The Book of Akbar 300.3

300.3

Several persons had recited this verse, and it had become well known and had been made the subject of conversation at assemblies. A strange thing was that at the same time one of the literate (fāzil) had found the second line to give the date of the accession of the Khedive of the Age, but this was by writing the word gul with an i, gull, though in one sense the ordinary orthography does not lend itself to this form. And during the days of concealing this fatal affair they on one occasion dressed up Mullā Bīkasī in the clothes of the deceased (lit: that pardoned pinnacle) and brought him out on the top of the terrace (aiwān) which was His Majesty's place of sitting, and showed him to the people with his face towards the river. The people performed the kornish and were in some measure relieved from their distress and confusion. When the sad misfortune was made known a great disturbance and trouble, such as was natural at a crisis like this, arose. The officers exerted themselves to soothe hearts and give people confidence and did what was proper at this time of dispersion both in respect of friends and of foes. They did what they could to mend the breach and to cement the crack. And how could the bond of the eternal fortune of this noble family not attain corroboration and shape when the world-adorning glory of the personality of His Majesty the Shahinshah, the true heir of sovereignty, had seized the summit of the throne of the khilāfat of the terrene and of terrestrials.