British Institute of Persian Studies

The British Museum Mīrzānāma and the Seventeenth Century Mīrzā in India
Author(s): Aziz Ahmad
Source: Iran, Vol. 13 (1975), pp. 99-110
Published by: British Institute of Persian Studies
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4300528 .
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 THE BRITISH MUSEUM MIRZANAMA AND THE
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY MIRZA IN INDIA1

By Aziz Ahmad
I
The British Museum Persian MS. Add. I6, 817, which is a collection of nine treatises
and collections of letters, contains in its folios 89b to 95b, a manual of manners called Mirz~ndmaby an
anonymous author. The MS. was written in Shikasta-dmin c. I 152/1739;2 but the treatise itself was
almost certainly written a few decades earlier. This is borne out by the date of completion given as
Io070/66Oin the only other known copy of this Mirzdndma,one in the library of the Asiatic Society of
Bengal.3
These are two of the three manuscriptsnoted by D. N. Marshall4under the title Mirzdndma;but the
third of these is quite a different work, the title of which bears the name of its author as one Mirza
Kamran, not to be confused with BTbur'sson. It was found in the private collection of Muhammad
Mahmiid of Chakdah in the Nadia district of Bengal by M. Hidayat IHusaynand published with an
English translationby him in TheJournalof theAsiaticSocietyof Bengalin 1913.5 The date of the compo-
sition of Mirzi Kdmrin's work has been suggestedby Hidayat Husayn as c. I o17/1608, which is the date
on which Mirzi Rtfi' Shirazi, the author of the Tadhkirat al-mulak,began work on that book. This date
seems erroneous,judging by the internal evidence of a comparison of the contents and style of B.M./
A.S.B. anonymous6Mirzdndmaand Mirzd Kimrdn's Mirzdndma.Compared to the former, the latter
shows a great deal of vulgarization in theme as a manual of manners, as well as in its style, which is
comparatively more demotic and inferior. The date suggested for the composition of Mirzi Kamrin's
work by Hidayat IHusaynrests solely on his assumption that the Mirza Rafi' Shirazi mentioned by
Mirzi Kdmrdn as his contemporary is the same person as the author of Tadhkiratal-mulak;7which is
doubtful. Mirzi Rdfi' was a common name; and two persons of that name from Shiraz could have
made India their home at different times.
Both the Mirzdndmas,that of the B.M./A.S.B. manuscriptsand that of Kimran, define themselvesas
manuals8of the criteria and conduct for the gentleman who called himself a mirzain the seventeenth
century; this person will be studied in some detail in the latter part of this article. In both cases, their
authors alleged that they are writing their treatise because a number of pseudo-mirzdshave assumed the
title mirzdwithout adhering to the standard of requisites, qualities and accomplishmentsrequired of a
true mirzd; but whereas the B.M./A.S.B. Mirzandmalays down the necessary guidelines for a mirzd
in a general sequential order, Kamran's Mirzdndmareduces them to the mathematical exactitude of ten
usal (principles) and sixty- fourfura' (minutiae), borrowing these terms from Islamic jurisprudence.

xI am grateful to the Trustees of the British Museum for their
permission to publish the facsimiles of the Mirzdndma. My
warm thanks are due to my colleague, Professor G. M. Wickens,
for his useful comments in tracing the etymology and history
of the term mfrzaand on my synoptical translation of the work.
2 Charles Rieu, Catalogueof the Persian Manuscriptsin the British
Museum(Oxford, 1866), II, p. 826 a-b.
aW. Ivanow, A ConciseDescriptiveCatalogueof the Persian Manu-
scripts in the Collectionof the Asiatic Societyof Bengal (Calcutta,
1924), p. 926.
'4D. N. Marshall, Mughals in India, a BibliographicalSurvey I,
Manuscripts (London/Bombay, 1967), p. 241.
SMawlavi M. Hidayat Husain, " The Mirz1 Ndmih (The
Book of Perfect Gentleman) of MirzI K~mrin with an English
Translation ", Journalof theAsiatic Societyof Bengal, New Series,
IX (1913), 1-13.
6 While Marshall notes the BM/ASB Mirzandma as the work of
an anonymous writer (op. cit., p. 241), on p. 326 he erroneously
lists it as the work of Muhammad Khalil. The confusion seems
to be due to the fact that in the BM Pers. MSS. Add. 16, 8x9,
Muhammad Khalil's Inshd'follows the anonymous Mfrzdndma.
