1869.] Translations from the Tarikh i Firuz ShdhL 195 



" Ancient Monarchs and former Prime Ministers, who have held 

 " sway and sovereignty over the world, have invariably abstained and 

 " refrained altogether from tremendous conflicts, in which it is im- 

 " possible to decide what may happen at any precise moment, as to 

 " what side victory is likely to incline ; and with respect to encounters 

 " between equally powerful chiefs, whereby the state and prosperity 

 " of the Sovereign as well as the whole population of the Kingdom 

 a are placed in jeopardy, they have recommended that they should be 

 " avoided to the utmost extent of one's power and ability. It is 

 " further recorded among the injunctions of ancient Monarchs, that 

 " a battle resembles the scales of a balance ; for by the prevailing force 

 " of a scanty number of men, one scale becomes heavy, while the 

 " other gets light. Thus in an instant the affair slips out of one's 

 " hand, passing away so entirely that there is no hope left in one's 

 " heart of its ultimate return or recovery ; for although in contests be- 

 C! tween the Commanders of an army merely, there is not so much 

 " danger to be apprehended from a defeat, as the hope of a re- 

 " trieval is not totally cut off ; yet in the case of conflicts between 

 " equally powerful chiefs, when a kingdom is staked on a single 

 " throw of the dice, Monarchs have always exercised the utmost dis- 

 " cretion, and have warded off the event as long as they could by sound 

 " judgment and clever diplomacy. Why does your Majesty then pur- 

 " posely and wilfully, and without paying any heed or attention, enter 

 " into a perilous crisis, that has ever been avoided by other monarchs 

 " as far as possible ; when you can push forward Khal Sitari [?]* who has 

 " been authorized to raise a lakh of horse on account of this invasion 

 " and encamp with your forces (in the rear) ? You may thus delay a 

 " few days from engaging these Mughuls, who have poured down 

 " upon us like swarms of ants and locusts, and keep procrastinat- 



* Here Major Fuller's MS. seems to be at fault, though otherwise his MS, 

 would appear to have been as excellent as his translation. The Bibl. Indica 

 edition, p. 256, 1. 3, has— 



Ehuddwand i 'dlam mituwdnad Mh kohan i shuture (not khal sitari) az barde 

 dardmad i mughul, hill huhm i yak laic suwdr ddrad, dar pish anddzad, ubd 

 lashlcarhdfaniddyad. ' Your Majesty can place the hump of a camel (kohdn 

 i shuture) before yourself on account of the arrival of the Mughuls who muster 

 a lakh of horse, and you can place your forces into a fortified camp (bd 

 lashkarlid faruddmadan).' 



' Aliiuddm's reply will shew that this reading is the correct one. Of course, 

 'Ala ulmulk advised the emperor to act the part of a Cunctator. Placing the 

 hump of a camel before oneself means to have recourse to a place of safety. 



