CHAPTER LXX.

AUSPICIOUS BIRTH OF THE WORLD-ILLUMINATING PEARL OF THE

MANSION OF DOMINION AND FORTUNE, THE NIGHT-GLEAMING
JEWEL OF THE CASKET OF
GREATNESS AND GLORY, VIZ., OF
PRINCE SUL ĀN SELĪM.

The Lord of the world, Depicter of the External, Revealer of the Internal, after his outward and
inward condition had attained perfection, was searching for some individual among the sons of
men that he might hold fitting converse with, as is indispensable in the world of associations.
Though he made much search, he did not find anyone. The evangelists of the inner world, and
the informants of the external, all announced that a person who could hold converse with the
cream of existences must be born from himself, and that he should be urgent in begging a son
from God the Creator and the Giver of life, so that there might both be a confidant of the holy
feast of the Shāhinshāh who was worthy of the title (of son?) and also that an ocean of Divine
bounty, which had been for so many thousand cycles reared under the sacred eyes of God, might
emerge into the world of existence. The noble series would thus go on from fount to fount and
from column to column (jadūl), and the grades of mankind would, in proportion to their
capacities, partake of the banquet of spiritual and physical blessings, and be zealous in respect
and obedience. The pious King, who used not to make any other requests to God, became a
wisher for this great boon. The Great Giver has unasked granted him a spiritual and temporal
kingdom, and has bestowed on his unique servant such things as do not come within the world's
comprehension. The far-seeing sage knows what sort of glorious pearl will be granted if such an
unique one of the world ask a boon from his constant Patron. In a short space of time there
appeared signs of the attainment of this desire. Inasmuch as it is the noble nature of this
Shāhinshāh that in spite of the possession of boundless treasures he seeks the knowledge of God
from dervishes, ascetics and theologians who withdraw their hands from everything and regard
as the most acceptable service of God the contemning of their senses, and so pass their time in
worship and austerities, he employed supplications and continually cultivated the regard of the
toilers in the fields of search (after God) who spend their days in ecstatic devotion. At this time
the lights of God-knowingness, God-worshipping, and of austerity were conspicuous in Shaikh
Selīm of the town of Sīkrī, which has become a capital by the glory of the Shāhinshāh's advent
and is called Fatḥpūr. By means of Shaikh Muḥammad Bokhārī and Ḥakīm 'Ain-al-mulk and a
number of other courtiers who had the right of audience, this was brought to the royal hearing,
and it was determined that the matrix* of the sun of fortune together with several of the officials
attached to the Zenana (lit. the screens of chastity) should be conveyed to Fatḥpūr and should
enjoy repose in the vicinity of the Shaikh. It was also ordered that a royal palace should be
established there so that the saintly Shaikh might address himself to the Author of bounties for
the attainment of the great boon. The blessings of his proximity were manifested in the
appearance of the desired object. previous to this also, the Bestower of gifts had presented the
sove??ign with several children, but they had been taken away for ??ousands of wise designs,
one of which might be the increasing of ??y in the acquisition of the priceless pearl. The general
suspicion ??ferred their loss to local circumstances, and expressed itself in ??rious stories. Hence
the ruler of things, spiritual and temporal, ??ished by changing the locality to place the seal of
silence on ??ssips. He accordingly adopted this course and was always hoping ?? God the Giver
of many things, and was waiting for the advent of ??e unique pearl of the Caliphate. At length, in
an auspicious ??oment the unique pearl of the Caliphate emerged from the shell of ??e womb,
and arrived at the shore of existence in the city of ??atḥpūr. At the ascension-point of the 24th
degree of Libra after ??even hours had elapsed of the day* of Rashn 18 Shahriywar, Divine
month, corresponding to the beginning of Āb (August) 1880 Rūmī, 11 Bahman of the year 938
of the old Yezdijird era, or* the day of Dīn 24 Shahriywar of the Jalālī year 491, or 977 of the
lunar era, the star of auspiciousness rose from the horizon of fortune.

Verse.

The flower of joy bloomed in the glorious garden

Fruit appeared on the plant of realm and religion.

Messengers conveyed the happy tidings to Agra, and there was general rejoicing. Delight
suffused the brain of the age.

