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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1899.
of kings, the great saiyids, sholehs, and learned men being present at the time of the sovereign's taking his seat on the royal throne, his highness Malik-ul-Mushâ,ikh Shah Burhan-ud-Din Khalil-Ulah, son of Shah Nur-nd-Din Ni'mat-Ullah Wall, who was the religious instructor of this king and son of the spiritual adviser of the late Sultân, took hold of the Sultan's right band; and Saiyid Khestr taking his left hand, they seated him on the throne; and the nobles and grandees scattered money. The Sultân placing two chairs, one on each side of the throne for those two illastrious fortunate ones, they were seated on his right and left; and the other saiyids and learned mon- such as Malik-ul-Ulum Kaz Ahmad Kabal Sadar-i Jahîn and Sadar-al-Ulumâ Kâçi Nigam-ud-Din Sharift Sharf.i Jahan and Malik ul-Mudarrisin 93 Saiyid Alimad Jarjánt obtained permission to sit at the foot of the throne. The courtiers congratulated the Sultan on his accession, and in eloquent language sang his praises ; and each one socording to his rank and station received robes of honour and other gifts. Poeta recited elegant congratulatory verses and were rewarded by kingly gifts.
When by common consent Sultan 'All-ud-Din succeeded to the absolute sovereignty of the Dakhan by hereditary right and desert he regulated in such a manner the distribution of justice and the erection of the structure of equity that the impression of the beneficence of Farid ûn was eclipsed, and Naushirawan's fame for justice was powerless to compete with it.
On Fridays and festival days he used himself to ascend the pulpit and read a khutbal in extremely eloquent language. Owing to his excessive mildness and mercy he was averse to the shedding of blood or banging, and he generally spent the happy hours in playing and toying and pleasure and mirth and the society of rosy-cheeked, sogar-lipped fair ones and youths with cypress-like stature and silvery forms. From sociableness and excess of hankering after this class of people he used not to attend to state affairs as much as he ought, and from want of attention to the important affairs of government, the affairs of the kingdom continually fell into commotion and confusion, and his sabjects became disgusted, as will be shown hereafter.
Sultan 'Ali-ud-Din in the early part of his reign dismissed several of the amîrs, ministers of state and inferior officers of government, and appointed a number of others in their places : thus Miyan Mahmud Nigam-al-Mulk Ahmad Shaht was dismissed from his government and put to death. Kawam-ul-Mulk Ghûrî received the title of Nizâm-ul-Mulk, and his son became Kawam-ul-Mulk, Muhammad bin 'Ali Bawardi - who was Khwajah Jahan und the other nobles and ministers were confirmed in the titles and appointinents which they already held.
The Sultan appointed two of his own slaves commanders of the right and left wings of the army. The command of the left wing - by the custom of the late Sultan - was given the preference over all the dignities of the right wing, and Malů Khân had been appointed to it, and Sirang Khân to the command of the right wing.84 The descendants of Malik Mahmad Afghan, intándar of the district of Halkandah were advanced to very high rank: thus Malik Imád-ul-Mu Mk obtained Mubarakâbâd Miraj on feudal tenure; and another of that clique obtained the title of Mu'azzam Khân, and the district of Bijapur was assigned to him on feudal tenure. Mushir-ul-Mulk Afghan took on feudal tenore Halsangi which is a taraf of Bijâpůr; and the greatest of them received the title of Majlis Akram Dilawar Khân, and was promoted to a government.
In the beginning of his reign the Sultân constructed a garden and palace named Ni'matabad on the bank of the river. In that Paradise-like garden and palace, which was distant about one farsakh from the capital, the Sultan took up his abode ; and reclining on the masnad of pleasure and delight he employed himself in drinking caps of ruby-coloured wine and enjoying himself with ruby-lipped, heart-ravishing (females) and in listening to the melodies of sweettongoed musicians. * King of the Professors.
# Vide Page 117.
5 About 6,000 yards.
