South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c15.s3: My Arrival at the (Court of) Sultan Ghiyath Eddin
South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c15.s3
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My Arrival at the (Court of) Sultan Ghiyath Eddin
c15.s3.1
When we approached the neighbourhood of his camp, he sent one of his chamberlains to meet us. The Sultan was seated in a wooden tower. . . . It is the custom throughout India, for nobody to enter the presence of the Sovereign bare-footed. Now, I had no boots, but an idolater gave me a pair, though there were a certain number of Mussalmans in this place. I was surprised that idolaters showed greater generosity than they (Mussalmans). I then presented myself before the Sultan who ordered me to sit down, sent for the kadhi (Kazi) and pilgrim Sadr Azzeman Beha-eddin (Sadru-l-Zaman Bahau-d-din) and lodged me in three tents pitched in the neighbourhood of his. The people of this country called these tents ‘Khiyam’ (plural of ‘Khaimah’). The Sultan sent me carpets as well as the viands used in the country, that is to say, rice and meat (curry). The custom in this country, as in our own, is to serve sour milk after the meal.
c15.s3.2
After all that, I had an interview with the Sultan. I proposed that he should send an army to the Maldive islands. He agreed to this proposal and ordered some ships to be got ready. He also resolved to send a present to the Sultan of the Maldives, some robes of honour and gifts to the amirs and viziers. He entrusted me with the drawing up of a marriage contract with the Sultan’s sister; finally he ordered three vessels to be filled with alms for the poor of the island and said to me: ‘You will return at the end of five days.’ The admiral Khodjah Serlec said to him: ‘It is not possible to sail for the Maldives until three months hence.’ Then the Sultan said to me: ‘Since this is the case, come to Fattan (Paṭṭaṇam) in order that we might end this expedition and return to our capital of Moutrah (Madura). It is from there that they will set out.’ I went and stayed there with him, and, whilst waiting, sent for my concubines and my friends.