Mughal Administration c10.s4.10

c10.s4.10

We possess the imperial regulation about the office-work of the qazis. About 1671 the Emperor Aurangzib learnt that the judges of the province of Gujrat used to sit in their offices (*muhakuma-i-adalat*) on only two days in the week, while on two other days (*viz.*, Tuesday and Wednesday) they attended the subahdar’s *darbar*, and treated the remaining three days of the week as holidays. The Emperor wrote to the diwan of the province, “This way of doing work is not the practice at the imperial Court nor in any other subah, and therefore there is no reason why it should be so in Gujrat. The diwan is ordered to urge the judges to sit in their offices on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, *i.e.*, five days, while on Wednesday they should attend the subahdar, and Friday alone should be a holiday. From two *gharis* (about an hour) after daybreak to a little after midday (*i.e.*, when the sun has begun to decline), the judges should sit in the court room and do justice, and go to their homes at the time of the *zuhar* prayer.” (*Mirat-i-Ahmadi*, i. 275.)