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An Indian decorative design

Chapter 11 – Beginning of the Reign of the Emperor Humayun

1530–1556 A.D.

An interesting account of the opening of Humayun’s reign has been preserved from the pen of the historian Khwandamir, who died four years after his sovereign’s accession to the throne. The general historical work of this author is well known, and it is worth observing, with Dowson, that in his old age Khwandamir became quite a courtier, abandoning the role of the true historian to become a royal panegyrist. A specimen of the Humayun Namah, his last work, will sufficiently illustrate this fact by its somewhat Oriental style. It is chosen here particularly because it gives a picture of court life rather than a description of endless wars and massacres, which are all too common in the history of Mohammedan India:–

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When this humble and insignificant slave Ghiyas-ad-din ibn Humam-ad-din, whom men commonly call Khwandamir – may God aid him to surmount all difficulties! – obtained the honour of meeting the great emperor Humayun and the rays of royal kindness shone on the surface of his hopes and circumstances, he conceived the desire and entertained the idea in his mind that he would describe, as a memorial for future days, some of the works and inventions of this monarch; for the histories of kings, by means of the black water of ink, which has the effect of the water of life, are immortalized, and the great names and writings of clever authors, by virtue of their praises of celebrated kings, are stamped on the page of time. For instance, the excellencies of Mahmud were described by Utbi and Unsuri, and the poems of Mu’izzi and Anwari celebrated the character of Sanjar.

“Who would remember Hakim Anwari,

Had he not spoken about Sanjar and his works?

Because Utbi conferred praises on Mahmud,

Therefore he obtained the object of his desire.

Sharaf was celebrated in the world

Because he wrote the eulogy of Timur Gurgan.”

Although the compiler of this book withheld his tongue from commencing the history of this renowned monarch’s exploits and deeds, since he had but little knowledge and was endowed with no ability, and did not allow the pen which possesses two tongues to describe the character of this most prosperous king, yet he always entertained that desire in his faithful heart

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and the intention never forsook his mind. On an eve which was full of light, this insignificant creature, the author, having obtained the honour of being present in his Majesty’s court at Gwalior, was commanded to sit down, and the fingers of the generosity of that sun of the heaven of glory opened the gates of kindness to him, and the tongue of that king of kings, who was as dignified as Alexander the Great, pronounced these pleasing words: “It seems proper and desirable that the inventions of my auspicious mind and the improvements of my enlightened understanding should be arranged in a series and written down, so that in future ages the light of these happy works may shine among the people of countries far and near.” For this cause, the writer, who was wishing for a long time that such a mandate might come to pass, engaged, like his pen, in writing these very interesting subjects; and having commenced to mention the wonderful inventions, he imparted eloquence to the pen which possesses two tongues. He hopes that, through the favour of God on high, these pages, which contain useful matters, may meet the approbation of the most learned personages of the high court, and that they may view these lines of the book of eloquence with the eye of acceptance, and overlook the mistakes which may have been committed therein by the deficient tongue of the pen.

In the beginning of Jumada-l-awwal, 937 A.H. (Dec., 1530 A.D.), when Zahir-ad-din Mohammad Babar, the king who was as dignified as Solomon, whose seat is now in paradise, left the throne of this world for the

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eternal heaven, the celestial herald of the Supreme Lord raised the pleasing cry, “We have made thee king on earth,” to the ears of this rightful prince Humayun, and the hand of the kindness of the Creator of souls and substances put the happy robe of royalty on the person of this able monarch, the Conqueror of the World.

“The hope which was evoked by prosperity is now realized;

The desire which the world entertained is satisfied.”

On Friday, the ninth of the same month, public prayer was read in the name and title of this noble king in the Jami’ Masjid at Agra, and the noise of congratulations which arose from the crowd of the people reached beyond the heavens.

Among other wonderful events which happened to our great prince, one was that in the year in which the late Emperor Babar marched from Kabul toward Kandahar, he left Humayun, this sun of the heaven of royalty and power, in charge of the duties of government. One day the latter mounted his horse and went to ride in the forests, hills, gardens, and meadows. On the road he wished to take an omen, and having called Masih-ad-din Ruh-Allah, who was his tutor, he told him it had just entered his mind that he would ask the names of the first three persons he met and take an omen from them. Masih-ad-din said it would be enough if he asked only one man’s name, but the king was firm in his resolution.

After they had gone a little distance, they saw a man about forty years of age; and when they asked

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Babar, Humayun, Akbar andJahangir

him his name, he replied, “Murad Khwaja.”

After him another man, driving an ass loaded with wood, came before them; and when they inquired of him his name, he said, “Daulat Khwaja.” On this it passed from

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the secret-telling tongue of the king that if the name of the third person who should happen to meet them should be Sa’adat Khwaja, it might be considered a very curious accident, and the star of success, according to the omen, would rise from the horizon of prosperity. At this moment a boy who was leading cattle to graze came in sight; and when they asked him what was his name, he answered, “Sa’adat Khwaja.” This of course excited great wonder and surprise in all who accompanied the king, and they were all sure that this prosperous prince would soon, by divine assistance, attain the highest pitch of fortune and glory, and that the hand of the favour of God would open to him the gates of success in all his sacred and worldly hopes.

