مسالك الابصار في ممالك الامصار 2.123-129

2.123

الكتاب جرى به جريا قويا بأشد ما يمكنه أن يشتد، وأقوى ما يمكنه أن يجرى إلى أن يوصله إلي الآخر، فيجرى به كالأول إلى المكان الذي يليه، ويرجع حامله إلى مكانه على مهله، فيصل الكتاب من المكان البعيد إلى المكان البعيد في أقرب الأوقات أسرع من البريد والنجابة .

the letter, he runs with it at full speed, as hard as he can possibly go and as fast as he can possibly run, until he delivers it to the next man, who runs with it like the first to the station after his, while its bearer returns to his own station at leisure. Thus a letter reaches from one distant place to another in the shortest time, faster than the post and the courier camels.

Thus a letter from a very distant place is conveyed in a very short time with greater celerity than if it had been transmitted by post, or by camel express. At each of these post-stations there are mosques, where prayers are said, and where travellers can find shelter, reservoirs full of good water, and markets where all things necessary for the food of man and beast can be purchased, so that there is very little necessity for carrying water, or food, or tents. All through the country which separates the two capitals of the empire, Dehli and Deogír, the Sultan has had drums placed at every post-station. When any event occurs in a city, or when the gate of one is opened or closed, the drum is instantly beaten. The next nearest drum is then beaten, and in this manner the Sultan is daily and exactly informed at what time the gates of the most distant cities are opened or closed. * * * * I will now speak about the money, and afterwards about the price of provisions, seeing that these are regulated and calculated upon the value of money. Shaikh Mubárak informed me that the red lac consists of 100,000 tankas (of gold), and the white lac of 100,000 tankas (of silver). The gold tanka, called the red tanka, is equal to three miskáls and the silver tanka comprises eight dirhams hashtkání. The dirham hashtkání has the same weight as the silver dirham, current in Egypt and Syria. The value of both is the same, with scarcely the slightest difference.

2.124

قال: وفي كل مكان من هذه الأماكن المركزة مساجد تقام بها الصلوات، ويأوى إليها السفار، وبرك ماء للشرب، وأسواق للبيع للمكاكل [1] وعلوفة الدواب، ولا يكاد يحتاج إلى حمل ماء ولا زاد ولا خيمة.

He said: In each of these established stations there are mosques where prayers are held and where travellers take shelter, pools of drinking water, and markets selling food and fodder for the animals, so that one hardly needs to carry water, provisions or a tent.

2.125

قال: ومن جملة عناية هذا السلطان جعل بين قاعدتي ملكه وهما: دهلى وقبة الإسلام في هذه الأماكن (المخطوط ص 34) المعدة لإبلاغ الأخبار طبول، فحيثما كان في مدينة وفتح باب الأخرى أو غلق يدق الطبل، فإذا سمعه مجاوره دق، فيعلم خبر فتح المدينة التي هو غاب عنها، وغلقه في وقت الحاضر كل يوم بنوبة.

He said: Among the arrangements made by this Sultan is that between the two capitals of his kingdom, Delhi and Qubbat al-Islām, he placed drums at these stations (MS p. 34) set up for conveying news. Whichever city he is in, when the gate of the other is opened or shut, the drum is beaten; when the neighbouring station hears it, it beats its own, and so he learns of the opening of the city from which he is absent, and of its closing, at the present hour every day, in turn.

2.126

ولهذا السلطان مهابة يسقط لها القلوب مع قربه من الناس، ولينه في كلامه وحديثه، وكل من أراد الوصول إليه وصل إليه، لا يبعده عظم حجاب، ولا عموم حجاب، وقد أدر الله في أيامه الأرزاق، وكثر المواد، وضاعف النعم، على أن الهند ما زال موصوفا بالرخاء، معروفا بالسخاء.

This Sultan has an awe that makes hearts quail, despite his closeness to the people and the gentleness of his speech and conversation. Anyone who wishes to reach him does so; neither the grandeur of the veil nor the number of chamberlains keeps him away. In his days God has made livelihoods abundant, increased resources and multiplied blessings — though India has always been described as prosperous and known for generosity.

