South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c15.s6: The Death of the Sultan. The Accession of His Brother's Son, and My Departure from the New Prince's Court
South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c15.s6
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The Death of the Sultan. The Accession of His Brother's Son, and My Departure from the New Prince's Court
c15.s6.1
The third Thursday, Ghiyath-eddin (Ghiyazu-d-din) died. I heard the news and hastened to return to town, fearing a tumult. I met Nasir-eddin (Nasiru-d-din), the nephew and successor of the deceased, who was sent for to the camp as the Sultan left no son. He asked me to retrace my steps to the camp with him; but I refused, and this refusal left an impression on his mind. This Nasir-eddin (Nasiru-d-din) was a domestic servant at Delhi before his uncle came to the throne. When Ghiyath-eddin (Ghiyazu-d-din) became king, the nephew fled to him in the garb of a fakir, and fate willed it that he should reign after him. When they had sworn allegiance to Nasir-eddin (Nasiru-d-din) poets recited his praises in verse, and they gave him magnificent gifts. The first who rose to recite verses was the Khadi Sadrazzeman (Kazi Sadru-s-Zaman), to whom he gave 500 pieces of gold and a robe of honour; then came the vizir named Alkadhi (the judge) whom the Sultan gratified with two thousand pieces of silver. As for me, he made a present of 300 pieces of gold and a robe of honour. He distributed alms among fakirs and the poor. When the preacher gave his first sermon in which he mentioned the name of the new sovereign, they loaded him with drachmas and dinars placed in gold and silver basins. The funeral of Ghiyath-eddin (Ghiyazu-d-din) was celebrated with great pomp. Each day the Koran was read beside the tomb. Then, those whose business it was to read the tenth part of the holy book, delivered a lecture, after which food was served and the public ate; finally, silver pieces were given to each individual according to his rank. This went on for forty days. The ceremony was renewed annually on the anniversary of the death of the deceased.
c15.s6.2
The first step taken by Nasir-eddin (Nasiru-d-din) was to ruin his uncle's vizir by extorting sums of money from him. He made Melic Bedr-eddin (Malik Badru-d-din) vizir, the same man whom his uncle had sent to meet me when I was at Fattan. He died very soon; and the Sultan nominated as his successor, Khodjah Sorour, the admiral, with the title of Khodjah Djihan (Khwaja-i-Jehan) similar to the vizir of Delhi. Whoever addressed the vizir by any other title, had to pay a fine of a certain number of gold pieces. Then the Sultan Nasir-eddin killed the son of his paternal aunt, who was married to the daughter of Ghiyath-eddin (the late Sultan), and afterwards married his widow. He was told that Melic Maç-oud (Malik-Masud) had visited his cousin in prison before he was put to death; so he killed him as well as Melic Behadour (Malik Bahadur), who was a generous and virtuous hero. He ordered that I should be provided with all the ships that his uncle had sanctioned for my expedition to the Maldives. But I was attacked with the deadly fever, and thought I would die. God inspired me to have recourse to the tamarind which is very plentiful in this place. I took about a pound of it and soaked it in water, then drank this beverage which made me better in three days, and with God's help I was cured. Being disgusted with the town of Madura, I asked the Sultan's permission to go on my voyage. He said to me, 'How will you go? There is only one month for the Maldive expedition to be got ready. Stay then until we give you all that the master of the world (the late Sultan) ordered for you.' I refused and he wrote to Fattan giving me leave to sail in any vessel I pleased. I found there were eight vessels sailing for Yaman from Fattan and embarked on one of them. We met three war ships, which fought with us for a time and then retired. After that we arrived at Caoulem (Quilon). As I was free from all illness, I remained in this town for three months and then set sail in order to find the Sultan Djemal-eddin Alhinaoury (Jamalu-d-din of Honawar) but infidels attacked us between Hinaour (Honawar) and Facanaour.