[1] Egyptian. Hitherto this has been read Qut̤bī, but it really is, I think, Qibt̤ī, “Egyptian.” Chardin, IV. 70, ed. 1723, says that the Persians state that the ruby of the East comes from Egypt. The etymology, however, is doubtful. [↑]
[2] Possibly the praise of S͟hāh-Jahān’s inventive powers refers to his arrangements for the orchestra. The kuwarga is defined in the Ain, Blochmann, 50, as a damāma—i.e., a large drum. See illustration in Plate VIII. to Blochmann’s Ain. The karanā and surnā are wind-instruments, and are also represented in Plate VIII. With regard to the mursal, Blochmann, p. 51, has: “The mursalī, which is the name of a tune played by the mursil.” Apparently the mursal is the overture, or some introductory strain, and played only by a portion of the band. [↑]
[3] MS. No. 181 has ten instead of two as the number of elephants presented by Qut̤bu-l-mulk, and this seems likely to be correct, else where do the six now mentioned come from? But six should probably be eight. [↑]
[4] Kurkarāqs. See Blochmann, 87, n. 2, and p. 616. Kurk means fur, and kurkarāqān may be translated furriers. [↑]
[5] So in text, but it should be Tatta—i.e., Sind. See Blochmann, 378, n. 2, and also the Tūzuk, infra, p. 275. [↑]
[6] Suwārān-i-k͟hūd-maḥalla. I do not know the exact force of the last two words. Possibly they are pleonastic. The word maḥalla is explained in Irvine A. of M. 46. [↑]
[7] The Iqbāl-nāma, 127, mentions that Parwīz came from Allahabad to pay his respects. See infra, Tūzuk, 268, and 273. [↑]
[8] Probably this is the friend of Father Jerome Xavier and the abridger of the Z̤afar-nāma. See Rieu, 177b and 1077a. [↑]