The ornate style of Mulhammad Khalil's letters is very different
from the matter-of-fact prose of the Mirzdndma,and the two
works could hardly be by the same author.
' JASB, pp. 1-2.
8 BM, Add. 16,819, f. 89b; JASB, pp. 8-9.

99
100 JOURNAL OF PERSIAN STUDIES

II
The following is a synoptical translation of the B.M. Mirzdndma:
[F.89b] This Mirzd Ndmais planned as a manual which would serve as a test to distinguish between
the " true " and the " false " mirzd,as well as to distinguishmirzdsfrom non-mirzds;so that those people
of" irregulargait " and " canceroustemperament" who claim to be mirzdsshould forego their baseless
claim.
Mirzd-hood is tied to certain conditions, without the fulfilling of which one cannot be called a
mirzd. The first of these conditions is a pure and well-known pedigree. The second is that in the eyes of
the people a mirzdshould have a position of dignity. Therefore, in the third place, he should have a
mansab9commanding at least one thousand dhdtand one thousand horses. The mirza-should be able to
meet the expenses expected of his position. If he is not a mansabddr, he should be an affluent merchant.
These are the three basic requirementsof mirzd-hood. If one is born to this much economic fortune, one
should not be greedy for more. The fortunate one who has the necessary means should set out in the
path of becoming a mirzdwith wisdom; and he should carefullyobserve the rules set forth below in this
manual. In short, one should start being a mirzdwith a mansabof a thousand, or the capital of Io,ooo
tamdn,without which the title is meaningless. On the other hand, a non-mirza,whether he holds a minor
rank or is a mansabddr with five thousand horse, is mean and worldly, if he does not possessthe character
and temperament of a mirzd. The purity of soul and uniquenessof attributes distinguisha mirzd,whose
actions are wholesome, who is pure in outward appearance and virtuous in habits. All his qualities are
as elegant as his appearance; on his stature his dress looks becoming; his disposition draws others to
him; in generosity he is ahead of others so that his expenses sometimes exceed his income.
[F.90oa]If a mirzdhas enough for his status, he should be grateful for it more than for being a com-
mander of seven thousand (haft-hazdri),because service and subordination is degrading for a mirzd.10
He should not be beguiled by the attraction of the greater mansabsand the multitude of horsemen and
foot-soldiersin the service of great nobles."1 The lesser the headache of high status, the better. There
are among the mirzdssome descendants of the nobles12who hold lower mansabsand are not affluent,
who are by the richnessof their own temperamentsattracted to mirzd-hood; their plight deservescom-
passion. When one lacks personal affluence, if one has inherited some money or property from one's
father, one should not spend it or dispose of it, as such money or property is unblessedand soon comes
to an end. Some others hang on to the status of mirzd-hoodby virtue of being the foster-brothersof a
king, a noble or a khdn;they are like calves intoxicated with milk, though their milk is diluted with
water; their position is one of insecurity and dependence on the fortunes of those to whom they are
related. Others who claim to be mirzdsare administrativeofficerswho spend on themselves what does
not belong to them, and who will have to face the consequencesone day. Other aspirantsto the title of
mirzdare people who have accumulated some wealth and are in quest of digging more of it out of the
earth; their mirzd-hoodcan have no durability; because for the love of money, the father disinherits
the son, or the son kills the father and wastes the wealth in a few days.
The real mirzd-hoodis a very different thing altogether. It is not merely pinning flowers to one's
headgear or wearing a greenish or semi-greenishturban and strolling through a garden. [F.9ob] It is
rather to inhale and imbibe the fragranceof the flower.
A mirzdshould spend some of his time at day and night in the study of ethics. He should not be
ignorant of the questions offiqh (jurisprudence) or oblivious of the study of Qur'gnic exegesis; for an
irreligious mirzd is even more insignificant in the eyes of the accomplished ones than an impecunious
mirzd. He should also study works of history. He should memorize the rules of prosody and rhyme, so

9 An office in the Mughal bureaucracy or army. For the early though responsible to the wakfl or wazfr in administrative and
organization of the institution see Abfi'l-Fadl 'Allfmi, A'kn-i revenue matters.
