

 lation, p. 245. 



f The text has jdgir, which is taken in its etymological meaning of jd-girif- 

 tah, having taken a place, having taking root, vide Ain translation, p. 256, note. 



The earliest passage at present known to me, of jdgir being taken in a sense 



