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تحفة النظار في غرايب الامصار وعجايب الاسفار 13.21

English (machine translation) 13.21

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English

13.21.1

The Sultan's mother is called al-Makhdūma Jahān. She is one of the most virtuous of women and very charitable; she built many hospices and provided food in them for travellers coming and going. She is blind, and the reason for this is that when her son became king, all the khātūns and the daughters of kings and amīrs came to her in their finest attire while she was on a golden throne set with jewels, and they all made obeisance before her; her sight left her at that very moment. She was treated with all kinds of remedies, but nothing helped.

13.21.2

Her son is the most dutiful of men toward her. An instance of his devotion is that she once travelled with him, and the Sultan arrived some time before her; when she arrived he went out to meet her, dismounted from his horse and kissed her foot while she was in the litter, in full view of all the people.

13.21.3

Let us return to our purpose and say: when we left the Sultan's palace, the vizier went out, and we with him, to the Bāb al-Ṣarf, which they call the Bāb al-Ḥaram, where al-Makhdūma Jahān resides. When we reached her gate we dismounted, each of us having brought a gift according to his means. The chief qāḍī of the mamlūks, Kamāl al-Dīn b. al-Burhān, entered with us. The vizier and the qāḍī made obeisance at her gate, and we made obeisance as they did. The secretary of her gate wrote down our gifts. Then a group of the eunuchs came out, and their senior ones went up to the vizier and spoke with him privately; then

13.21.4

they went back to the palace, then returned to the vizier, then went back to the palace again, while we stood waiting. Then we were ordered to sit in a portico there. Then they brought the food, and they brought golden vessels which they call sīn (with u after the s and the letter y), which are like cooking-pots, with golden stands on which they rest, which they call subuk (with u after the s and u after the b). They brought cups, basins and ewers, all of gold. They laid out the food in two banquets, with two rows at each banquet, and at the head of each row sits the most senior of the arriving guests.

13.21.5

When we came forward to the food, the chamberlains and the heralds made obeisance, and we made obeisance as they did. Then they brought sherbet and we drank, and the chamberlains said, "In the name of God." Then we ate, and they brought fuqqāʿ (barley beer) and then betel. Then the chamberlains said, "In the name of God," and we all made obeisance. Then we were called to a place there and were given robes of honour of gold-embroidered silk. Then they brought us to the gate of the palace and we made obeisance there, and the chamberlains said, "In the name of God." The vizier stood and we stood with him. Then a chest of unsewn cloth of silk, linen and cotton was brought out from inside the palace, and each of us was given his share of it. Then they brought a golden platter with dried fruit, a similar platter with julep, and a third platter with betel.

13.21.6

It is their custom that the one for whom this is brought out takes the platter in his hand and places it on his shoulder, then makes obeisance to the ground with his other hand. The vizier took the platter in his hand, intending to show me how to do it, out of friendliness, humility and kindness — may God reward him well — and I did as he did. Then we went off to the house prepared for our lodging in the city of Dihlī, near its Pālam gate (darwāza), and the hospitality allowance was sent to us.

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