AkbarfI, tr. by H. Blochmann (Calcutta, 1939), PP. 241-3, 1xThe mfrzd of the manual is thus a " middle class " gentleman
247-9, followed by Blochmann's useful notes, pp. 249-59. distinguished from the higher nobility, a few members of which
10 There is an obvious contradiction here. The commander of also bore the title mirzd.
I,ooo, the status recommended for a mirzd, was much more 1' Mansabs and landholdings (jdgfrs) were not hereditary under
subordinate in the Mughal official hierarchy than that of a the Mughals.
commander of 7,000, who was subordinate only to the emperor,
 SEVENTEENTH CENTURY MIRZA IN INDIA 101

that he may not be incapable of understandingpoetry, which is a great accomplishment. He should try
to read collections of epistolography and to express himself with coherence; he should know correct
orthography. He should strive in learning the science of etiquette. Keeping in view the manuals for the
training of falcons and horses, he should be an expert in judging horses and the good and bad points of
falcons.
He should use the shikasta(broken script) for worldly purposes and the naskhscript for copying the
Qur'an and other religious writings; and he should spend some hours in this occupation. He should
not be inclined towards writing the nasta'liqscript, which is pointless and a script of low category.
When talking, he should not speak at length; he should be brief and concise. If someone else speaks
to him at length, and he has to listen to him, then he should only outwardly be attentive, but inwardly
he should occupy his mind with something better, so as not to let time be wasted.
He should learn to recognize the qualities of swords, and acquire the science of archery. He should
not be all that inclined to use a matchlock musket, so that the unpleasant smell of its fuse may not reach
his nose. Of all the sports he should prefer playing chawgdn(polo). He should urge his horse forward.
A soldierly mirzd is better than an unsoldierly one. He should be not inclined to enjoy (merely?)
watching marksmanship. On the day of battle he should not choose the ignominy of running away;
at the time of action he should remain firm like a soldier, even though he be killed. One who claims to
be a mirzdwelcomes such a death; for an honourable death is better than a dishonourable life. He
should not dance attendance at the houses of great men, since this is undignified.
He should know the requirementsof musical recital, so that he does not sing automatically in every
gathering or assembly. Perfectionin the art of music is very difficult to achieve; and if he sings badly,
his listeners will be disgusted. This noble science (of music) was formerly held in great esteem; now,
with the passage of time, it has declined. If he decides to listen to musical songs or instrumental music
to dispel the oppressionof his spirits,the singers [F.9 Ia] and musiciansshould sing and play in plaintive
tunes. For his musical assemblies, held at day or night, he should choose the qdnan,chang,dd'iraand
tanbaras musical instruments. Of the Indian musical instruments, he should prefer the rubdband bin.
He should regardpakhdvajas the musical mode appropriatefor festivitiesand weddings; and he should
not favour the use of the dholki(a kind of drum) and the khanjari,which are musical instrumentsmore
suited to the assembliesof widows. Of the Indian musical modes, he should listen to and understand,
the dhurpad of Tinsan and Nd'ik Bakhshwar. If he likes the khaydl,he should appreciate the compositions
of Amir Khusraw and other moving compositionsin his style. He should abstain from listening to the
khaydlof Shaykh ShErMuhammad Hindi, and the tappaof Shaykh IHusaynFaqir and the chutkulaof
Shih Jawnptiri, which though perfect worksof art, can be sung well by very few singers; also,
because of unjustifiedinterpolations,they are not what they used to be. The same can be said about the
.Husayn
Khayribidi Khaydland other such compositions. He shouldratheravoid the company of thosewho enjoy
listening to the Khayrdbddi Khaydland chutkulaand dholakand khanjari;for such people are shallow and
ignorant and lack dignity. He should avoid the shows of bhdndsand jesters, but he should well enjoy the
performancesof the bhayawho realistically satirize all sorts of people. If one wants to learn about one's
own faults, one should once in a while sit in one's own ambush. Knowledge and understandingof music
is a great art; but the mirzdmust confine himself only to the knowledge of the harmony and musical
tones, words and their meanings, which cannot be regarded as disgraceful. He should under no circum-
stances indulge himself in singing, but leave this rather to the professional musicians. Singing can lead to
dancing, and that necessarily to other disgraceful and ignominious actions. He should totally abstain
from giving a chance to his male friends and companions to listen to the singing of his private concubines;
otherwise, it will amount to pandering, and may lead to a great deal of mischief.
