The Memoirs of Bābur 932.13.2

932.13.2

_daqīqa_), so that a day-and-night consists of 1440 minutes,—so the people of Hind divide the night-and-day into 60 parts, each called a (S.) _g'harī_.[1903] They also divide the night into four and the day into four, calling each part a (S.) _pahr_ (watch) which in Persian is a _pās_. A watch and watchman (_pās u pāsbān_) had been heard about (by us) in those countries (Transoxania), but without these particulars. Agreeing with the division into watches, a body of _g'harīālīs_[1904] is chosen and appointed in all considerable towns of Hindūstān. They cast a broad brass (plate-) thing,[1905] perhaps as large as a tray (_ṯabaq_) and about two hands'-thickness; this they call a _g'harīāl_ and hang up in a high place (_bīr buland yīr-dā_). Also they have a vessel perforated at the bottom like an hour-cup[1906] and filling in one _g'harī_ (_i.e._ 24 minutes). The _g'harīālīs_ put this into water and wait till it fills. For example, they will put the perforated [Sidenote: Fol. 289b.] cup into water at day-birth; when it fills the first time, they strike the gong once with their mallets; when a second time, twice, and so on till the end of the watch. They announce the end of a watch by several rapid blows of their mallets. After these they pause; then strike once more, if the first day-watch has ended, twice if the second, three times if the third, and four times if the fourth. After the fourth day-watch, when the night-watches begin, these are gone through in the same way.