Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s4.57

c7.s4.57

³ Compare some instances from the contemporary world of Islam. Marco Polo tells us that the subtle Persians had a way of their own in dealing with the question. They boiled the wine until it changed its flavour and became sweet in taste, but retained its intoxication. Now, according to them, it was no longer a forbidden drink within the definition of the Muslim law; ‘the name being changed with the change of flavour’. Vide Yule, I, 84. The Hanafite liberalism opened a way for many abuses. For instance Sultan Uzbeg, according to Ibn Batuta, used to drink abiz (fermented date juice), which was lawful, in sufficient quantities to make him drunk. His daughters, sisters, nobles, other ladies and the chief queen, all successively offered a drink to his health, in which, of course, he had to join every time. The piety of the Sultan was, however, not open to question, since he never failed to attend the prayers on Fridays (vide K.R., II, 208-9). Muslims of Hormuz resorted to similar devices. Vide Barbosa, I, 96.