تحفة النظار في غرايب الامصار وعجايب الاسفار 12.4.2

12.4.2

When the sultan sits, the chamberlains and naqībs call out at the top of their voices: "In the name of God!" Then the great malik Qabūla stands at the sultan's head with a fly-whisk in his hand, driving away the flies. A hundred armour-bearers (silaḥdārs) stand to the sultan's right and as many to his left, holding shields, swords and bows. Standing on the right and the left along the length of the audience hall are the chief qāḍī, followed by the chief preacher, then the other qāḍīs, then the leading jurists, then the leading sharīfs, then the shaykhs, then the sultan's brothers and in-laws, then the great amīrs, then the leading aʿizza (honoured ones), who are the foreigners, then the commanders.