2.127

حدثني الخجندي قال: أكلت أنا وثلاثة نفر رفاقا لي في بعض بلاد دهلى لحما بقريا وخبزا وسمنا حتى شبعنا بكتيل [2] وهو أربع فلوس، وسأذكر معاملاتهم،

Al-Khujandī told me: I and three companions of mine, in one of the towns of Delhi, ate beef, bread and ghee until we were full for one kitīl, which is four fulūs. I shall mention their currency,

2.128

ثم ذكر الأسعار عندهم لأنها مرتبة على المعاملة وبها تعرف.

then mention the prices among them, since these depend on the currency and are known by it.

2.129

ولقد حدثني الشيخ مبارك قال: اللك الأحمر [1] مائة ألف تنكة، واللك الأبيض مائة ألف تنكة الذهب، وهي المسمى عندهم التنكة الحمراء، ثلاثة مثاقيل، والتنكة النقرة [2] وهي تنكة الفضة، ثمانية دراهم هشتكانه [3] ، وهذا الدرهم الهشتكاني [4] هو وزن الدرهم النقرة معاملة مصر والشام، وجوازه لا يكاد يتفاوت ما بينهما، وهذا الدرهم الهشتكاني هو أربعة دراهم سلطانية، وهي المسماة الدكانية، وهذا الدرهم السلطاني يجيء ثلث درهم ششتكاني، وهو درهم ثالث يتعامل به في الهند، وجوازه بنصف وربع درهم ششتكاني [5] (ولهذا الدرهم السلطاني نصف يسمى يكاني [6] وهو بكتيل واحد، وكلهم درهم آخر اسمه شاتربكاني [7] جوازه بدرهمين، فحينئذ دراهم الهند ستة شاذودكاني ودوازديدكاني [8] هشتكاني [9] ششكاني [10] وسلطاني ويكاني [11] أصغرها

Shaykh Mubārak told me: the red lakh is a hundred thousand tankas, and the white lakh a hundred thousand tankas. The gold tanka, which they call the red tanka, is three mithqāls; and the silver (nuqra) tanka, the tanka of silver, is eight hashtkānī dirhams. This hashtkānī dirham is of the weight of the silver (nuqra) dirham current in Egypt and Syria, and their exchange value hardly differs. This hashtkānī dirham equals four sulṭānī dirhams, also called dukānī; and this sulṭānī dirham comes to one third of a shashtkānī dirham, which is a third dirham current in India, its value being one half and a quarter of a shashtkānī dirham. (This sulṭānī dirham has a half called yakānī, which is one kitīl; and they have another dirham called shātrabkānī, worth two dirhams. So the dirhams of India are six: shādhūdkānī, duwāzdahkānī, hashtkānī, shashkānī, sulṭānī, and yakānī, the smallest of them being

The dirham hashtkání answers to four dirhams sultánís, otherwise called dukánís. A dirham sultání is worth the third of a dirham shashkání, which is a third kind of silver coin current in India, and which is worth three-fourths of the dirham hashtkání. A piece, which is the half of the dirham sultání, is called yakání (piece of one), and is worth one jítal. Another dirham, called dwázdahkání (piece of twelve), passes for a hashtkání and a half. Another coin, called shánzdahkání, corresponds to two dirhams. So the silver coins current in India are six, i.e. the dirham shánzdahkání, the dwázdahkání, the hashtkání, the shashkání, the sultání, and the yakání. The least of these pieces is the dirham sultání. These three kinds of dirhams are employed in commerce, and are taken universally, but there is no one of more general use than the dirham sultání, which is worth a quarter of the dirham of Egypt and of Syria. The dirham sultání is equal to eight fals [or fulús] ; the jítal to four fals ; and the dirham hashtkání, which corresponds exactly to the silver dirham of Egypt and Syria, is worth thirty-two fals. The ritl of India, which is called sír, weighs seventy miskáls, which, estimated in dirhams of Egypt, is worth 102f. Forty sírs make one man. They do not know the way of measuring grain in India.