City Improbable- Writings on Delhi

by Khuswant Singh

  After the rains, Yudhishtir received a message from Duryodhan, saying that he would come and visit Indraprastha. Bhima counselled that they should not let him enter, but Yudhishtir overruled him.

  So Duryodhan came to Indraprastha, and at the beginning all seemed well. But in an inner court, Maya had made a pond of water as clear and still as the air, so that the pond seemed empty. Duryodhan walked down the steps, and when his feet touched the water, he was so startled that he slipped and fell.

  Some time later, when he was going to find Yudhishtir, he had to cross a stream, filled with fish and water lilies. Duryodhan, already angry, stepped into it carefully, expecting it to be water, and stubbed his toe against the hard crystal of the rivulet and its glass fish.

  Incensed, Duryodhan accused Yudhishtir of insulting him, but the Pandava smiled and said, ‘This is not treachery, prince. Tell me, what outwitted you this time?’

  Bhima laughed and said, ‘You looked like a young maiden dancing through puddles!’

  Even more angry, Duryodhan said, ‘Yudhishtir, I challenge you!’

  ‘To what?’ asked the Pandava.

  ‘Do you accept?’ asked his cousin.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Well then, to a game of dice.’

  And it was at this game of dice that Yudhishtir lost all his possessions, his wife Draupadi and finally Indraprastha itself.

  A Paradise of Justice

  AMIR KHUSRAU

  The two poems are from Amir Khusrau’s larger narrative poem (masnavî), Qiran al-sa‘dain (The Conjunction of Two Auspicious Stars), which includes praises of Delhi’s buildings and inhabitants. These have been translated by Sunil Sharma.

  A Paradise of Justice

  Dehli:

  Refuge of religion!

  Refuge and paradise of justice!

  Long may it endure!

  Since it is a heavenly paradise

  in every essential quality,

  may God keep it from calamity!

  Its circumference was measured out

  when the earth’s orbit was fixed.

  From the time of its founding,

  the whole world could not contain its vastness.

  Its three citadels unite this world and the next.

  One of its breaths offers ten greetings from them both.

  Its outer citadel is beyond this world, while

  its inner citadel contains the outside universe.

  It seems perhaps that the sky lies beneath

  the outer citadel while its high fortifications rise above.

  Heaven said to the new citadel,

  ‘O new sky. Be kind to the old.’

  Every moment, that celestial fortress reduces

  the turquoise stones of the sky’s ramparts to bricks.

  Like the firm heaven, three or four of its towers

  are solid and lofty, the sun and moon revolving around them.

  Its battlement has become a tongue

  conversing with the moon in the sky.

  Heaven knows no other structure since

  to lean on its walls and doors is sufficient.

  The kingdom opens up through its gates:

  Thirteen gates and a hundred victories!

  Its lofty reputation is on the rise;

  by the time it reached Khutan, it took all of Yaghma!

  When Mecca hears about this garden

  it will become a pale imitation of Hindustan.

  I swear by the city of the Prophet that

  hearing Delhi’s fame has made the city of God deaf.

  When I saw heaven’s generosity to it, I said,

  ‘It is Rum.’ I did not say Khita by mistake.

  It has become the shelter of Islam in the world

  and its dependencies the cupola of the seven heavens.

  Its inhabitants are all notables of the land.

  In every corner are pillars of the state.

  It is the seat of mighty rulers.

  It enjoys the good fortune of kings.

  The corner of every home here is a wondrous paradise;

  all manner of gold was spent in its design.

  In every street there is a row of great people.

  In the niches of every house are hidden costly articles.

  People of one house with a hundred joys!

  Home of one people with a hundred human qualities!

  The Fine Lads of Delhi

  Delhi and its fine lads

  with their turbans and twisted beards

  openly drinking lovers’ blood

  while secretly sipping wine.

  Willful and full of airs

  they pay no heed to anyone.

  So close to the heart, they rob

  your soul and tuck it safely away.

  When they are out for a stroll

  rosebushes bloom in the street.

