The Book of Akbar 354.4

354.4

More strange still was what happened when one day one of the Shahinshah’s private elephants got mast and rushed into the Jamna. Bairam Khan was taking the air in a boat, and the elephant, which had got out of hand, proceeded towards his boat. The Khan Khanan was much alarmed ; but at last the driver contrived to master the elephant, and Bairam Khan was saved from the animal’s attack. When this affair was reported to H.M. the Shahinshah he, in order to soothe Bairam Khan, had the driver bound and sent to him, though he was innocent. The Khan, the time of whose fall was near at hand, put him to death and paid no heed to the fact that this driver belonged to the altar of his loyalty and allegiance, and that H.M. had out of politeness sent him bound to him. Apart from this he did not consider that nothing could be done with intoxication, especially when it was a brute that was intoxicated, and that too an enormous beast which was specially apt to become mast. H.M. the Shahinshah, who was a mine of gentleness and wisdom, passed over such improper actions as this, of which only a few out of many have been described, and abode under the veil of indifference. All his genius was turned to this consideration, that those men might take the reins of justice into their hands, even if they could not advance some steps on the road of loyalty, and might become travellers on the way of practical wisdom.