10 Translations from the Tdrikh i Firuz Shdh'i. [No. 1, 



Sultan 'Alauddin was a monarch, who had not a particle of education, 

 and had never cultivated the society of intelligent persons. 



On attaining to the sovereignty, he formed the opinion in his own 

 mind, that the business of ruling and governing was a totally distinct 

 affair from giving efficacy to the statutes of religion, and that royal 

 mandates appertained to Kings, but the commandments of the law of the 

 Prophet to Qazis and Muftis. In accordance with this idea, therefore, 

 whatever measure in the course of government pleased him, or ap- 

 peared advantageous to the State, that he invariably adopted, no mat- 

 ter whether it was consonant with the precepts of religion or not ; 

 and never, in the transaction of state affairs, did he ask for an ecclesi- 

 astical verdict or decree on the propriety of any measure. Very few 

 intelligent persons had frequent intercourse with him ; but of those 

 who used to visit him were, first, Qazi Ziauddin of Biyimah ; second, 

 Maulana Zahiruddin Lang, and third, Maulana Mushayyid of Guhrani.* 

 [They were ordered to sit at the table, and sat together with the 

 Amirs outside]. Qazi Mughisudclin of Biyanah also had constant 

 communication with the Sultan, and used to attend both at public 

 and private audiences. 



One day, about the time when a great deal of trouble was being 

 taken with regard to levying heavier taxes, and imposing fines and 

 recoveries on revenue officers, Sultan Alauddin told the Qazi Mughis 

 that he intended asking him for his professional opinion on several 

 subjects, and required him to state the exact truth in return. Qazi 

 Mughis said in reply : " It seems as if the hour of my death 

 were near at hand ;" whereupon the Sultan enquired, " Why should you 

 think so ?" "Because," exclaimed the Qazi, "when your Majesty 

 asks my opinion on religious points, and I state the truth, your Ma- 

 jesty will get enraged and put me to death." " Rest assured," said 

 the Sultan, "that I will not harm you ; only reply with truth and sin- 

 cerity to whatever questions I may put to you." Qazi Mucin's 

 answered, " Whatever I have read in theological works, that will I 

 assert." 



The first question proposed by Sultan 'Alauddin to the Qazi Mu- 

 ghis was : " Under what circumstances can the epithets of Khirdj- 



* Guhram is a town and parganah in the Sirkar of Sarhind. In Elliot's 

 works, also in Prof. Dawson's Edition, the name is wrongly spelt Kolirdm. 



