Storia do Mogor 53: OF SULTAN SECOMOR (SHEKH 'UMAR), FOURTH KING OF THE FAMILY OF TAIMUR-I-LANG

53

When Sultan Abu Sa'id died, he left his eldest son, named Sultan Secomor (Shekh 'Umar), heir to his kingdom, but not to his great wickedness. Thus the son was much esteemed and loved by his people, feared and respected by all the neighbouring kings. These latter, recollecting the conquests of Taimur-i-lang, dreaded that he (Shekh 'Umar) might be inheritor and imitator of his great-grandfather—he who had conquered many kingdoms with such ease. But he was satisfied with what he had inherited and acquired, and desired to live in peace, having found that everyone respected him.
The Mahomedans are very keen on breeding pigeons in large numbers; they make them fly all together, calling out, whistling, and waving with a cloth fastened at the end of a stick, running and making signals from the terraced roofs, with a view of encouraging the pigeons to attack the flock of someone else. In this way the flocks are so trained that they fight in the air. Then, when the owners whistle and make the signs above described, the pigeons assemble and fly away to their homes, except a few, who, losing their way in the confusion, allow themselves in their innocence to be carried off along with their adversaries. It is for this end that they fly these flocks, and over and over again they send them out and win more pigeons. Every owner is overjoyed at seeing his own pigeons the most dexterous in misleading their opponents.
Sultan Shekh 'Umar was much enamoured of this game. At last, on one occasion, he was running from one end to the other of his roof with the stick in his hand, making signs and whistling, when he fell by accident to the foot of the palace wall, and was dashed to pieces, leaving an example to his descendants to be more careful, and to erect a defence on their roofs to prevent such a fall. For this reason they make fences of large ornamented pillars. This king reigned twenty and five years, two months, and seven days, leaving his eldest son as heir to the kingdom.