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SEPTEMBER, 1887.] THE REIGN OF AHMAD SHAH DURRANI.
Hypocrisy, and the whole host of the family of Injustice. I have no place for thee in my kingdom, which must alone be occupied by Justice and Truth, and in which the good shall offer sacrifice and worship the Lord of Sacrifice."
Hearing this Kali humbly said:-"I will keep all thy commandments, O most august sovereign, please to assign me some place where I may dwell and obey thy orders."
The king then ordered him to take up his abode in gambling-places, in intoxicating drinks, in loose women, and in places of slaughter (hunting, battle, &c.) But Kali was not to be so easily satisfied, and he begged for more places of abode. Parikshit did not know which to spare next, but at last he decided on one more mansion for Kali, and that was gold! Kali has ever since made his home in these five; they are his strong fortresses, so to speak.
When Aḥmad Khan ascended the throne in the year 1161 A.H., corresponding to the year 1748 A.D.,' he endeavoured to gain the favour of the Durrant nobles and of the Abdalt chiefs, by bestowing upon each of them a title, according to the fashion of Nadir Shah. Thus, for instance, upon Shahnawaz Khân Bâmîzai, who was originally a simple Khân, he conferred the dignity of Wazir with the title of Shah Wali Khan. The Sardar Jahân Khâů Pôpalzai he made commander-in-chief, with the titles of Mirbâzân and Khân Khanan, and Shahpasand Khan Ishaqzai he distinguished by the title of Amir Lashkari [Generalissimo]:
THE REIGN OF AHMAD SHAH DURRANI.
Translated from the Tarikh Sultani of Sultan Muhammad Khan Bárukzai.
BY E. REHATSEK.
He became the possessor of the world and was Shahanshah.
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Men wishing to obtain the highest bliss should never come near these."
[There are expressions in the above that remind us strongly of some in Christian teaching. "If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again:" Exodus xxiii. 4. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use and persecute you." Matthew, v. 44. "Bless them that persecute you: bless and curse not. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him if ae thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head:" Romane xii. 14, 20. In the ancient Buddhist Khuddaka Patha a similar idea is promulgated. "Na paré paraih nikubbetha, nitimannetha katthachi namh kinchi; bydrbeand patighasañña niññamaññassa dukkham ichchhoyya. Mita
When the descendants of King Parikshit ceased to rule over Hindustan, Kali made his way again into the earth, established his sovereignty throughout the world, and became the supreme lord of the present age which is after him called Kali-Yuga. Now that there is no one like Parikshit to check his progress, he does as he likes, and hence, strife, poverty, famine, disease, and so on, are prevailing all over the world. But the Hindûs look forward to the coming of Kalki, the tenth great incarnation of Vishnu, who will, it is believed, annihilate Kali and his friends, whence his name, which means the Destroyer of Kali. They do not exactly know when Kalki will come, but, until that time, men wishing to gain the highest bliss know that it is well to avoid the Five Mansions of Kali.'
Not possessing the ready cash and the wealth of stores necessary for inaugurating a government, he was, nevertheless, much distressed. It happened, however, by a good turn of fortune that in this emergency Taqi Khân Akhtabêgi Shirâzî, whom Nâdir Shâh had before his decease sent to Kâbul and Pêshawar for the purpose of bringing in the revenues, entered Qandahâr with the treasury in the company of Nasr Khan. Accordingly Aḥmad Shah, keeping in mind the saying that a year which is to be good will be known by its spring, confiscated the whole of it, amounting to two karors of rupees; whereon his government assumed a perfectly regular character! Some time afterwards Nasr Khan escaped from prison, or was, according to others,
He enjoyed the dignity of the celestial sphere, permitted to leave it, and went to Peshawar,
and the pomp of heaven.
where he excited a rebellion. Now Ahmad
yatha niyamputtam ayusta kaputtam anurakkhe; vampi sabbabhateau manasam bhavayê aparimanam. Mettancha sabbalskasmim manasamh bhavayé aparimanam, uddham adhocha tiriyañcha usambâdhamaveram asapattarh. Let no man in any place deceive another, nor let him be harsh towards any one; let him not out of anger or resentment wish ill to his neighbour. As a mother, so long as she lives, watches over her child, her only child; so among all beings let boundless good-will prevail. Let good-will without measure, impartial, unmixed with enmity, prevail throughout the world above, below, around." Khuddaka Nikdya, Khuddaka Patha, Metta Sutta, 7, 8, 9. These verses, that is the Metta Sutta, also occurs in Khuddaka Nikaya, Sutta Nipata.-ED.] Began 2nd January 1748.
