The History of Fīrūz Shāh (ʿAfīf) 23: 16th Mukaddama.—Founding of the city of Hisár Fírozah.
Táríkh-i Fíroz Sháhí of Shams-i Siráj 'Afíf (extracts) 23
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16th Mukaddama.—Founding of the city of Hisár Fírozah.
23.1
After returning victorious from Bengal, Sultán Fíroz passed several successive years riding about Dehli. The author was told by his father that, in the second year after the Bengal campaign, the Sultán was in the neighbourhood of Hisár Fírozah, and exerted himself actively and liberally in endeavouring to provide for the needs of the country. It was at this time that Hisár Fírozah was founded. * * * In the place now occupied by the city two large and populous villages formerly stood, which were called Great Lárás and Little Lárás. There were fifty kharaks included in Great Lárás, and forty in Little Lárás. In this country there is no other village than the Jkharak. The neighbourhood of Great Lards greatly pleased Sultan Firoz, and he thought it would be well to build a city there, for it was very deficient in water, and during the hot season travellers who came from 'Irak and Khurasan had to pay as much as four jitals for a pitcher full. So the Sultan resolved to build a city, being filled with hope that if he built a town for the benefit of Musulmans, God would provide it with water. He therefore began the work, and persevered in it for several years, assisted by his nobles and great men. Hard stone was brought from the hills of Narsai, and was used with strong quicklime and burnt bricks. A fort of great extent and height was commenced.
23.2
Various officers were appointed to superintend different portions of the work, and busied themselves in their respective duties, so that in course of time the fort was completed. The Sultan gave to the place the name of Hisar Firozah. When the fort was finished, a ditch was dug round it, and the earth, which was taken from its bed was spread on each side of the ditch, and along the banks of the ditch battlements were built. Inside the fort a large and deep tank was formed, the water of which ran into the ditch and replenished it from year to year. Inside the fort a palace was built, which had no equal in the world, and the various apartments of which were contrived with infinite pains. One of the arrangements of this palace was that any person, having a general acquaintance with the place, after passing through several apartments, would arrive at the centre. This central apartment under the palace was very dark, and the passages were narrow, so that if the attendants did not guide the visitor he would never be able to find his way out. Indeed, it is said that a servant once went into that place, and after he had been missing for some days, the guards went there in search of him and rescued him from the darkness. * * * The Sultan, perceiving that there was a great scarcity of water, resolved in his munificence to bring a supply thither. He accordingly conducted two streams (júi) into the city from two rivers; one from the river Jumna, the other from the Sutlej.
23.3
That from the Jumna was called Rajiwah, and (the other) Alaghkhani. Both these streams were conducted through the vicinity of Karnal, and, after a length of about eighty kos, discharged their waters by one channel into the town. The author's father was then in the service of the Court, and held the office of Shabnavis. He informed the author that Sultan Firoz was occupied two years and a half in building the town. When it was built he laid out many gardens and planted many trees, including all sorts of fruit trees. * * * Previous to this time there had been an autumn harvest, but the spring harvest failed, because wheat would not grow without water. After the canals had been dug, both harvests came to maturity. Before this time, in the days of the old kings, this country had been entered in the revenue accounts as belonging to the division (shikk) of Hansi; but now that Hisar Firozah had been built, the Sultan ordered that from henceforth the division should be called Hisar Firozah, and that the districts (ikta'at) of Hansi, Agrowah, Fath-abad, and Sarsuti, as far as Salaurah and Khizrabad, with some other districts, should all be included in the division of Hisar Firozah. * * * *