The Book of Akbar 297.4

297.4

Each of these was assigned to one of the leaders of the three classes in order that he should supervise the works thereof. And it was provided that so long as each of the holders of these arrows exerted himself in the management of the duties appertaining to that division (sahm), which consisted in acting according to the will of God and in loyalty, he should be the subject of favour and should be secure on the masnad of authority. But if ever he should become intoxicated by the wine of grandeur and transgress the path of justice, or from some evil motive should avert his eyes from loyalty, and should restrict his zeal to the acquisition of wealth, the arrow of his design would not reach the target of success and the writing of deposition would be drawn on the page of his condition, and he would meet with a fitting retribution. Mir Khwand the chief chronicler (Mir Muwarrikh) has recorded in his Qanun-i-humayuni that in the time of his service the arrow of sa'adat was entrusted with absolute authority to the most excellent of the masters of learning and perfection—Maulana Farghali, and the opening and shutting, the contraction and expansion, of the affairs of Sayyids, Shaikhs, 'Ulama, Qazis, and teachers, and the inquiry into the claims of ecclesiastics (arbab-i-'amaim, lit. wearers of large turbans), and the appointment and removal of those entrusted with the works of religion, and the assignment of stipends and siyarghals were all in his charge.