History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c17.s2.12

c17.s2.12

'Alāuddīn ordered most severe punishments for contravention of his orders regarding price-control. Even in these days a fine of a few thousand rupees is levied or rigorous imprisonment for some months is awarded to a shopkeeper who is found to have sold an article for even a few annas above the controlled rate. Six centuries back the traders were perhaps as persistent in their cunning, while the punishments more severe. It was ordered that the Nāzir Yāqūb should ill-treat and administer lashes to guilty traders. In cases of short-weight he used to cut off flesh from the haunches of traders, equal to the deficiency in weight. The harshness of Yāqūb was talked about everywhere among the young and the old. Every day the Nāzir used to inquire about the transactions of the *bazārs* several times, and on the discovery of the slightest discrepancy he whipped the traders mercilessly.³² Notwithstanding his harshness the merchants continued to cheat the customers, and it was found that short-weight trick was commonly practised when little boys came to purchase things in the market. To detect the mischief the sultan used to call young slave-boys from his pigeon houses, give them some *jitals*³³ and send them to the market place, asking one to bring bread, another to bring *halvā*, a third *yakhnī*, a fourth *reorī* a fifth melon, a sixth cucumber and so on, and when these boys returned after their purchases the sultan sent for the Dīvān-i-Riyāsat and had the articles brought by the boys weighed in his presence. If any thing was found to be deficient in weight it was given to the Dīvān-i-Riyāsat, who at once proceeded to the shop from where the articles had been brought. A quantity of flesh equal to the deficiency in weight was cut from the haunches of the fraudulent seller, and he was kicked out of his shop. Such drastic punishments seem to have been meted out only to habitual offenders. The horrible punishments introduced by 'Alāúddīn continued to be awarded for some time, says the historian, till at last the tradesmen became quite submissive and discontinued giving short weights. Not only that, they were so much terrified with these drastic measures that sometimes they gave much more than the actual weight.