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: ZahoorAhmed Khan Tarikh Publications BookStreet, 39-MozangRoad,lahore E-mail:[email protected] DISTRIBUTOR. Fiction House:Book Street 39-Mozang Road, lahore Phone:04237249218, 37237430 Fiction House:52,53Robia Square Hadir Chowk, Hyderabad. Phone:0222780608 Fiction House:Nosheen Center, t"floor shop# 5Urdu Bazar, Karachi.Phone: 02132603056 Title Design: Naintara khan Printed by: . SayyedMuhammad ShahPrinters,lahore PriceRs.500.00 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