The reign of Mvhizz-uddin. 
191 
1871.] 
Emperor Balban’s time. Both of them on the most ingenious pre¬ 
texts devisable were put out of the way. It was then manifest 
to all the intimates of the palace and the notables of the city what 
the malik’s intentions were, and his gate and court became the 
resort and sanctuary of men of rank. To such an extent had he 
made the Emperor his puppet, that if any man, citizen or provin¬ 
cial, led by a spirit of sincerity and loyalty, whispered in the 
Emperor’s ear a hint of his designs, the Emperor would forthwith 
mention to Nizam-uddin, u So and so has told me such and such 
things about you,” and then he would seize the man and make him 
over to Nizam-uddin as u the man who wants to thrust himself be¬ 
tween you and me.” Such was Nizam-uddin’s success in establish¬ 
ing the closest relations with the king and ennobling his position 
and securing supreme authority, that his wife, a daughter of Malik- 
ul TTmara was adopted by the Emperor as his mother and queened it 
in the royal harem. All the nobles in the palace with the chiefs 
and governors and holders of assigned lands, observing his trium¬ 
phant career, drew in their horns and looked on ; and while intent 
on new schemes of their own, watched the secret treason of Nizam- 
uddin, and devoted themselves with the aid of every available stra¬ 
tagem to back up him and his adherents. 
Many a time, the Malik-ul Umara, Eakhruddfn Kotwal sent in 
private for Nizam-uddin who was his son-in-law and cousin, and re¬ 
monstrated with him about the schemes of empire he was pur¬ 
suing, the enmity he had excited among the chiefs and courtiers, 
and the men of worth whose death he had contrived. The Kotwal 
would say: u I have brought you up, and you are of my house. 
Your grandfather and I for the last eighty years have held the 
post of Kotwal in Dihli. We engaged in no intrigues for power, 
and we lived in peace. Oh, my boy, remember that I am an officer, 
and you are of my house. A Kotwal is a king’s officer, and there 
is no nobler position or more exalted rank to which an officer can 
attain. It is now many years since I first held this office. Give 
up this mad idea of sovereignty. (Think rather), empire is not 
in my line. The imperial purple befits the person of soldiers 
and warriors who know how to overthrow armies at need by a 
display of courage and manly vigour. It would hardly sit well 
