A History of Agriculture in India v2.c82.s3.3

v2.c82.s3.3

Mulla Abdul Hamid Lahori, in his excellent work, *Badshah-nama*, gives the following account of the first state visit of the Emperor to these gardens. ‘It having been represented to His Majesty that the gardens, the management of which had been entrusted to Khalilullah Khan, had been finished, the royal astrologers were ordered to fix an auspicious hour for the visit of the august sovereign. Accordingly the 7th of Shaban 1052 A.H. was fixed as the date of the royal visit. His Majesty honored the gardens with a visit on that day, and was highly pleased with the scene he witnessed. The omerahs and grandees of State offered their congratulations, while all joined in prayers for the duration of the Imperial grandeur. Multitudes of intelligent and wise men who were present before His Imperial Majesty and who had seen Rum, Irak and Mawar-un-Nahar, represented to him that a garden such as this had never to this date been constructed, or seen or even talked of by anybody.' 'So many edifices,' adds Abdul Hamid, 'were constructed in this garden that, whenever it pleases the Emperor to pay a visit to it with the Royal Harem, who remain with him at Lahore, the capital, the necessity of pitching tents is avoided.' Shalimar suffered considerable damage in the last quarter of the eighteenth century when the Mughal power collapsed.