________________
220
NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
emperor at last gave up all thoughts of killing the Shaikh. In a short time matters took a more favourable turn; and Abulfazl, when once in favour with the emperor (officious as he was, and time-serving, openly faithless, continually studying His Majesty's whims, a flatterer beyond all bounds) took every opportunity of reviling in the most shameful way that sect whose labours and motives have been so little appreciated', and became the cause not only of the extirpation of these experienced people, but also of the ruin of all servants of God, especially of Shaikls, pious men, of the helpless, and the orphans, whose livings and grants he cut down.
Then follows Badaoni's aceount of the origin of the religious and philosophical disputations at the emperor's court:
During the year 983 A.H., many places of worship were built at the command of His Majesty. The cause was this. For many years previous to 983, the emperor had gained in succession remarkable and decisive victories. The empire had grown in extent from day to day; everything turned out well, and no opponent was left in the whole world. His Majesty had thus leisure to come into nearer contact with ascetics and the disciples of the Mu'íniyyah sect, and passed much of his time in discussing the word of God (Qorán), and the word of the prophet (the Hadís, or Tradition). Questions of Cufism, scientific discussions, enquiries into Philosophy and Law, were the order of the day. His Majesty passed whole nights in thoughts of God: he continually occupied himself with pronouncing the names Yá hú and Yá hádí, which had been mentioned to him, and his heart was full of reverence
1 Badkoní belonged to the believers in the approach of the Millennium. A few years later, Akbar used Mahdawi rumours for his own purposes; vide below. The extract shows that there existed, before 982, heretical innovators, whom the emperor allowed to be persecuted. Matters soon took a different turn.
* By some ascetic. Y tú means 0 He (God), and Yii hádi, O
