Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 19.11.5

19.11.5

Now, I protest, that I was wholly ignorant of the Prince's, as well as Mahmed-coli-qhan's, intentions; and that years had elapsed since I had not wrote to my father; for the old nobleman, trusting altogether to his connections and affinity with Aaly-verdy-qhan, whose grand-mother was sister to my glorious mother, had married a second time in Shah-djehan-abad, with all the pomp of a mighty nobleman; after which he spent his time in taking fine women into service, purchasing pretty girls, to serve as saplings to his seraglio, and giving large salaries to singers and dancers, and especially to those that came from the school of the famous Lal-mia, the Cashmirian; and all this without having ever minded his family, or thought of us in any shape. So that in sixteen years' time, in which he had been commanding armies, and spending monthly several lacs for his own household, and making the fortunes of an infinity of persons, he had never so much as thought of sending a single piece of gold to either my glorious mother or to any of his children. Meanwhile it had pleased the Almighty one, that feeds the whole creation, to make us find, with every one of Aaly-verdy-qhan's nephews, a subsistence so honourable and plentiful, as put it in our power to live independently, without having been at any time under a necessity of applying to our father, or even of expecting that forgiven nobleman's attention. We lived on both sides with ease and dignity;