Some say Sultán Shamsu-d dín was one of the slaves of Sultán Shahábu-d dín; others again say he was one of Kutbu-d dín Ibak's slaves. However this may be, it is certain that after the death of Kutbu-d dín Ibak, the kingdom devolved upon Shamsu-d din, who administered even-handed justice for twenty-six years, conquered a great number of forts and territories in India, and died in 633 A.H. (1235-6). The Jámi'u-l Hikáyát, which was dedicated to Wazír Nizámu-l Mulk Muhammad, son of Abú Sa'id, was composed during the reign of this king.

Sultán Ruknu-d dín Fíroz Sháh, son of Shamsu-d dín Altamsh, ascended the throne, and was exceedingly liberal in his largesses and donations, but in consequence of his inordinate addiction to wine, he altogether disgusted and alienated the nobles and ministers of the State. They at length seized him and put him in prison. He reigned only seven months.

148

XXV.

DASTURU-L WUZRA

OF

KHONDAMIR.

THIS biographical account of famous Asiatic ministers is by the same author, Khondamír, and may fairly claim a place among the General Histories. There is a later and shorter work on the same subject, by Sadru-d dín Muhammad, son of Zabardast Khán, written in India, in Muhammad Shah's reign, under the name of Irshadu-l Wuzrá. The latter contains notices of the wazirs of India, which are not included in the former, but it is very brief. Both works are to be found in the Farahbakhsh Library at Lucknow.' The Dastúru-l Wuzrá is not an uncommon work in India. The copy used is a 4to. volume, containing 234 pages of 19 lines each.

EXTRACTS.

There were ten wazirs of note during the reigns of the Ghaznivides.

Abu-l'Abbás Fazl bin Ahmad Isfaráini.?

In the beginning of his career he was secretary to Fáik, one of the nobles of the Sámání court, and when the fortunes of that noble declined, he attached himself to Amír Násiru-d dín Subuktigín. Upon the death of that king, his son Mahmúd greatly favoured Abú-l'Abbás Fazl, and appointed him to the post of wasir. It is related in the Jámi'u-t Tawárikh, that Abú-1 Fazl

1 See Rampoldi, i. 365, vii. 483, ix. 423. Gemäldesaal, Pref. xi. xv. 2 This is related without any new particulars in the Jami'u-l Hikáyát, i. 14, 37.

was neither a man of learning, nor of good manners, and that he was ignorant of the Arabic language; but his political and administrative abilities were marvellous. God had given him a son called Hajjáj, who was blessed with such an excellent disposition, and endowed with such extraordinary mental faculties, that he surpassed all his contemporaries. He composed most excellent Arabic verses, and was a perfect master of the traditionary sayings of the Prophet; and many writers on the traditions have quoted him as an authority.

When Abú-l'Abbás had been minister for ten years, the star of his destiny fell from the firmament of prosperity into the pit of adversity. Some historians have thus related the cause of his dismissal:

Sultán Mahmúd had an intense love for slaves (possessing faces as fair as that of the planet Jupiter). Fazl bin Ahmad followed his example, which accords with the saying, that "men follow the opinion of their master." Fazl, on hearing the reputation of the beauty of a boy in Turkistán, deputed a confidential person to purchase that boy (whose countenance was beautiful as that of the planet Venus), and bring him to Ghazní, according to the mode of conveyance usually adopted for females. When an informer represented to the king these circumstances, his most august Majesty demanded that slave (who was as white as silver) from the minister (whose glory and dignity were raised as high as the planet Mercury). The minister made evasive replies, and pertinaciously refused to part with the slave, notwithstanding His Majesty's absolute power. The king one night visited the minister at his house, where the minister entertained him with the respect and hospitality due to the dignity of a sovereign. When the slave (who looked as beautiful as a virgin of paradise) came into the presence of the king, high words passed between him and his minister, and so greatly was the king's anger kindled, that he issued orders to seize the minister and plunder his house. Soon after this the king departed for Hindustán, and certain evil-disposed amirs tortured

the minister so severely with the rack that he lost his life. "No man can secure himself from the frowns of fortune, nor can any one look upon fortune as permanent."

Ahmad bin Hasan Maimandi.1

He was a foster-brother and a fellow-student of Sultán Mahmúd. His father Hasan Maimandí, during the lifetime of Amír Násiru-d dín Subuktigín, was employed in collecting the revenue at the town of Bust; but Amír Násiru-d dín was led by the secret machinations of his enemies to entertain an unfavourable opinion of him. Hasan, however, did not live long. It is stated by some that he was one of the ministers of Sultán Mahmúd. This statement is altogether incorrect and unfounded, as it is not maintained by any great historian.

Ahmad bin Hasan, in consequence of his beautiful handwriting, excellent qualities, proficiency in eloquence and great wisdom, became the most conspicuous man of his time, and was regarded with affection by several eminent persons. The king, taking him into favour, appointed him secretary, and continued to promote him, time after time, to higher dignities, till at last, in addition to his former offices, he was nominated the chief legal authority of the State, as well as invested with the superintendence of the concerns of the army. A short time after, he was further entrusted with the additional duty of conducting the affairs of Khurásán. All these duties he discharged in a manner that could not be excelled. At length, when Abú-l 'Abbás Isfaráíní fell into disgrace, the king conferred on Ahmad the office of minister. He held the office of minister without any control for a period of eighteen years, when a number of the chief amirs, such as Altúntíásh, the chamberlain, Amír 'Alí Kheshawand and others, brought before the Court of the king scandalous imputations and false charges against him. According to the saying

1 See suprà vol. ii., page 61; also Rampoldi, vi., 54. Mod. Univ. Hist., iii., 3. Biog. Univ. v. Meimendi.

that "whatever is listened to will make an impression," these injurious words did not fail to take effect on the heart of the king. So the minister was deposed, and imprisoned in one of the forts of Hind. When Sultán Mas'úd ascended the throne of Ghaznín after the death of his father Sultán Mahmud, he released Ahmad and reinstated him in the responsible office of minister, which he held again for a long period. He died in the year 444 A.h. "It is finally ordained as the lot of all creatures, that nobody should live for ever in this world."

Abú Ali Husain bin Muhammad, alias Hasnak Míkál.1

From his early youth he was in the service of Sultán Mahmúd. He was very agreeable in his conversation, well-behaved, energetic and quick in apprehension, but he was not a good writer, nor was he well versed in arithmetic and accounts.

2 It is recorded in the Rauzatu-s Safá, that when Sultán Mahmúd, in accordance with the solicitation of Núh bin Mansúr Sámání, was on his march to Khurásán against Abú ’Alí Samjúr, it was represented to him that there was in the neighbourhood of the place where he was then encamped a darwesh distinguished for abstinence and devotion, and called Zahidáhúposh (a devotee wearing a deer-skin). The king had a firm belief in the power of darweshes, and paid him a visit. Hasnak Míkál, who had no faith in the sect of sufis, was in attendance, and the king said, "Although I know that you have no belief in súfis, still I wish you to go with me and see this devotee." So Hasnak Míkál accompanied him. The king having had a long interview with the darwesh, when he was about to go away, offered to bestow upon him anything of which he might stand in need. The devout man stretched forth his hand into the air, and placed a handful of coins in the palm of the king, with the remark, that whoever could draw such wealth from an

1 Mod. Univ. Hist., i., 486, iii., 3. Rampoldi, x., 487. Reinaud, Blacas, ii., 37. 2 [This story is given in the Rauzatu-s Safá, among other anecdotes at the end of Mahmud's reign, and the translation agrees with the text as there given.]