The Mughul Court

240 Pages·2015·8.55 MB·English

The Court of
the qreat MUflhuls
Mubarak Ali
Tarikh Publications
Book Street, 39-Mozang Road, lahore
e-mail: tarikh.publishers@gmaiLcom
CopyrightCfJ2014
All rights reserved.Nopart of this publication maybe
reproduced, stored in aretrieval, or transmitted anyform
of byanymeans electronic, mechanical,photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior written
permission of the author and publlsher.
Published by:
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Tarikh Publications
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E-mail:[email protected]
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To
My Parents

5
Contents
9
Preface
Chapter 1
Concept ofKinship 11
Chapter2
The Symbols ofRoyalty
and the Emperor's Prerogative 30
TheThrone 31
TheKhutba 38
The Sikka 41
Royal Seals 42
Royal Standards 43
RoyalPrerogatives 44
Chapter 3
The Mughul Court 57
TheCourtofthe Ceremonies 57
ReceptionofAmbassadors 66
DailyRoutineofthe Emperor 68
Chapter4
The Court Celebrations 82
Jashn-i-Id-al-Fitr
andJashn-i-Id-Al-Adha 83
Jashn-i-Id-i-Miladal-Nabi 83
Jashn-i-Shab-i-Mi'raj 84
Jashn-i-Nauruz 84
6
Jashn-i-Wazn 87
Jashn-i-Sihhat 89
Jashn-i-Gualbi 89
Jashn-i-Tajpushi 89
Jashn-i-Mahtabi 90
TheFestivalofHoli 90
TheFestivalofDiwali 90
TheFestivalofDasqhra 90 /
TheFestivalofBasant
91
Jashn-i-Fath
91
Chapter 5
The Court Title 98
Title ofEmperors 100
Titles ofPrinceandPrinces 102
Titles ofQueens 102
Titles ofNobles 102
TitlesofCalligraphers 104
Titles ofMusicians 105
SomeotherTitles 105
Chapter6
The Royal Awards and Charities 108
The Charities 112
Chapter 7
The Mughul Peagant 118
TheProcession 118
Chapter 8
The Royal Recreations 123
TheOutdoorPastimes 123
TheRoyal Hunt 123
The"Qasmargah 125
1)le BigCatHunt 126
HuntingbyCheetahs 127
7
Hawking 127
TheElephantFight 128
The'Polo 129
.TheIndoorAmusements 130
TheWrestling 130
TheWitnessingofTricks ofJugglers
andAcrobats 132
ThePigeonFlying 132
MinaBazaar 133
OtherAmusements 134
Chapter9
The Imperial Treasury 141
Chapter 10
The Royal Library 146
TheOrganizationofthe Library 146
Departmentsof Calligraphy 148
TheDepartmentofTranslation 149
TheCourtHistorains 150
TheEmperor's FavouriteBooks 151
Chapter 11
The Mughul Encampment 155
Chapter 12
The Palace ofthe Great Mughul 164
TheHarem 164
TheBirth 170
TheMarriage 174
Groomingofthe Princes 174
TheEducation 174
TheAtaliq 176
Chapter 13
Mughul Nobility 183
Categoriesof Mansabdars 185
8
New Arrivalsandthe MughulCourt 187
HouseholdNobility 188
Nobility andCommonPeople 190
Nobles andthe Emperor 193
Retirement 197
ConfiscationofProperty 198
Nobilityandtheir Lifestyle 199
Chapter 14
Mughul Society • 210
Lifeofthe CommonPeople 212
LifeandConditionofPeople 214
Abbreviation
Bibliography 220
Index 232
9
Preface
.I acknowledge m'l deep gratitude to Professor H.
Busse (Kiel) and O. Endress (Bochum) for their help and
guidance. Professor Ahmad Basher (Sind) has been kind
enough to read the whole manuscriptand gave me valuable
suggestions. I am grateful to my friends Richard Leaman,
Hamid Zaidi, and Dr. S.A. Rahim, who help me in many
respects during my study. I am particularly thankful to Dr.
F. Eulen, who from my first day of arrival in Germany
helped me inall matters.
I am also thankful to Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung for
assessing my studies. I have added four chapters to my
original thesis to highlight some aspect of the court. I am
thankful to my youngest daughter Naintara and Blunt
Sohailfor assistingmeto makeitpublishable.
Dr. Mubarak Ali
Odober2013
,
I