When the auspicious throne of royalty was filled by this brave and dignified monarch, all the officers of the state, as well as the inhabitants of the kingdom, were divided into three classes. The brothers and relatives of the king, the nobles and ministers, and the military men were called Ahl-i Daulat (officers of the state), since it is evident that no degree of wealth and prosperity can be attained without the assistance of this class of brave subjects; and no one can obtain throne or power without the aid of warriors and heroes.

“Kings, with the assistance of their armies,

Place their feet upon the throne of empires.

He alone can obtain wealth and rank

Who is assisted by his army.”

The divines, the holy men, the Sayyids, the scholars, the officers of the law, the scientists, and the poets,

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besides other great and respectable men, formed the second class and were denominated Ahlshi Sa’ (Mat (good men), since respect, obedience, and honour paid them, as well as association with them, secure eternal prosperity and enable men to rise to exalted rank and dignity.

“Virtue is the gift of God;

It is not fn the power of the mighty man to obtain it;

If thou wouldst obtain fortune,

Associate thou with virtuous men.”

Those who possessed beauty and elegance, those who were young and most’lovely, and those who were clever musicians and sweet singers composed the third class, and the appellation of Ahlshi Murad (people of pleasure) was conferred upon them, because most people take great delight in the company of such young men of rosy cheeks and sweet voices, and are pleased by hearing their songs and the delightsome sound of musical instruments, such as the harp, the sackbut, and the lute.

“The hope of the heart of lovers

Is never realized but when they meet them of rose-hued cheeks;

He who delighteth in songs and music

Hath the gates of happiness opened for himself.”

The wise king also divided the days of the week according to a similar classification, and appointed one day for each of these three classes. Thus, Saturdays and Thursdays were fixed for pious men, and visits were received on those days from literary and religious folk. On these two days the tree of the hope of this

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estimable body of the people produced the fruit of prosperity, since they obtained audience in the court, which was like to Paradise. The reason why these two days were appointed for this class was that Saturday is ascribed to Saturn, who is the protector of good and religious men and persons of old families; while Thursday is appropriated to Jupiter, who is the preserver of Say-yids, scholars, and strict followers of the Mohammedan law.

Sundays and Tuesdays were fixed for the state officers, and on these days all the government business and duties connected with the management of the country were discharged. On these days also the king, the destroyer of enemies, sat in the public court, and all the nobles and plebeians were able to obtain the honour of seeing him. The advantage in appointing these two days for opening the court and attending to the state affairs was that Sunday belongs to the Sun, on whom, by the will of God, depends the fate of all rulers and kings; and Tuesday is the day of Mars, who is the patron of warriors and heroes. Hence it is evident that it was most seemly for Humayun to adorn the throne of sovereignty in the public court by his royal sessions and to devote himself to the discharge of government duties on those two days.

Among other customs which were introduced by this just and generous king, one was that when he adorned the throne of royally, drums were beaten to inform the people, who straightway flocked to see him; and when he left the court, the gunners fired guns to let

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the people know that they might retire. On those days, moreover, the keeper of the wardrobe used to fetch some suits of fine apparel, while the treasurer brought several purses of money, and they placed them in the court in order that rewards and robes might be given to any one from them, and that no delay should take place. In addition to all this, a number of heroes of most martial bearing donned coats of mail and took blood-drinking swords in their hands, standing before the throne to seize and punish those who might be proved guilty.

Mondays and Wednesdays were allotted for pleasure parties, and on these days some of the emperor’s boon companions and chosen friends were convened and a band of musicians and singers was called. The cause of appointing these days for this purpose was that Monday is the day of the Moon and Wednesday of Mercury; and it was, therefore, suitable that on these days he should keep company with young men beautiful as the moon and hear sweet songs and delightful music. On Fridays, as the Arabic name of the day, jum’ a, or “assembly,” implies, he called together- all the assemblies and sat with them as long as he could find leisure from his other duties.

Another invention of this king was that he made three arrows of gold and called each after the name of one of the three classes mentioned above. Each of these arrows was given to one of the leading men of the respective classes and he was commissioned to manage all the affairs of the class to which he belonged.

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The tomb of Humayun at Old Delhi

As long as he conducted his duties with such care as to ensure the pleasure of God and the satisfaction of the king, he was maintained in his trust. But when he was intoxicated by the wine of arrogance and pride, or when his foresight was obscured by the dimness of negligence and he did not look after his business, but unfortunately thought only of collecting riches, then the arrow of his wishes failed to hit the target of success, and the pen of destiny removed him from office for his insolent deeds.

