[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [State papers](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin) › [Āʾīn-i Akbarī](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari) › [The Ain i Akbari (Blochmann, Jarrett)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett) › 217 # The Institutes of Akbar 217: The Colours of Kháçah Pigeons. The Áín i Akbari (Blochmann, Jarrett) 217 - **Language:** English ### The Colours of Kháçah Pigeons. ### [217.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.217.1) Magasí (fly-bitten); zirihí (steelblue); amirí (?); zamirí (a colour between zirihí and amirí ; His Majesty invented this name) ; chíní (porcelain blue) ; naftí (grey like naphta) ; shafaqí (violet) ; ’údi (aloewood coloured); surmaí (dark grey, like powder of antimony); Kishmishí (dark brown, like currants) ; halwáí (light-brown like Halwá sweetmeat) ; çandalí (light-brown, like sandelwood); jigarí (brown) ; nabátí (greyish white); dúghí (bluish-white, like sour milk) ; wushkí (of the same colour as the gum called wushk ;) jiláná (chiláná ?) ; kirat (brown, like a new earthen pot? ); nílfarí (bluish-white); azraq (a colour between yellow and brown; His Majesty applies this name in this sense); átashí (black brown) ; shaftálú (peach coloured) ; gulí gaz coloured (?); yellow ; kághazí (yellowish, like native paper); zágh (grey like a crow) ; aqrá (a colour between white and brown); muharraqí (a dirty black) ; khizrí (a colour between greenish and ’údí); ábí (water coloured) ; surmag (a name invented by His Majesty to express a colour between surmaí and magasí). ### [217.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.217.2) Pigeons of these colours have often different names, as gulsar (whose head resembles a flower); dumgházah (stumptail) ; yakrang (of one colour) ; halqimsafíd (white throat); parsafíd (white wing); kallah (big head); ghazghazh (wild chick); mégh (name of an aquatic bird); Súbarí (?); álpar (red wing ?); haltah par (short wing); máhdum (moontail); tawqdar (ringbearer) ; marwárídsar (pearl head); mash’alahdum (torchtail) ; &c. Some trainers of the present age gave pigeons such names as indicate their colours. His Majesty rather calls them according to their qualities, as bughur (?), qarapilk (with black eyelids) ; abyárí ; palangnigárí ; rékhtah pilk. There are also many pigeons which do not perform charkhs and bázís, but are distinguished by their colours, or by peculiar tricks. Thus the Kokah pigeon, the voice of which sounds like the call to prayer. 2. The Baghah, which utters a peculiar voice in the morning, to wake up people. 3. The Luqqan, which struts about proudly, wagging its head, neck, and tail. 4. The Lotan. They turn it about, and let it off on the ground, when it will go through all the motions which a half killed fowl goes through. Some pigeons will do so when the keeper strikes his hand against the ground, and others will shew the same restlessness, when on leaving the cage their beak is made to touch the ground. 5. The K’herní. The cock shews a remarkable attachment to the hen. ### [217.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.217.3) Though he fly up so high as to be no longer visible, if the hen be exposed in a cage, he will get restless and drop himself instantly down to join her. This is very remarkable. Some of them come down with both wings spread, others close one; some close both; or they change alternately the wing which they close in flying. 6. The Ráth pigeon is chiefly used for carrying letters, though any other kind may be trained to bring letters even from great distances. 7. The Nisháwaré pigeon will fly up, and follow its cage to whatever place it be taken. It will fly out of sight, and stay away for a day or two, when it comes down, and remains in its cage. 8. The Párpá (having feet covered with feathers) will inhale air (?) and act as if it sighed. Some pigeons are merely kept for the beauty of their plumage, the colours of which receive peculiar names. Thus some are called shírází, shúshtarí, kashmírí, jogiyah, rezahdahan, magasí, and quran. Wild pigeons are called golah. If some of them are caught, they will be joined by a thousand others; they soon get domesticated. They return daily to the fields, and get on their return salt water to drink. This makes them vomit the grain which they had eaten on the fields. The grain is collected and given as food to other pigeons. People say that pigeons will but rarely live above thirty years. ### [217.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.217.4) Four sers of grain will be sufficient for one hundred of such pigeons as are made to fly; but for other pigeons, five sers are required; or seven and a half, if they pair. But flying pigeons get millet, not mixed with other grain; the others get a mixture of the seven kinds of grain, viz., rice, dál i nukhúd (gram), mung dál, millet, karar, lahdarah, jowár, (vide p. 63). Though most servants of His Majesty keep pigeons and shew much skill in training them, there are a few that have risen to eminence, as Qul ’Alí of Bukhárá, Mastí of Samarqand, Mullázádah, Púr i Mullá Ahmad Chánd, Muqbil Khán Chelah, Khwájah Qandil Chelah, Múmin of Harát, ’Abdullatíf of Bukhárá, Hájí Qásim of Balkh, Habíb of Shahrsabz, Sikandar Chelah, Maltú, Maqsúd of Samarqand, Khwájah P’húl, Chelah Híránand. The servants attached to the pigeon houses draw their pay on the list of the army. The pay of a foot soldier varies from 2 R. to 48 R. per mensem. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.217](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.217) · Pramāṇa