The History of Fīrūz Shāh (Baranī) 4.12

4.12

See! here I sit ready for him, let him come on!" Malik Nusrat Sabah, principal inkstand bearer, a witty nobleman, was among them, who had uttered many absurd things. He now replied, and said, "Your Majesty knows that topers in their cups utter ridiculous sayings. We can never kill a Sultan who cherishes us like sons, as you do, nor shall we ever find so kind and gracious a master; neither will you kill us for our absurd drunken ravings, because you will never find other nobles and gentlemen like us." The Sultan himself had been drinking wine. His eyes filled with tears at these words of Nusrat Sabah, and he pardoned them all. He gave Nusrat Sabah a cup of wine and made him his guest. The other evil-minded and evil-speaking nobles he dismissed to their estates, commanding them to stay there for a year and not to enter the city. * * * Jalalu-d din always treated his nobles, officers, and subjects, with the greatest kindness and tenderness. He never visited their offences with blows, confinement, or other severity, but treated them as a parent does his children. If he got angry with any of them, he threatened them with his second son, Arkali Khan, who was a hot-tempered man. * * * In the reign of Balban, while Jalalu-d din was Sar-jandar, he held the territory of Kaithal and the deputyship of Samana. His officers in Samana demanded revenue from a village belonging to Maulana Siraju-d din Sawi.