312 
H. Beveridge — Memoirs of Bayazid ( Bajazet) Biyat. [No. 4, 
whose jaglr shall I take it ? ” Maham got over the difficulty by 
telling Takhla, the mother of Dastam, to fetch the money from 
her Turkish waiting woman. Akbar was at this time, (968, 1561), 
devoted to the amusement of cock-fighting and in connection with 
this we are told a story about Shamsu-d-din Atka. This again is 
prefaced by a reference to Akbar’s 1 orders that every one should shave 
their beards. Shamsu-d-din’s beard (or perhaps his hair) was not long* 
but still he had not cut it in accordance with the royal orders which he 
had only received when on his way from the Panjab. Akbar remarked 
upon this, and Shamsu-d-din replied by way of jest, that his hair had 
been longish but that when he came to Muttra, he had had it cut after 
the fashion of the Hindus of that place. The courtiers applauded 
the joke, the point of which was its allusion to Akbar’s Hindu pro¬ 
clivities. At this time it was the custom that every one who came 
to pay his respects, should bring a game-cock and Akbar told Shamsu- 
d-din that he must do the same. Next day Shamsu-d-din appeared, but 
without a game-cock. When however Akbar noticed this Shamsu-d- 
din replied that he had one. “ Where ?” said Akbar, and Shamsu-d-din 
answered “ under my arm.” Akbar signed to the attendants to search 
if this was so, and when they did so the bird set up a crow. Akbar now 
ordered a certain cock of his to be brought. “ Let it be a fighting one,” 
remarked Shamsu-d-din, “for mine is famous in Labor.” When the 
royal game-cock was brought, Shamsu-d-din uncovered his and it was 
found to be a hen bird ( Makiydn ). The two birds, the cock and the 
heu, fought and Akbar was greatly delighted. 
In the end of 968, (August 1561), there was a hurricane ( jikar , 
dust-storm, Vullers s.v .) in Agra and the bridge of boats was broken. 
A fire too broke out in the carpet-house ( farash-khana ) of Maham 
Begha, and some of Akbar’s dancing girls who lodged near it were 
burnt. The Khan-khan an went to condole with Akbar who seemingly 
was cynical enough to say that the burning of the girls was a small 
matter (salil ast) and that they should go and console Maham for 
the loss of her property. This is followed by a story of how Akbar 
was unable to get his horse across the river owing to one of the 
pontoons having got detached, and how Bayazid, who is rather fond of 
blowing his own trumpet, contrived to make the horse jump across 
the gap. 
P. J04a describes an entertainment given by the Khan-khanan 
when the guests took opium and also “coloured their teeth,” (danddn 
l See Blochmann, 193 and Badaoni II. 303. Bat Bayazxd’s phrase is hukm-i - 
mity-i-sar guzashtan and perhaps this means to leave the hair loose. 