Among the customs introduced by this king, one was that of the distribution of arrows which marked the distinction of ranks and stations among the servants of the throne. According to the different standards

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of gold, the ranks of all the people composing the three classes were divided into twelve orders or arrows, and every one received a grade and rank suitable to himself. The twelfth arrow, which was made of the purest gold, was put in the auspicious quiver of this powerful king and no one dared to touch it; the eleventh arrow belonged to his Majesty’s kinsmen and brethren and to all who were in the government employ; the tenth, to the great divines, Sayyids, scholars, and holy men; the ninth, to the great nobles; the eighth, to the courtiers and some of the king’s personal attendants; the seventh, to the attendants in general; the sixth, to the harems and to the female attendants; the fifth, to young maid-servants; the fourth, to the treasurers’ and stewards; the third, to the soldiers; the second, to the menial servants; and the first, to the palace guards, camel-drivers, and the like. Each of these arrows or orders had three grades: the highest, the middle, and the lowest.

Another of the arrangements of this king was that he divided all the affairs of government into four departments according to the number of the four elements, naming them respectively Atashi (“fiery”), Halrai (“airy”), Aba (“watery”), and Khaki (“earthy”); and appointed four ministers to conduct the business of these departments. The department which coin-prised artillery and the making of arms, weapons of war, various sorts of engines, and other such things as require the assistance of fire, was called Atashi; and the superintendence of this department was placed

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under Khwaja Amid-al-Mulk, the fire of whose solicitude inflamed the ovens of the hearts of those who were employed on these works.

The duties connected with the wardrobe, kitchen, stable, and other great and important offices belonged to the Hawai department, and the care of them was entrusted to Khwaja LutfshAllah. The digging of canals and all the works which related to water and rivers were comprised in the Abi department, of which Khwaja Hasam was superintendent. Agriculture, building, the administration of government lands, and some household affairs formed a department which was called Khaki, and this was placed under the management of Khwaja Jalal-ad-din Mirza Beg. Formerly, one of the nobles was ordered to look after each department. Amir Nasir Kuli, for instance, supervised the fire department and he always used to put on red clothes. After his death, Mir Nihal, that cypress of the garden of dignity and grandeur, was appointed to the same duty; but in the days when these pages were written, the supervision of all four departments was entrusted to that most learned man, Amir Wais Mohammad.

Another great work of this just and generous king was the city of Dinpanah, a haven of rest for holy men. In the month of Sha’ban, 939 A.H. (1533 A.D.); when the fort of Gwalior became an object of envy to the high revolving heavens because of the royal presence, the great king one night ascended the imperial throne, and having ordered all his great courtiers and learned companions to sit down, poured forth from

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his tongue the secrets of the pearls of these words, that it had long since been his intention to found near the capital of Delhi a great city, whose lofty ramparts should open the tongue of reproach and scorn at Khawarnak and Sawir, the palaces of Bahram Gor, and the keeper of whose bastions might claim equality with Saturn. In this same city, furthermore, a magnificent palace of seven stories should be erected, surrounded by delightful gardens and orchards; and its elegance and beauty should be such that its fame would draw mankind from the remotest corners of the world for its inspection. This city should be the abode of wise and intelligent persons and should be called Dinpanah,

Those who were present in that assembly, which resembled paradise, opened their mouths in approbation and applause of such a scheme. At the same time, the most witty and clever Shihab-ad-din Ahmad Mu’ammai discovered that the numerical value of the words Shahr-i padshah Dinpanah (“the royal city Dinpanah”) was 940, and he said that if the city were built in that year it would be a very remarkable fact. These words were immediately brought to the notice of the king, who was greatly struck with them, as were all the officers of the high court. Everybody present began thereupon to sing the following stanza before his Majesty, who understood the excellencies of poetry so well:

“The picture which thy imagination draweth on thy mind

Hath no opposition from the hand of destiny;

What thy understanding doth write upon a leaf

Agreeth with the book of God’s own Will.”

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The king accordingly fixed the resolution in his enlightened mind; and after he had returned from Gwalior to Agra, under the protection of the Almighty God, he turned the reins of his world-travelling horse toward the city of Delhi in the beginning of the month of Zu-l-hijja, 939 A.H. When he had reached the city, which was as beautiful as heaven, and had taken omens and religious advice, a rising ground adjacent to the banks of the stream of Jumna, about three leagues from the city, was selected for the foundation of Dinpanah.

In the middle of the month of Muharram, 940 A.H., at an hour which was prescribed by the most clever astrologers and the greatest astronomers, all the divines, Sayyids, scholars, and elders of the city of Delhi accompanied the king, who was as generous as the ocean, to the new site, where they prayed that God on high might vouchsafe to finish the happy foundation of that city and to strengthen the basis of the king’s wealth. His Majesty with his holy hand first laid a brick upon the ground, after which each person from that concourse of great men placed a stone on the earth, and they all made such a crowd there that the army, the people, and the artists, masons, and labourers found neither space nor time to carry stones and mud to the spot. On the same date work was commenced in the king’s own palace, and by this time, that is to say, the latter part of the month of Shawwal of the same year, the walls, bastions, ramparts, and gates of the city of Dinpanah are nearly finished.

This collection transcribed by Chris Gage
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