The Institutes of Akbar 2.7.1

2.7.1

At another place in his ‘Memoirs’, when alluding to the murder, he says, as if an afterthought had occurred to him, that he ordered Bir Singh to kill Abul Fazl, because ‘he had been the enemy of the Prophet.’ When the news of Abul Fazl’s death reached court, no one had the courage to break it to the emperor. According to an old custom observed by Timur’s descendants, the death of a prince was not in plain words mentioned to the reigning emperor, but the prince’s vakil presented himself before the throne with a blue handkerchief round his wrist; and as no one else would come forward to inform Akbar of the death of his friend, Abul Fazl’s vakil presented himself with a blue handkerchief before the throne. Akbar bewailed Abul Fazl’s death more than that of his son; for several days he would see no one, and after enquiring into the circumstances he exclaimed, “If Salim wished to be emperor, he might have killed me and spared Abul Fazl,” and then recited the following verse— My Shaikh in his zeal hastened to meet me, He wished to kiss my feet, and gave up his life.