[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) › 65.3 # The Institutes of Akbar 65.3 The Áín i Akbari (Blochmann, Jarrett) 65.3 - **Language:** English ### [65.3.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.3.1) When the bulb has been put into the ground, it will produce flowers for six years, provided the soil be annually softened. For the first two years, the flowers will grow sparingly; but in the third year the plant reaches its state of perfection. After six years the bulbs must be taken out; else they get rotten. They plant them again on some other place; and leave the old ground uncultivated for five years. Saffron comes chiefly from the place Panpur, which belongs to the district of Maruraj (?). The fields there extend over nearly twelve kos. Another place of cultivation is in the Parganah of Paraspr, near Indrakót, not far from Kamráj, where the fields extend about a kós. 18. The Áftábí (sun-flower) is round, broad, and large, has a large number of petals, and turns continually to the sun. Its stem reaches a height of three yards. 19. The Kanwal. There are two kinds. One opens when the sublime Sun shines, turning wherever he goes, and closing at night. It resembles the shaqáyiq-lily; but its red is paler. Its petals which are never less than six in number enclose yellow stamens, in the midst of which there is an excrescence of the form of a cone with the base upwards, which is the fruit, and contains the seeds. The other kind has four white petals, opens at night, and turns itself according to the moon, but does not close. ### [65.3.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.3.2) 20. The Ja’farí is a pretty round flower, and grows larger than the sadbarg. One kind has five, another a hundred petals. The latter remains fresh for two months and upwards. The plant is of the size of a man, and the leaves resemble those of the willow, but are indented. It flowers in two months. 21. The Gúdhal resembles the jôghásí-tulip, and has a great number of petals. Its stem reaches a height of two yards and upwards; the leaves look like Mulberry leaves. It flowers in two years. 22. The Ratanmanjaní has four petals, and is smaller than the jasmin. The tree and the leaves resemble the Ráibél. It flowers in two years. 23. The Késú has five petals resembling a tiger’s claw. In their midst is a yellow stamen of the shape of a tongue. The plant is very large, and is found on every meadow; when it flowers, it is as if a beautiful fire surrounded the scenery. 24. The Kanér remains a long time in bloom. It looks well, but it is poisonous. Whoever puts it on his head, is sure to fall in battle. It has mostly five petals. The branches are full of the flowers; the plant itself grows to a height of two yards. It flowers in the first year. 25. The Kadam resembles a tumághah (a royal cap). The leaves are like those of the nut tree, which the whole tree resembles. 26. The Nág késar, like the Gul i surkh, has five petals and is full of fine stamens. It resembles the nut tree in the leaves and the stem, and flowers in seven years. ### [65.3.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.3.3) 27. The Surpan resembles the Sesame flower, and has yellow stamens in the middle. The stem resembles the Zúnná plant, and the leaves those of the willow. 28. The Siríkhándí is like the Chámpélí, but smaller. It flowers in two years. 29. The Hinna has four petals, and resembles the flower called Néfarmén. Different plants have often flowers of a different colour. 30. The Dupahriyd is round and small, and looks like the flower called Haméshah bahér. It opens at noon. The stem is about two yards high. 31. The Bhin champd resembles the Nilifar flowers, and has five petals. The stem is about a span long. It grows on such places as are periodically under water. Occasionally a plant is found above the water. 32. The Sudarsan resembles the Rdzbél, and has yellow threads inside. The stem looks like that of the Sdsan flower. 33. Sénbal has five petals, each ten fingers long, and three fingers broad. 34. The Ratanmdlé is round and small. Its juice is cooked out, and when mixed with vitriol and duagfar, furnishes a fast red dye for stuffs. Butter, sesame oil, are also boiled together with the root of the plant, when the mixture becomes a purple dye. 35. The Sinadrd resembles the jasmin, but is a little larger, and has from five to six petals. The stem is like that of the Chambéli. It flowers in two years. 36. The Málití is like the Chambéli, but smaller. In the middle there are little stamens looking like poppyseed. It flowers in two years more or less. ### [65.3.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.3.4) 37. The Karíl has three small petals. It flowers luxuriantly, and looks very well. The flower is also boiled and eaten; they make also pickles of it. 38. The Jait plant grows to a large tree; its leaves look like Tamarind leaves. 39. The Chanpalah is like a nosegay. The leaves of the plant are like nut leaves. It flowers in two years. The bark of the plant, when boiled in water, makes the water red. It grows chiefly in the hills; its wood burns bright like a candle. 40. The Lahí has a stem one and a half yards high. The branches, before the flowers appear, are made into a dish which is eaten with bread. When camels feed on this plant, they get fat and unruly. 41. The Karaundah resembles the Júhí flower. 42. The Dhanantar resembles the Nílúfar, and looks very well. It is a creeper. 43. The Siras flower consists of silk-like threads, and resembles a tumághah. It sends its fragrance to a great distance. It is the king of the trees, although the Hindus rather worship the Pípal and Bar trees. The tree grows very large; its wood is used in building. Within the stem the wood is black, and resists the stroke of the axe. 44. The Hangldi has five petals, each four fingers long, and looks very beautiful. Each branch produces only one flower. ### [65.3.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.3.5) 45. The San flower (hemp) looks like a nosegay. The leaves of the plant resemble those of the Chand. Of the bark of the plant strong ropes are made. One kind of this plant bears a flower like the cotton tree, and is called Patsan. It makes a very soft rope. It is really too difficult for me, ignorant as I am, to give a description of the flowers of this country: I have mentioned a few for those who wish to know something about them. There are also found many flowers of Irán and Túrán, as the Gul i Surkh, the Nargis, the violet, the Yásaman i kabúd, the Súsan, the Raihán, the Ra'ná, the Zébá, the Shaqáiq, the Táj i khurús, the Qalghah, the Náfarmán, the Khatmí, &c. Garden and flower beds are everywhere to be found. Formerly people used to plant their gardens without any order, but since the time of the arrival in India of the emperor Bábar, a more methodical arrangement of the gardens has obtained; and travellers now-a-days admire the beauty of the palaces and their murmuring fountains. ### [65.3.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.3.6) It would be impossible to give an account of those trees of the country, whose flowers, fruits, buds, leaves, roots, &c., are used as food, or medicine. If, according to the books of the Hindus, a man were to collect only one leaf from each tree, he would get eighteen bárs, or loads, (5 surkhs = 1 máshah; 16 máshahs = 1 karsha; 4 karshas = 1 pala; 100 palas = 1 tulá; 20 tulás = 1 bár); i. e., according to the weights now in use, 96 mans. The same books also state that the duration of the life of a tree is not less than two gharis (twice 24 minutes), and not more than ten thousand years. The height of the trees is said not to exceed a little above a thousand jojans. When a tree dies, its life is said to pass into one of the following ten things: fire, water, air, earth, plants, animals, animals of two senses, such as have three, or four, or five senses. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.3) · Pramāṇa