If he has the bad habit of consuming alcohol, and cannot get rid of it by any other alternative medi-
cine, he should indulge in it wisely. As far as possible he should drink at home, and in the company of
his private sweethearts. If he happens to be in the company of other friends and acquaintances, and has
to be considerate to them, he should not join in the circulation of the bottle, but rather keep his own
bottle separate. The wine he drinks should be perfumed. He should consider the wine which upsets the
stomach as undesirable as tobacco with a bad smell. He should not drink daily [F.9Ib], as it is the habit
of the rabble of the market-place. He should drink when the sky is cloudy in spring [monsoon] time
10
102 JOURNAL OF PERSIAN STUDIES

and when it is drizzling; he should not expose the daughter of the vine to the sun. He should regard a
bearded cupbearer better than an unbearded, handsome cupbearer; he should rather place the bottle
and the cup in front of each one of his guests separately, so that everyone may be his own cupbearer.
He should let everyone drink according to his own choice and should not drink according to the urging
of another, for this can lead to evil; and someone may not like to have more of that food and drink. He
should not praise his own wine, as this has an odour of self-praise. He should adorn his drinking feast
with a gold-embroidered table-cloth, pleasing glass bottles and cups, jewel-studded jugs and golden
goblets, as much as he can afford. He should not eat kabdbas a savoury with wine as the gluttons do;
it besmears the hand. If he does not like quince and pomegranate as relish, he should eat salted
pistachios and similar things (with his wine). Plain wine looks transparent in a glass, bottle or
jug.
He should always provide perfumesin his parties; and try to keep his party fragrantwith them. All
sorts of vases full of flowers in every season should be on view. Without them, he should consider the
luxury of living as forbidden. He should keep his feast colourful; so that whoever departs from it may
feel that he has been to the feast of a mirzd; that is to say, he should depart bearing the fragrant smell of
scent and flower After smoking the tobacco from a pipe, and after the perfumeshave been served in the
party and he has listened to some music, he should rise, making the excuse that it is time to go to bed;
and then he should say farewell to his [departing] guests.
When going to sleep, he should unfasten the knot of his robe and straighten the lower garment;
otherwise he will not sleep comfortably.
If he needs to borrow money, he should borrow it from a Hindu mahdjan(moneylender) whom he
should prefer to a Muslim Mughal merchant, even though the latter lends money without interest.
He should totally avoid purchasing anything from the shop of a Mughal, as it means a loss from begin-
ning to end; for in the beginning, it means paying four times the cost of the thing purchasedand suffer-
ing great loss, and in the end it means listening to four-foldharangues of these [Mughal] merchantsin
the market-place. On the other hand, a Hindu is content even if he reduces the interest, considers'the
little he gets as plenty and is thankfulfor it. The Hindu money-lendersaskfor their due with salutations
and an attitude of submission. The Muslim merchants make their claims [for the return of the debt]
saying saldm'alaykalike equals and lord over the debtor.
[F.92a] The etiquette of dining. The table cloth for dining should be spread in the garden [in front
of the house] at the edge of the pond. If one cannot afford a cloth of gold for a dinner-cloth, one should
use the chhintwith decorated design, provided it has no oily stain. If one cannot afford that every day,
he should use a good white linen dinner-cloth, provided it is not spread repeatedly [without being
washed]. The attendant at dinner should be a young man of wholesome appearance, who offers his
prayers regularly. One must not employ a handsome person or a good-looking boy as a dinner atten-
dant, as this leads to well-known errorsand is imprudent. For it may induce the guests to eat the bread
but to break the salt-bottle [i.e. abuse hospitality]; and that would be damaging to the dignity of a
mirzd. If all the plates on the table-cloth are of the same set, so much the better. If he cannot afford it,
he should try to have the drinking glasses, plates, pots and demi-pots similar, of the same colour
and of the same kind. The colour scheme of the crockery on the dinner-clothis an important matter.
If he cannot afford the white china manufactured in the capital, he should regard the china of
Mashhad as better and more elegant than the china of any other manufacture. If he cannot afford
even that, then he should never affix the title mirzd to his name. He should not use broken earthen-
ware, as it would be hopelessly defaming for a mirzd. But he can, according to his need, use pretty
earthen-ware.
