2-73 
J. F. Fanthome— A Forgotten City. [No. 3 r 
and it lies at tlte distance of one far sang from the capital of Agra. 
Daring these days it so happened, whenever the exalted retinue pro* 
ceeded from the city to the open country for the purpose of recreation 
or sport, His Majesty’s mind, spotless in its conceptions, was frequently 
attracted to that alluring region; and there among the inspiriting g*reen 
swards, freed from care, the carpet of sport being spread, he indulged 
in hunting the wild animals or snaring the feathered tribes. At this 
period, while the banners of good fortune were returned from their 
excursion through the tracts of Mandu and were established at the seat 
of empire, the artificer of lofty resolutions expressed his will that soul* 
stirring edifices and life-nourishing gardens shall be built upon that 
wealth-promoting plain. Accordingly, at the auspicious moment and 
under lucky influences, harmonising with the aspirations of pleasure 
and delight, the designers with the magical compasses and the builders 
with euchantiug ideals laid the foundations of charming mansions and 
beautiful structures such as might serve to encase therein the spirits of 
desire; and within a short space of time the builders with nimble 
hands and the artificers possessing active ability finished the construc*- 
tion in accordance with the ideas inscribed deeply in the picture gallery 
of His Majesty’s enlightened mind. Likewise, the Ministers of the 
State and the Pillars of the Empire, as well as the whole body of officials 
°f the sublime threshold, made mansions and gardens to the extent of 
• their means and in accordance with the respective positions they 
occupied, and indulged in the enjoyment of them. And so, within the 
time appointed, that inhabited spot spread its luxuriance to such a 
degree that it might have been considered as a (black) mole upon the 
cheek of all the cities of the Universe. And the great Emperor gave 
to that flourishing settlement, to that freshly-produced fruit of 
Paradise, the name of Nagarcain; that is, the place of ease and 
comfort. And before that time His Majesty used (in the same place) 
to carry off (victoriously) the prize of pleasure from Fortune, and to 
pay the dues of sensibility, delight and gratification in the indulgence 
of sport and recreation.” 
The next quotation which I shall give is from ‘Abdul Qadir 
Badayunl’s Muntakh.aib-ut-tavjarlldi , the perusal of which indeed has led 
me to make these remarks :— 
“ In this year the building of the city of Nagarcain took place. 
On this subject one of the nobles, at the time of the composition of the 
Akbar-nama, ordered me to compose some lines which I here insert 
without alteration. ‘ When the Architect of the workshop of invention 
through the promptings of original genius, suggested to the lofty thoughts 
of the absolute monarch who is the builder of the metropolis of the 
