The Institutes of Akbar 135.6.2

135.6.2

On the 10th day of Muharram 996, His Majesty had invited the Khán Khánán, and Mán Singh (who had just been appointed governor of Bahár, Hájípúr and Patna); and whilst they were drinking, His Majesty commenced to talk about the Divine Faith, in order to test Man Singh. He said without reserve, “If Your Majesty mean by the term of membership, willingness to sacrifice one’s life, I have given pretty clear proofs, and Your Majesty might dispense with examining me; but if the term has another meaning, and refers to religion, surely I am a Hindu. And if I am to become a Muhammadan, Your Majesty ought to say so—but besides Hinduism and Islam, I know of no other religion.” The emperor then gave up urging him. During the month of Çafar 996, Mírzá Fúlád Beg Barlás managed to get one night Mullá Ahmad of T’hat’hah, on some pretext, out of his house, and stabbed at him, because the Mullá openly reviled [as Shí’ahs do] the companions of the prophet. The Táríkh of this event is expressed by the words Zihí khanjar i Fúlád, ‘Hail, steel of Fulad,’ or by Khúk i saqari, ‘hellish hog!’ And really, when this dog of the age was in his agony, I saw that his face looked just like the head of a pig, and others too witnessed it—O God! we take refuge with Thee against the evil which may befall us! His Majesty had Mírzá Fúlád tied to the foot of an elephant and dragged through the streets of Láhor;