  When the breeze strikes them from behind,

  see how the turbans topple from their heads.

  When they walk, the lovers follow,

  blood gushing from their eyes.

  Their heads puffed up with beauty’s pride,

  their admirers’ hearts are gone with the wind.

  These cheeky, simple Indian lads have made

  Muslims into worshippers of the sun.

  Those fair Hindu boys

  have led me to drunken ruin.

  Trapped in the coils of their curly locks

  Khusrau is a dog on a leash.

  Qutbuddin Aibak

  HASAN NIZAMI

  Qutbuddin Aibak, the commandant of the Turkish ruler Muhammad Shihabuddin of Ghur, conquered Delhi in 1192. This extract is taken from Hasan Nizami’s Taj-ul-Maasir, written in the early thirteenth century.

  After setting the affairs of Ajmir, the conqueror marched towards Delhi (may God preserve its prosperity and perpetuate its splendour!) which is among the chief cities of Hind. When he arrived at Delhi, he saw a fortress which in height and strength had not its equal nor second throughout the length and breadth of the seven climes. The army encamped around the fort. A torrent of blood flowed on the field of battle, and it became evident to the chiefs that if they did not seek for safety from the sword of the king of the earth, and if they should deliver into the hands of Satan the time of option and the reins of good counsel, the condition of Delhi would be like that of Ajmir; so from the dread of kingly punishment, the rai and mukaddams of that country placed their heads upon the line of slavery, and their feet within the circle of obedience, and made firm the conditions of tribute and the usages of service.

  The Sultan then returned towards the capital of Ghazna (may God preserve it in prosperity!) but the army remained encamped within the boundary of Delhi, at the mauza of Indarpat [Indraprastha].

  The conqueror entered the city of Delhi, which is the source of wealth and the foundation of blessedness. The city and its vicinity was freed from idols and idol-worship, and in the sanctuaries of the images of the Gods, mosques were raised by the worshippers of one God.

  After Qutbuddin had settled affairs in the quarter, the chief Sadr, Kiwam-ul-mulk Ruhuddin Hamza, sent him intelligence from Rantanbor, that Hiraj, the brother of the Rai of Ajmir, had gone into rebellion, and had turned his face towards the siege of the fort of Rantanbor, and that the son of Pitaura, who had been advanced under the protection of the sublime Court, was in a state of extreme danger. On receiving this intelligence, Qutbuddin appointed the Amir Sabik-ul-mulk Nazruddin to take charge of the affairs of State during his absence, a man in knowledge of the rules and customs of government superior to his contemporaries and in resolution and courage celebrated throughout Hind, far and near, and himself departed for Rantanbor, passing over hill and desert like a wild ass or an antelope.

  When Hiraj heard of the arrival of the auspicious standards, knowing he could not contend with the army of Islam, and impelled by necessity, he placed the hands of weakness in the skirts of flight, and for fear of the blade of the scimitar fled like the wind with his resurrectionless ar
my. The conqueror then engaged himself in administering the ways of justice, and received both high and low under the shadow of his benignity, and the people were happy. At this time the son of Rai Pitaura was favoured with a robe of honour and other kindnesses; and in return for this friendship, he sent abundant treasure for the service of the State, together with three golden melons, which with extreme ingenuity had been cast in moulds like the full moon.

  About this time they wrote to the heavenly throne, that the Rai who had fled from Delhi had raised an army of idolatrous, turbulent and rebellious tribes, the vapour of pride and conquest having entered his thoughtless brain. Qutbuddin pursued him, and when the wretch was taken, his head was severed from his body and sent to Delhi, which had been his residence and capital. Qutbuddin then himself returned to Delhi, and sent written accounts of his capture of forts and strongholds, and his victories and holy wars to Ghazna, to which capital he was invited to receive thanks in person from Muizzuddin Sam Ghori. The invitation arrived when the sun was in Cancer, and the heat was so great as to prevent travelling, but he set out on his journey at the commencement of the rainy season.

