Tarikh-i Daʾudi 2: Character of Sultan Bahlol.

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Sultan Bahlol was, indeed, a king who fostered religion, and evinced courage and generosity. His mercy and benevolence were habitual: he observed the rules of honesty, and had exceeding respect for the law, to the injunctions of which he strictly adhered in all his undertakings. He spent most of his time in the assemblies of the wise, and in the society of holy men; and made special inquiries respecting the poor and necessitous. He never turned away a suppliant; and he read his prayers in public five times every day. He devoted excessive care to the administration of justice; himself heard the petitions of his subjects, and left them not to be disposed of by his ministers. He was wise, experienced, considerate, kind, friendly, condescending, and just. Whatever came into his possession, in money, goods, or new parganas, he distributed it all among his troops, and reserved nothing whatever for himself. He accumulated no treasure, and executed his kingly functions without parade and ostentation. At the time of his meals, he satisfied himself with farinaceous food; but any one who entered might partake of other viands. In his social meetings he never sat on a throne, and would not allow his nobles to stand; and even during public audiences he did not occupy the throne, but seated himself upon a carpet. Whenever he wrote a farmán to his nobles, he addressed them as "Masnad 'Alí;" and if at any time they were displeased with him, he tried so hard to pacify them that he would himself go to their houses, ungird his sword from his waist, and place it before the offended party: nay, he would sometimes even take off his turban from his head, and solicit forgiveness, saying: — "If you think me unworthy of the station I occupy, choose some one else, and bestow on me some other office." He maintained a brotherly intercourse with all his chiefs and soldiers. If any one was ill, he would himself go and attend on him. Before he ascended the throne, it was the custom in Dehli to distribute, every third day, sharbat, pan leaves, sugar-candy, and sweetmeats. But Sultán Bahlol put an end to this, and positively declined to maintain the practice, observing, that, with respect to Afghans, if one poor man should die, a hundred thousand of his tribe would come forward, and how could he provide for such a multitude, and satisfy them? He was exceedingly bold, and on the day of battle, immediately he saw the enemy appear, he would dismount from his horse, fall on his knees, and pray for the success of Islam and the safety of Musulmáns, and confess his own helplessness. From the day that he became king, no one achieved a victory over him; nor did he once leave the field of battle until he had gained the day, or been carried off wounded: or, from the first he avoided an engagement.
It is said that, during the first week of his accession, he was present at worship in the Masjid-ijami', when Mullá Fázin, who was one of the elders of the city, ascended the pulpit to read the khutba. When he had concluded, and had come down again, he exclaimed: — "Praised be God! we have an extraordinary tribe of rulers; nor do I know whether they are the servants of the arch-fiend or arch-fiends themselves. Their language is so barbarous, that they call a mother, miir; a brother, rur; a nurse, shiir; a soldier, tiir, and a man, saar." When he said this, Sultan Bahlol put his handkerchief to his mouth, and smilingly said: "Mulla Fazin, hold, enough! for we are all servants of God."