Later Mughals v1.c9.s40.2

v1.c9.s40.2

His most amiable qualities were profuseness and liberality, which made him the darling of the lower orders. Among his personal habits two were especially marked—a fondness for fine clothes and for good horses. He loved gold-embroidered raiment edged with gold lace, such as the sovereign himself had never worn before. All the great nobles imitated him and began to wear what pleased their master. Thus he was at any rate mourned by the lace-sellers and the indigent. As for horses, he chose them with care, for their fine paces, their colour, and their great speed. Several thousand horses stood in his private stables, and a select number of them were tethered under the balcony window of the room where he slept. Thus he was able from time to time to see them from this window, or the roof of the palace. Even when in bed asleep, if a horse rose up and lay down two or three times, he would be roused and enquire the reason, calling both the animal and its groom by their names. The Khan-saman or Lord Steward had strict orders about their food. Once Muhammad Yar Khan, when holding that office, reported that the quantities issued were in excess of the regulations. Farrukh-siyar directed him to pay up to the amount of one gold coin a day for each of these horses, and not to report until that amount was exceeded. [Khush-hal 410a.]