  When the fortunate stirrups reached the capital of Ghazna (may God shed splendour on it!), he enjoyed the happiness of kissing hands, and received other marks of special favour before the great throne, and in the degree of his rank was raised above all the other chiefs of the world. A festival was held in celebration of his arrival, and splendid jewels, and valuable clothes, and costly arms, and slaves of great price were presented to him.

  Qutbuddin was accommodated in the garden of the minister Zia-ul-mulk. On the return of the hot season he was taken ill, and removed from the residence of the minister to the palace of the sovereign, which is the seat of prosperity; but on account of his illness and want of strength, he could not rejoice in his heart with the festivities. On his recovery, he took his leave of the king, and received a patent conferring upon him the government of Hindustan and every one of the principal officers of his army was rejoiced exceedingly, at receiving from his Majesty suitable presents and promotion of rank.

  On his arrival at Karman from the great capital, Taj-ud-din Yalduz received him with great kindness and honour, and gave him his daughter in marriage, and a fete was held on the occasion.

  When he arrived at Dehli, which is the capital of the kingdom, and the centre of God’s aid and victory, the crown and throne of sovereignty received honour and adornment in his kingly person, and the lords of the sword and pen hastened to pay their respects at the magnificent Court, and observed the usages of benediction and praise; while the city and its vicinity rejoiced and were decorated like the garden of Iram, and the gates and walls were adorned with the gold tissues of Chin and the brocades of Rum, and triumphal arches were raised, beautiful to look at, the top of which a strong-winged bird could not surmount, and the glittering of the lightning of the swords and the splendour of the arms, which were suspended on all sides of them, inspired terror in the spirit of the beholder.

  Qutbuddin built the Jami Masjid at Delhi, and adorned it with the stones and gold obtained from the temples which had been demolished by elephants, and covered it with inscriptions in Toghra, containing the divine commands.

  The Court of Muhammad bin Tughlaq

  IBN BATTUTA

  The Arab traveller Ibn Battuta came to Delhi in 1334. This extract is taken from his Travels.

  We arrived at the city of Delhi, the metropolis of India, a vast and magnificent city, uniting beauty with strength. It is surrounded by a wall that has no equal in the world, and is the largest city in India, nay rather the largest city in the entire Muslim Orient.

  The city of Delhi is made up now of four neighbouring and contiguous towns. One of them is Delhi proper, the old city built by the infidels and captured in the year 1188. The second is called Siri, known also as the Abode of the Caliphate; this was the town given by the sultan to Ghiyath ad-Din, the grandson of the Abbasid Caliph Mustansir, when he came to his court. The third is called Tughlaq Abad, after its founder, the Sultan Tughlaq, the father of the sultan of India to whose court we came. The reason why he built it was that one day he said to a former sultan, ‘O master of the world, it were fitting that a city should be built here.’ The sultan replied to him in jest, ‘When you are sultan, build it.’ It came about by the decree of God that he became sultan, so he built it and called it by his own name. The fourth is called Jahan Panah, and is set apart for the residence of the reigning sultan, Muhammad Shah. He was the founder of it, and it was his intention to unite these four towns within a single wall, but after building part of it he gave up the rest because of the expense required for its construction.

  The cathedral mosque occupies a large area; its walls, roof and paving are all constructed of white stones, admirably squared and firmly cemented with lead. There is no wood in it at all. It has thirteen domes of stone, its pulpit also is made of stone, and it has four courts. In the centre of the mosque is an awe-inspiring column, and nobody knows of what metal it is constructed. One of their learned men told me that it is called haft jush, which means ‘seven metals’ and that it is constructed from these seven. A part of this column, of a finger’s breadth, has been polished, and gives out a brilliant gleam. Iron makes no impression on it. It is thirty cubits high, and we rolled a turban round it, and the portion which encircled it measured eight cubits. At the eastern gate there are two enormous idols of brass prostrate on the ground and held by stones, and everyone entering or leaving the mosque treads on them. The site was formerly occupied by an idol temple, and was converted into a mosque on the conquest of the city. In the northern court is the minaret which has no parallel in the lands of Islam. It is built of red stone, unlike the rest of the edifice, ornamented with sculptures, and of great height. The ball on the top is of glistening white marble and its apples, the small balls surmounting it, are of pure gold. The passage is so wide that elephants could go up by it. A person in whom I have confidence told me that when it was built he saw an elephant climbing with stones to the top. The Sultan Qutb ad-Din wished to build one in the western court even larger, but was cut off by death when only a third of it had been completed. This minaret is one of the wonders of the world for size, and the width of its passage is such that three elephants could mount it abreast. The third of it built equals in height the whole of the other minaret we have mentioned in the northern court, though to one looking at it from below it does not seem so high because of its bulk.

