تحفة النظار في غرايب الامصار وعجايب الاسفار 13.49: حكاية قاضي القضاة

13.49.1

يذكر أنه عزل مرة عن القضاء وكان له أعداء فادعى أحدهم عند القاضي الذي ولي بعده، أن له عشرة آلاف دينار قبله ولم تكن له بينة وكان قصده أن يحلفه فبعث القاضي عنه، فقال لرسوله: بما ادعى علي؟ فقال: بعشرة آلاف دينار، فبعث إلى مجلس القاضي عشرة آلاف، وسلمت للمدعي.

It is related that he was once dismissed from the office of qāḍī. He had enemies, and one of them brought a claim before the qāḍī who was appointed after him that he owed him ten thousand dinars. He had no proof, and his aim was to make him take an oath. The qāḍī sent for him, and he said to his messenger: "For how much has he claimed against me?" He replied: "Ten thousand dinars." So he sent ten thousand to the qāḍī's court, and it was handed over to the claimant.

13.49.2

وبلغ خبره السلطان علاء الدين وصح عنده بطلان تلك الدعوى، فأعاده إلى القضاء وأعطاه عشرة آلاف.

News of this reached Sultan ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn, and the falsity of the claim was established to his satisfaction, so he restored him to the office of qāḍī and gave him ten thousand.

13.49.3

وأقمنا بهذه المدينة ثلاثا، ووصلنا فيها جواب السلطان في شأني بأنه إن لم يظهر لفلان أثر فيتوجه وجيه الملك قاضي دولة آباد عوضا منه! ثم رحلنا من هذه المدينة فنزلنا بمنزل هنول، ثم بمنزل وزير بور ثم بمنزل البجالصة ثم وصلنا إلى مدينة موري ، وضبط اسمها بفتح ميم وواو وراء وهي صغيرة ولها أسواق حسنة، ولقيت بها الشيخ الصالح المعمر قطب الدين المسمى بحيدر الفرغاني، وكان بحال مرض فدعا لي وزودني رغيف شعير، وأخبرني أن عمره ينيف على مائة وخمسين، وذكر لي أصحابه أنه يصوم الدهر ويواصل كثيرا ويكثر الاعتكاف، وربما أقام في خلوته أربعين يوما يقتات فيها بأربعين تمرة في كل يوم واحدة.

We stayed in this city three days, and while there we received the Sultan's reply concerning me: that if no trace of So-and-so appeared, then Wajīh al-Mulk, the qāḍī of Dawlat Ābād, should go in his place! Then we left this city and halted at the stage of Hanawl, then at the stage of Wazīr Būr, then at the stage of al-Bajāliṣa, and then reached the city of Mawrī — its name is pronounced with a after the m, then w and r. It is small and has fine markets. There I met the pious, long-lived shaykh Quṭb al-Dīn, called Ḥaydar al-Farghānī. He was ill; he prayed for me and gave me a barley loaf as provision, and told me that his age exceeded a hundred and fifty. His companions told me that he fasts continually, often fasts without breaking for days on end, and frequently goes into retreat; sometimes he stays in his cell forty days, living in them on forty dates, one each day.

He told me, that he was then one hundred and fifty years old. I was informed that he would constantly fast, and that for many successive days. We next arrived at the city of Merwa, which is a large place, inhabited for the most part by infidels, who pay tribute to the Emperor. We next arrived at the city of Kalyur, which is large, and which has a fortress on the top of a high mountain. In this the Emperor imprisons those of whom he entertains any fear. We next arrived at the city of Barun, which is small, and inhabited by Moslems : it is situated in the midst of the infidel districts. In these parts are many wild beasts, which enter the town and tear the inhabitants. I was told, however, that such as enter the streets of the town are not wild beasts really, but only some of the magicians called Jogees, who can assume the shape of wild beasts, and appear as such to the mind. These are a people who can work miracles, of which one is, that any one of them can keep an entire fast for several months.

13.49.4

وقد رأيت بدهلي الشيخ المسمى برجب البرقعي دخل الخلوة بأربعين تمرة فأقام بها أربعين ثم خرج وفضل معه منها ثلاث عشرة تمرة! ثم رحلنا ووصلنا إلى مدينة مره

In Dihlī I saw the shaykh called Rajab al-Burquʿī, who entered his cell with forty dates, stayed there forty [days], then came out with thirteen of the dates left over! Then we set out and reached the city of Marh

13.49.5

، وضبط اسمها بفتح الميم وسكون الراء وهاء، وهي مدينة كبيرة أكثر سكانها كفار تحت الذمة، وهي حصينة وبها القمح الطيب الذي ليس مثله بسواها، ومنها يحمل إلى دهلي، وحبوبه طوال شديدة الصفرة ضخمة، ولم أر قمحا مثله إلا بأرض الصين! وتنسب هذه المدينة إلى المالوة بفتح اللام، وهي قبيلة من قبائل الهنود ضخام الأجسام عظام الخلق حسان الصور، لنسائهم الجمال الفائق، وهن مشهورات بطيب الخلوة ووفور الحظ من اللذة، وكذلك نساء المرهتة ونساء جزيرة ذيبة المهل !

— its name is pronounced with a after the m, a quiescent r, and h. It is a large city, most of whose inhabitants are infidels under protection (dhimma). It is fortified and has excellent wheat, unequalled anywhere else, which is carried from there to Dihlī; its grains are long, deep yellow and large, and I have seen no wheat like it except in the land of China! This city is attributed to the Mālawa — with a after the l — a tribe of the Hindus who are large of body, of great stature and handsome of face. Their women have surpassing beauty and are famed for being delightful in intimacy and for their abundant share of pleasure; so too are the women of the Marhata and the women of the island of Dhībat al-Mahal!

13.49.6

ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة علابور ، وضبط اسمها بفتح العين ولام والف وباء موحدة مضمومة وواو وراء، مدينة صغيرة أكثر سكانها الكفار تحت الذمة، وعلى مسيرة يوم منها سلطان كافر اسمه قتم بفتح القاف والتاء المعلوة، وهو سلطان جنبيل بفتح الجيم وسكون النون وكسر الباء الموحدة وباء مد ولام، الذي حاصر مدينة كيالير، وقتل بعد ذلك .

Then we travelled to the city of ʿAlābūr — its name is pronounced with a after the ʿ, l, alif, b with u, w and r — a small city most of whose inhabitants are infidels under protection. A day's journey from it is an infidel sultan named Qatam — with a after the q and the t — who is the sultan of Janbīl — with a after the j, a quiescent n, i after the b, a long ī, and l — the one who besieged the city of Kiyālīr and was later killed.