Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 24.12.7

24.12.7

for such men as Mir-soleiman-qhan, and some others like him, who had been appointed overseers of the poor, proved so intent on their own interest, that so far from being able to procure plenty of grain, they were the foremost to use violent methods to engross it. Whenever any loaded boat chanced to come escorted to the market by the Government people, the grain was dragged away with force by some one of the favourites of Mahmed-reza-qhan's, and carried to their own houses. Numbers of them were guilty of such practices, especially Radja Amret-sing, who gave himself all the airs of a sweetheart of his master's and made nothing of wresting a boat-load of grain out of the hands of a number of famished wretches who had thrown themselves upon it. Nor did anyone trouble himself about these practices, or about securing the grain, or getting it sold at a reasonable price; or about executing strict justice against those engrossers; and matters rose at last to such a height, that this neglect came in the end to cut a considerable figure amongst the articles of accusation urged against Mahmed-reza-qhan, by the Committee. But let us drop those matters; doubtless they are better known to the Almighty Scrutiniser of hearts; for our part is now to continue our account of Shytab-ray's way of life.