Time arranged an assembly of enjoyments

The cup-bearer sate and the glass rose up
There was a banquet more joyous than life's foundation
A cup-bearer unequalled as a drawer of cups
They made an illumination for the world
There was a vernal assemblage
The flower shot up and the garden shone forth
A lamp came and lighted up the family
There was a fortune like the brain of the wise
The world arose with an awakened fortune
The zephyrs moved while scattering flowers
The earth rose up and joined the sky
The king came and the desire of friends was fulfilled (lit. s??)
He sate at the feast by the cup and the relish
His diadem he raised to the sky
His forehead he fastened to the ground
He issued a proclamation for enjoyment
He invited the world as his guest
The cup-bearer opened the lid of the goblet
The treasurer opened the door of the treasury
The skirt and wallet of the sky were filled
In order that it might shower pearls on the earth.*

Among the notes of thanksgiving for this everlasting favour there was this, that all the prisoners
in the imperial domains who were shut up in fortresses on account of great crimes, were released.
There was a fresh market-day for joy, and the lamp and eye of fortune was rekindled. It is great
wisdom to deal with the conditions of mankind in accordance with the notions and
understandings of each of them so that all may be brought into order. The art of eloquence
consists in having regard to the condition of one's audience. Every one who has studied ancient
histories knows that the chief cause of the troubles of the world has been that rulers and the great
ones of the age have ignored the measure of the capacity of their hearers, and have carried
themselves towards the generality with reference merely to their own far-sightedness. The
general public have had no notion of the grand conclusions of the eminent. Few indeed
comprehend such high matters, and hence they abide in exclusion and loss. God be praised!
H.M. the Shāhinshāh merely by the help of God while he is in the crowd of the short-thoughted
and superficial does not proceed upon his God-given wisdom, but converses with every group,
nay with every individual suitably to the latter's comprehension. Accordingly the acute of every
group conjecture or rather are certain that the prince of the world has no other understanding or
knowledge except what he shows to them! Accordingly at this time when the Great God had
bestowed such a gift, it was proper that he should go with all possible speed and illuminate the
eyes of that blissful infant with the light which a secret power hath implanted in him (Akbar).
But as the common people of this country have an old custom according to which whenever
God, after long expectation, has bestowed an auspicious child, he be not produced before the
honoured father till after a long delay, H.M. respected this feeling and put off his visit to Fatḥpūr.
That new fruit of the garden of fortune was kept in his birthplace, and the care of him was
entrusted to eminent persons. From spiritual and physical associations he received the name of
Sul ān Selīm. It is hoped that he may grow up in spiritual and physical well-being under the
guardianship of the Shāhinshāh, and be fortunate by pleasing H.M., which is a sign of pleasing
God. May he, by the blessings of the holy breathings of the Shāhinshāh, attain to spiritual and
physical old age and be green and full of sap in the spring of fortune! In accordance with
directions, astronomers calculated the powers of celestial sires and terrestrial mothers (the
planets and the elements) and presented the horoscope. And as there is a discrepancy * between
Greek and Indian astrologers with regard to fundamental principles and their consequences in the
matter of the stars, a horoscope was prepared according to each scheme.* If time allows and my
mind be vigorous I shall, under the orders of H.M. the Shāhinshāh, and by the strength of my
own understanding, draw out a new horoscope in accordance with the Greek and Indian canons
and record its judgments for each year, so that it may be a code for horoscope-makers of the age.
At present, my time is occupied night and day in the service of H.M. the Shāhinshāh, and I
cannot do as my heart would desire even in that respect. Where then is there time for other
occupations? As the horoscope which Maulānā Cānd drew up according to the Greek canon
appears most worthy of confidence, it is set down first.

Poets composed gratulatory odes in honour of this eternal joy and received great gifts. One of the
able ones found that “A royal pearl of the great ocean, Dar-i-shawār-i-laḥaja akbar, 977” was
the date of the auspicious birth. A learned person found “A pearl* of the Shāhinshāh's mansion,”
and another “A pearl of Akbar Shāhī's casket,” Gohar-i-daraj-i-Akbar Shāhī.

Khwāja Ḥusain* of Merv presented an ode, the first line of every couplet of which gave the date
of the Shāhinshah's accession, while the second gave the date of the birth of the pearl of the
casket of auspiciousness. In spite of the inclusion of two such wondrous dates, the poetry was not
devoid of excellence. Some verses of it are given below.