for Eng.Kelvin History assignment

1

The Deeds of Sultan Firuz Shah

Firuz Shah Tughluq (1351-1388) ruled the Delhi Sultanate during its so-called ‘golden age,’ a time of peace and prosperity. Firuz enjoyed a good reputation for his generosity and relative clemency towards the Hindu (who formed the greatest majority of his subjects). In the document below, he summarizes the accomplishments of his reign.

Praises without end and infinite thanks to that merciful Creator who gave to me, his poor abject

creature Firuz, His divine impulse for the maintenance of the laws of His religion, for the repression of

heresy, the prevention of crime, and the prohibition of things forbidden; who gave me also a

disposition for discharging my lawful duties and my moral obligations. My desire is that, to the best of

my human power, I should recount and pay my thanks for the many blessings He has bestowed upon

me, so that I may be found among the number of His grateful servants.

First I would praise Him because, when irreligion and sins opposed to the Law prevailed in Hindustan

[i.e. north and central India], and men's habits and dispositions were inclined towards evil and were

averse to the restraints of religion, He inspired me, His humble servant, with an earnest desire to

repress irreligion and wickedness so that I was able to labor diligently until, with His blessing, the

vanities of the world and things repugnant to religion were set aside, and the true was distinguished

from the false.

In the reigns of former kings, the blood of many Muslims had been shed, and many varieties of torture

employed. Amputation of hands and feet, ears and noses; tearing out the eyes, pouring molten lead into

the throat, crushing the bones of the hands and feet with mallets, burning the body with fire, driving

iron nails into the hands, feet, and bosom, cutting the sinews, sawing men asunder; these and many

similar tortures were practiced. The great and merciful God made me, His servant, hope and seek for

His mercy by devoting myself to prevent the unlawful killing of Muslims and the infliction of any kind

of torture upon them or upon any men [Mohammad ben Tughluq (r. 1325-1351), his predecessor, had

been noted for his cruelty against his real or imagined rivals].

By God's help I determined that the lives of Muslims and true believers should be in perfect immunity

and whoever transgressed the Law should receive the punishment prescribed by the Quran and the

decrees of judges.

The sect of Shi'as had endeavored to make proselytes. They wrote treatises and books, and gave

instruction and lectures upon the tenets of their sect, and traduced and reviled the first chiefs of our

religion (on whom be the peace of God). I seized them all, and I condemned them for their errors and

perversions. On the most zealous I inflicted death punishment, and the rest I visited with censure and

threats of public punishment. Their books I burnt in public, and so by the grace of God the influence of

this sect was entirely suppressed.

The Hindus and idol-worshipers had agreed to pay the money for toleration and had consented to the

poll tax, in return for which they and their families enjoyed security. These people now erected new

idol temples in the city and the environs. in opposition to the Law of the Prophet which declares that

such temples are not to be tolerated. Under Divine guidance, I destroyed these edifices, and I killed

2

those leaders of infidelity who seduced others into error, and the lower orders I subjected to stripes and

chastisement, until this abuse was entirely abolished. I forbade the infliction of any severe punishment

on the Hindus in general, but I destroyed their idol temples, and instead thereof raised mosques.

Where infidels and idolaters worshiped idols, Muslims now, by God's mercy, perform their devotions

to the true God. Praises of God and the summons to prayer are now heard there, and that place which

was formerly the home of infidels has become the habitation of the faithful, who repeat there their

creed and offer up their praises to God.

In former times, it had been the custom with the Hindus to paint and display figures on saddles,

bridles, and collars, on censers, on goblets and cups, and flagons, on dishes and ewers, in tents, on

curtains and on chairs, and upon all articles and utensils. Under Divine guidance and favor, I ordered

all pictures and portraits to be removed from these things, and that such articles only should be made

as are approved and recognized by the Law. Those pictures and portraits which were painted on the

doors and walls of palaces I ordered to be effaced.

Among the gifts which God bestowed upon me, His humble servant, was a desire to erect public

buildings. So I built many mosques and madrasas [i.e. Islamic schools] where the learned and the

elders, the devout and the holy, might worship God and aid the kind builder [i.e. the sultan] with their

prayers. The digging of canals, the planting of trees, and the endowing with lands are in accordance

with the directions of the Law. For the learned doctors of the Law of Islam I have settled allowances in

proportion to their necessary expenses, so that they might regularly receive an income.

For the benefit of travelers and pilgrims resorting to the tombs of illustrious sultans and celebrated

[Muslim] saints, and for providing the things necessary in these holy places, I confirmed [existing]

grants of villages, lands, and other endowments which had been conferred upon them in olden times.

In those cases where no endowment or provision has been settled, I made an endowment, so that these

establishments might forever be secure of an income, to afford comfort to travelers and wayfarers, to

holy men and learned men. May they remember those (ancient benefactors) and me in their prayers.

I encouraged my infidel subjects to embrace the religion of the prophet, and I proclaimed that everyone

who repeated the creed and became a Muslim should be exempt from the jizya, or poll-tax. Information

of this came to the ears of the people at large, and great numbers of Hindus presented themselves and

were admitted to the honor of Islam. Thus, they came forward day by day from every quarter, and,

adopting the faith, were exonerated from the jizya, and were favored with presents and honors.

My object in writing this book has been to express my gratitude to the all-bountiful God for the many

and various blessings He has bestowed upon me. Secondly, that men who desire to be good and

prosperous may read this and learn what is the proper course. There is this concise maxim, by

observing which, a man may obtain God's guidance: Men will be judged according to their works and

rewarded for the good that they have done.

Alfred J. Andrea and James H. Overfield, The Human Record: Sources of Global History, Vol. I: To 1700 (Boston 1990) pp. 294-296.