  Outside Delhi is a large reservoir named after the Sultan Lalmish, from which the inhabitants draw their drinking water. It is supplied by rain water, and is about two miles in length by half that breadth. In the centre there is a great pavilion built of squared stones, two stories high. When the reservoir is filled with water it can be reached only in boats, but when the water is low the people go into it. Inside it is a mosque, and at most times it is occupied by mendicants devoted to the service of God. When the water dries up at the sides of this reservoir, they sow sugarcanes, cucumbers, green melons and pumpkins there. The melons and pumpkins are very sweet but of small size. Between Delhi and the Abode of the Caliphate is the private reservoir, which is larger than the other. Along its sides there are about forty pavilions, and round about it live the musicians …

  This king [Muhammad bin Tughlaq] is of all men the fondest of making gifts and of shedding blood. His gate is never without some poor man enriched or some living man executed, and stories are current amongst the people of his generosity and courage and of his cruelty and violence towards criminals. For all that, he is of all men the most humble and the readiest to show equity and justice. The ceremonies of religion are strictly complied with at his court, and he is severe in the matter of attendance at prayer and in punishing those who neglect it. He is one of those kings whose felicity is unimpaired and surpassing all ordinary experience, but his dominant quality is generosity. We shall relate some stories of this that are marvellous beyond anything ever heard before, and
I call God and His Angels and His Prophets to witness that all that I tell of his extraordinary generosity is absolute truth. I know that some of the instances I shall relate will be unacceptable to the minds of many, and that they will regard them as quite impossible, but in a matter which I have seen with my own eyes and of which I know the accuracy and have had a large share, I cannot do otherwise than speak the truth.

  The sultan’s palace at Delhi is called Dar Sara, and contains many doors. At the first door there are a number of guardians, and beside it trumpeters and flute-players. When any amir or person of note arrives, they sound their instruments and say ‘So-and-so has come, so-and-so has come.’ The same takes place also at the second and third doors. Outside the first door are platforms on which the executioners sit, for the custom amongst them is that when the sultan orders a man to be executed, the sentence is carried out at the door of the audience hall, and the body lies there over three nights. Between the first and second doors there is a large vestibule with platforms along both sides, on which sit those whose turn of duty it is to guard the doors. Between the second and third doors there is a large platform on which the principal naqib, the keeper of the register, sits; in front of him there is a gold mace, which he holds in his hand, and on his head he wears a jewelled tiara of gold, surmounted by peacock feathers. The second door leads to an extensive audience hall in which the people sit. At the third door there are platforms occupied by the scribes of the door. One of their customs is that none may pass through this door except those whom the sultan has prescribed, and for each person he prescribes a number of his staff to enter along with him. Whenever any person comes to this door the scribes write down ‘So-and-so came at the first hour’ or the second, and so on, and the sultan receives a report of this after the evening prayer. Another of their customs is that anyone who absents himself from the palace for three days or more, with or without excuse, may not enter this door thereafter except by the sultan’s permission. If he has an excuse of illness or otherwise he presents the sultan with a gift suitable to his rank. The third door opens into an immense audience hall called Hazar Ustun, which means ‘a thousand pillars’. The pillars are of wood and support a wooden roof, admirably carved. The people sit under this, and it is in this hall that the sultan holds public audiences.