He should have the sour things for his meals, according to the season, such as clean achdrs (pickles)
with vinegar; and should have glasses of the juice of pomegranate, mango, lemon and orange, especially
the Kashmirijuice. He should ensure that a coloured or golden spoon is not used for food or for stirring
a drink; he should be careful of the amber-coloured oiliness of a coloured spoon. He should be content
with well-chiselled white spoons, and if he can afford china or glass spoons, so much the better. Of the
varieties of food, he should prefer boiled rice with spices. He should not be an eater ofparkoko [?] and
dizpydza (" double-onioned " curry), as it is the way of the gluttons. Instead of diipydza, he should
 SEVENTEENTH CENTURY MIRZA IN INDIA 103
eat qalya.13He should regard boiled rice and tender kabdbsas the diet of the mirzds. Of the varieties of
pilaf, he should preferthe ones made withyakhni(meat juice) or halwdnbarbari[?] or with the meat of a
fat, healthy sucking lamb; and he should eat them freshwith oil [presumablyghee]. He should regard
the qdbali[of rice] with green peas better than bdqlapilaf. Likewisein the season of mangoes, he should
prefer the qalyaand pilaf containing mangoes. He should eat less of the food which greases the hand,
such as pilafs,14 but eat rather boiled rice and kabdb; though it makes a choking morsel, it can be dealt
with by taking that morsel and eating a spoonful of qalyawith it.
I had the occasion to be present at the meals of an amir; [F.92b] and I noticed again and again,
that though all sorts of food were there, he was inclined towards eating pilaf. One day I sedately
inquired why he was not inclined to eat other things and liked the pilaf so much. In a tone most be-
fitting the great, he answeredthat he preferredthe pilaf becauseit did not grease the hand and he did not
have to try hard to cleanse his hand with a towel, which was disgusting. In fact, it is a blemish to cleanse
the hands with a towel after having washed them.15 In eating, this is a primary condition.
Although among the achdrs(pickles) those with mango and oil are quite familiar in India and are
generally praised, he should not give them any credit. [If he eats them at all], he should mix them with
the Indian khhichri(rice with lentils); for theyakhnipuldw(pilaf with meat juice) needs gheewith it, and
not oil. This is the opinion of an expert who knows; it is a science, not just a saying or opinion. He
should regard the colourfuljuice of pomegranate better than other juices. In season he should regard
beetroot pilaf with relish as food suitable for a mirzd. Among the varieties of broth (dsh),he should prefer
the one with delicate relish. He should also like the ashjaw(broth of barley) compounded with lemon
juice, sugar, herbs and rose-water, but he should regard the meat in that broth as tasteless, and be
content with the meat juice in broths like that. In winter, he should eat the top leaves of turnips, and
always have them on the table-cloth; but he should eat turnip itself as little as possible openly; because
the dignity of a mirzddoes not withstand the eating of a cooked turnip. He should regard the proverb
" cooked turnip is better than unalloyed silver ", as inappropriate to the dignity of a mirzd. Instead
of turnip shula[pilaf], he may eat beetrootsin shulawith relish, or in pickles or with coagulated milk, or
in qalyd; all this would be all right as beetroot is a food fit for a mirzd,being agreeable, colourful and
sweet. In winter, he should serve on his dinner-cloth winter foods like goat's jaw, harisa(rich, thick,
wheat soup with meat, cinnamon, and herbs), barley broth and shab-bakht [or shab-pukht],according to
his means; but he should himself eat only the sarpdcha(boiledjaw and foot-joint) sprinkledwith vinegar,
lemon juice and mint, touching no other food, regarding this restraint as a requirement of the dignity
of a mirzd,for the goat harisaand barley broth are not the foods for mirzds.
He should not trust the cleanlinessof his cooks; but should take every possible care in the investiga-
tion that they are clean. If he cannot afford [to have it cooked in his own kitchen] he may use the
cheese-bread sold in the bazaars; but he should regard other foods sold in the Indian bazaars as un-
wholesome. Of all the varieties of halwa (sweetmeats) and Indian preserves, he should like the mango
preserve with fresh, sweetened [F.93a] herb juice, provided it is not more than a week old. He should
not even look at other Indian pickles or the pickle of green mango made with filtered vinegar.
He should eat a few spoonfuls of delicate, fragrant, perfumedpdlada(a beverage of water, flour or
honey or other components). If it is possible, and if he can afford it, he should not eat the padlda
without ice, or at least cooled by saltpetre. If this is not possible, he should not eat pdladaor even men-
tion its name; for without ice and without being chilled by saltpetre it does not chill the teeth. He
should like fragrant Indian boiled rice. Bread, cheese and melons are becoming eatables for a mirzd.
