The Book of Akbar 297.5

297.5

The arrow of daulat was with the prop of sovereignty—Amir Hindu Beg, and the shutting and opening, the binding and unloosing of the great affairs of the officers and viziers, and of all the government-clerks, and those entrusted with civil affairs, and the fixing of the pay of the soldiers, and the appointment of the household servants rested with him. The arrow of murad and of the works of architecture was assigned to Amir Waisi. He had to look after the buildings and the arrangement of matters of pomp and pageantry and to care for the perfecting of the things of splendour and glory. Another of his inventions was the distribution of arrows into twelve classes. Each order of men was assigned to an arrow. The arrangement was as follows: The twelfth arrow, which was of the finest gold, was reserved for the royal quiver, i.e., for Humayun and Akbar. The eleventh was for the brothers and other kinsmen and such of the sons of kings as were servants of the threshold of dominion. The tenth arrow was for the Sayyids, the Shaikhs, and the The eighth was for the ‘Ulama. The ninth for the great officers intimates (maqarraban) and the ankacian who held mansabs (offices). The seventh for the other ankacidn. The sixth for the heads of clans. The fifth for the distinguished young volunteers. The fourth for the cashiers (Blochmann, 45). The third for the soldiers (juanan-i-jargah). The second for artificers. The first for doorkeepers, watchmen, and the like.