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INTRODUCTION-APPENDIX II
85
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Farmān of the Emperor Nur-ud-din Jahāngir ordering his officials throughout the Empire not to allow slaughter of animals during 12 days of the Jaina Pāryusana festival. Dated the 26th of Farvardin in the 5th year of the accession (1610 A. D.).
God is great Copy of the Farmān as issued on 26th day of the month Farvardin in the 5th year.
“Be it known to the noble Governors, worthy Divāns, officers of civil important affairs, administrators of the state affairs, Jāgirdārs and tax-gatherers of all the protected territories that:-Whereas our just intention, over and above our object of conquering the world, is occupied in pleasing God, and the full purpose of our intention is announced to be for pleasing the whole world which has been created by God, and specially (we) direct our attention to satisfy those who are possessed of pure thoughts and saints whose object of life centres in the quest of truth and the attainment of Godhood, therefore at present Bekah Harakh (Vivekaharşa), Parmānand, Mahănand and UdaiHarakh (Udayaharşa), who are pupils of Tapā Jatis Bajisen Soor (Vijayasena Sari) Bajideb Soor (Vijayadeva Sūri) and Nand Baji (Nandivijaya), who is the holder of the title of Khushfaham', presented themselves before us and made representation and request to the effect: If during our holy twelve days—the days of Bhādarvă Pajusan (Paryuşaņa), there be no slaughter of animals of any kind in the slaughter-houses in all Your Majesty's protected Kingdom, we shall have reason for being honoured, and many animals will be saved by Your Majesty's high and holy order and its good reward will accrue to Your Majesty's pure and happy Kingdom.'
“And as we have directed our royal merciful attention towards encouraging the objects and actions of every caste and creed, rather towards making every creature happy, we consented and issued our Jabāngiri order accepted and acceptable by the world, that during these twelve days each year, no animal should be slaughtered in the places of killing in all our protected territories, and no preparation (even) for such an act should be made. Besides no new order or sanad in respect thereof should be requisitioned.
“They (i. e. the officers) should carry out the present order and should not deviate from or go against the farmān. They should consider it as (their) duty.
From the writing of the humblest Abul Khair" and from the record of Muhammad Said." (See p. 20).
Seal is not legible.
[Translated by me from a Gujarāti translation given in S. S. Appendix (1) 1.
110 Abul Khair-& younger brother of Abul Fazl (see Darbäri-Akbari pp. 355 and 326 and
Aine Akbari, I, Introduction p. 33, Abul Fazl's Biography). 111 Muhammad Said-son of Shujāata Khān Shädibeg and then adopted son of Saikh Farid (see
Aine Akbari I, pp. 416 and 481).
