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تحفة النظار في غرايب الامصار وعجايب الاسفار 6.6

Travels in Asia and Africa 1325–1354 6.6

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6.6.1

Afterwards the sultan used to summon us to eat in his presence and would enquire how we fared and address us most affably. He assigned us pensions, giving me twelve thousand dinars a year, and added two villages to the three he had already commanded for me. One day he sent the wazir and the governor of Sind to us to say, “The Master of the World says ‘Whoever amongst you is capable of undertaking the function of wazir or secretary or commander or judge or professor or shaykh, I shall appoint to that office.’” Everyone was silent at first, for what they were wanting was to gain riches and return to their countries. After some of the others had spoken the wazir said to me in Arabic “What do you say?” I replied “Wazirships and secretaryships are not my business, but as to qadis and shaykhs, that is my occupation, and the occupation of my fathers before me.” The sultan was pleased with what I had said, and I was summoned to the palace to do homage on appointment as qadi of the Malikite rite at Delhi. It happens often that there is a long delay in the payment of the money gifts of the sultan (though they are always paid in the end) and I waited six months before receiving the twelve thousand dinars promised to me. They have a custom also of deducing a tenth from all sums given by the sultan. Now, as I have related, I had borrowed from the merchants for the expenses of my journey and my present to the sultan, as well as for my residence at Delhi.

6.6.2

When they prepared to return to their country, they importuned me to pay my debts, so I wrote a long poem in praise of the sultan and presented it to him. He received it with pleasure, and I was congratulated by everyone. After waiting for some time I wrote a petition and transmitted it to the sultan, who ordered the wazir to pay my debts. The wazir delayed for some days, and meanwhile received orders to proceed to Dawlat Abad. During this time the sultan had gone out hunting; the wazir set off, and I received nothing at all until some time later. When my creditors were ready to travel I said to them “ When I go to the palace, claim your debt from me according to the custom in this country,” for I knew that when the sultan learned of that he would pay them. Their custom is this; the creditor awaits the debtor at the door of the palace, and when the debtor is on the point of entering he says to him “ O enemy of the sultan, by the head of the sultan you shall not enter until you have paid me.” The debtor may not leave the place after that until he pays him or obtains a delay from him. They did this, and the sultan sent a chamberlain to ask the merchants the amount of the debt. They replied “ Fifty-five thousand dinars.” The sultan then sent the chamberlain to say to them “ The Master of the World says to you ‘ The money is in my possession, and I shall give you justice;

6.6.3

do not demand it of him.’ ” He then commanded two officers to sit in the Hall of the Thousand Columns to examine and verify the creditors’ documents. They found them in order and informed the sultan, who laughed and said “ I know he is a qadi and has seen to his business with them.” He then commanded the treasurer to pay the sum, but the treasurer greedily demanded a bribe for doing so and would not write the order. I sent him two hundred tangahs, but he returned them. One of his servants told me from him that he wanted five hundred tangahs and I refused to pay it. The matter came to the ears of the sultan, who in great displeasure ordered payment to be suspended until the treasurer’s conduct was investigated. Later on, when the sultan went out to hunt, I went out along with him at once, as I had already prepared all that is required according to the habits of the Indians, and had hired bearers, grooms, valets, and runners. One day when the sultan was in his tent he enquired who were outside. Nasir ad-Din, one of his courtiers, said “ So-and-so, the Moroccan, who is very upset.” “ Why so ?” asked the sultan, and he replied “ Because of his debt, since his creditors are pressing for payment. The Master of the World had commanded the wazir to pay it, but he left before doing so.

6.6.4

Would not the Master of the World order the creditors to wait until the wazir returns or else give orders for their claims to be met ?” The “ king ” Dawlat-Shah, who was present, said “ O Master of the World, every day this man talks to us in Arabic, and I do not know what he is saying. Do you know, Nasir ad-Din ?” He said this so that Nasir ad-Din might repeat what he had said. Nasir ad-Din answered “ He talks about the debt which he has contracted.” The sultan said “ When we return to the capital, go yourself to the treasury and give him this money.” The treasurer was present and said “ O Master of the World, he is very extravagant. I have seen him before in our own land, at the court of Sultan Tarmashirin.” After this the sultan invited me to his meal, I being in total ignorance of what had taken place. As I went out Nasir ad-Din said “Thank the king Dawlat-Shah,” and Dawlat-Shah said to me “Thank the treasurer.” The day after our return, I went to the palace, and presented to the sultan two camels with richly embroidered saddles and harness, along with eleven plates of sweetmeats. He ordered the sweetmeats to be taken into his private apartments and on retiring to them sent for me. After we had eaten he asked me the names of the sweetmeats which he had particularly enjoyed, and thereafter we took betel and withdrew.

6.6.5

A few moments later the treasurer came to me and said “Send your friends to receive the money,” so I sent them, and on returning to my house after the sunset prayer found the money there in three sacks, containing the fifty-five thousand dinars which was the amount of my debt, together with the twelve thousand which the sultan had previously commanded to be paid to me, less one-tenth according to their custom. On the 9th of first Jumada [21st October 1341], the sultan left Delhi for Ma‘bar [Coromandel] to fight with a rebel in that district. I was all prepared to accompany him, but was commanded with some others to remain in Delhi, and the chamberlain took written acknowledgments of the order from us as a proof that we had received it. The sultan also commanded that I should take charge of the mausoleum of Sultan Qutb ad-Din. He then sent for us to bid us farewell, and asked me if I had any requests. I took out a piece of paper with six petitions, but he said to me “Speak with your tongue.” Amongst other things I said “What shall I do about the mausoleum of Sultan Qutb ad-Din ?

6.6.6

I have given appointments in connection with it to four hundred and sixty persons, and the income from its endowment does not cover their salaries and food.” He said to the wazir “Fifty thousand” and then added “You must have an anticipatory crop.” This means “Give him a hundred thousand maunds of wheat and rice to be expended during this year, until the crops produced by the endowments come in.” I asked also that my house might be repaired. When I had been granted my requests, he said “There is another recommendation, and that is that you incur no debts and so avoid being pressed for payment, for you will not find anyone to bring me news of them. Regulate your expenses according to what I have given you, as God has said [in the Koran], Keep not thy hand bound to thy neck, neither open it to fullest extent and again Eat and drink, and be not prodigal.” I desired to kiss his foot, but he prevented me and held back my head with his hand, so I kissed that and retired.

6.6.7

I returned to the capital and busied myself with repairing my house; on this I spent four thousand dinars, of which I received from the treasury six hundred and paid the rest myself. I also built a mosque opposite my house, and occupied myself with the dispositions for the mausoleum of Sultan Qutb ad-Din. The sultan had fixed the daily issue of food there at twelve maunds of flour and a like quantity of meat. I saw that this amount was too small, and that the produce which the sultan had put at my disposal was plentiful, and consequently I dispensed every day thirty-five maunds of flour and thirty-five of meat, together with proportionate quantities of sugar, candy, ghee and betel, not only to the salaried employees but also to visitors and travellers. The famine at that time was severe, but the population were relieved by this food, and the news of it spread far and wide. The “King” Sabih, having gone to join the sultan at Dawlat Abad, was asked by him for news of the doings of the people [in Delhi] and answered “If there were in Delhi two such men as so-and-so there would be no complaints of famine.” The sultan was pleased at this and sent me a robe of honour from his own wardrobe.

6.6.8

On setting out for Ma'bar [Coromandel] an epidemic broke out in the sultan’s army, so he returned and built a camp near the river Ganges. I left Delhi and joined him there, and remained with him through the campaign against the rebel governor of Oudh. He gave me some thoroughbred horses when distributing them to his courtiers and included me in the number of the latter. I was present with him at the battle and capture of the rebel, and returned with him to Delhi. Afterwards I fell into disfavour with him because I had visited the shaykh Shihab ad-Din in his cave outside Delhi. He had thoughts of punishing me and gave orders that four of his slaves should remain constantly beside me in the audience-hall. When this action is taken with anyone, it rarely happens that he escapes. I fasted five days on end, reading the Koran from cover to cover each day, and tasting nothing but water. After five days I broke my fast and then continued to fast for another four days on end, and was set free after the shaykh’s death, praise be to God.

6.6.9

Some time later I withdrew from the sultan’s service and attached myself to the learned and pious imam Kamal ad-Din “The Cave Man,” as I have already related. The sultan was in Sind at the time, and at hearing of my retreat from the world summoned me. I entered his presence dressed as a mendicant, and he spoke to me very kindly, desiring me to return to his service. I refused and asked him for permission to travel to Mecca, which he granted. This was at the end of second Jumada 742 [early December 1341]. Forty days later the sultan sent me saddled horses, slave girls and boys, robes and a sum of money, so I put on the robes and went to him. I had a tunic of blue cotton which I wore during my retreat, and as I put it off and dressed in the sultan’s robes I upbraided myself. Ever after when I looked at that tunic I felt a light within me, and it remained in my possession until the infidels despoiled me of it on the sea. When I presented myself before the sultan, he showed me greater favour than before, and said to me “ I have sent for you to go as my ambassador to the king of China, for I know your love of travel.” He then provided me with everything I required and appointed certain other persons to accompany me, as I shall relate presently.

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