He should offer milk syrup to his friends. Milk mixed with sour milk is the drink for a mirzd. He should
leave the milkfirni (rice-pudding) to the gluttons; and regard the firni without milk as suitable for a
mirzd. He should consider drinking water without bid-mushk (a fragrant ingredient) as a thing for-
bidden. He should regard the eating of dalama (new cheese) wrapped in the skin of a chicken or with a
sweetener as unwholesome. He should find pleasure in cheese made of fermented milk. Of the varieties
of he should prefer that of nuts with fragrance and tablets of amber, and pieces of lemon and
.halwd,
13
Originallyfriedfood, but in India a highly spicedcurry. 15 Probably because the hands were dried in the smoke of incense
14But see the next
paragraphwhere he contradictshimself. in a censer after being washed at the end of the meal.
104 JOURNAL OF PERSIAN STUDIES

sandal-perfume. He should not be unmindful of the rishta(or sweet) of the style of khita (Turkestan)
perfumed with amber.
He should form the habit of eating with the tips of his fingers. He should stop eating before he is full;
even though he remains hungry; for it is not easy to be a mirzd. If he does remain hungry, he can eat
[a little more] in the interior of his house, out of the sight of the critical. But this has a great risk of bad
reputation, involving a loss of the prestige of the mirza. It is better to remain hungry. He should not
eat outside the dining room;16 for eating outside it is like eating at a shop in the bazaar.
Of the fruits, after melon and grapes, he should regard first-classmangoes, which can be obtained
only rarely, as the best of fruits. But he should not call it [i.e. the mango] superior to melon, as that
would amount to apostasy. For the [cooked] foods he should regard unripe mango as a better ingredient
than apples and other sour fruits. He should not be unmindful of relish made of pineapple mixed with
sugar and rose-water; for like the fruit of Kuch-Bihar and the Sumatra of AkbarTb~d,it is a delicacy
made especially for the mirzds. The sugarcane of the province of Bihar and of Akbarabid is befitting
food for a mirzd,on condition that he does not pile the chewed refusein front of himself. Of the greens
he should like lettuce, green coriander and mint. He should regard leek and radish as enemies of God.
From the belch which follows the eating of radishesand is worse and more unpleasant to the mind than
the sound of a gunshot and the smell of gunpowder, he should preserve himself.
He should not eat with someone who is ignorant of the manners of dining and who is gluttonous.
If by chance he has such a guest, he should soon finish his dinner and rise, making some such excuse
which does not hurt the feeling of the guest. But after that he should shun the company of such a person,
though he can occasionally send him a tray of food. Keeping company with a gluttonous person is not
free from hazards, one of which is belching [F.93b]. Similarly, he should avoid someone who does not
pick his teeth after washing his hands [after a meal] or does not clean his mouth and hands with water
after picking his teeth, since the company of such a person is distastefuland disgusting. After the meal,
he should wash his hands with fragrantsandal powder compounded with other perfumes. After chewing
the pdn (betel-leaf) he should rinse his mouth, as it [i.e. the stain of pdn on the lips and the teeth] is
unwholesometo look at. He should avoid a companion who talks at length after eating pdn,as the spray
from his mouth may soil the mirzd'sdress. He should considerit obligatory that perfume is brought in
after the meal. In winter he should burn fire in an iron censer and put aromatic lakhlakhain it. In
winter, if he can afford it, he should keep the house fragrantwith the perfumesoffitna,flower and argaja.
He should constantly put aloe-wood in the fire. In summer he should consider it obligatory to have a
khaskhdna (thick curtains of straw on the door and the windows, which are sprinkledwith water to keep
the room cool) prepared, to have fans, to have the floor-spreadingof gangdjalsitalpdti(a variety of'
North Indian matting) and to arrange vases with fragrant flowers of that season. A white linen floor-
spread [on the top of the matting] is best for this season; and the best perfumefor this time of the year
is high-classJahdngiri argaja. It is the best perfumefor this season, except for rose, which is also the per-
fume for this season. He should regard the enjoyment of the monsoon season as a compound of winter
and summer. The floor-spreadof this season is sometimesa good mat of split-reedsand sometimesa good
woollen broadcloth. In this season also he should consider it necessary to have a censer and lakhlakha.
In the monsoon season he should occasionally sit elegantly on a wooden takht(wooden, platform-like
sofa), but not without a carpet covered with quilting or a white linen-spread. This would be very
inappropriatein winter-time. He should use carpets of good variety in winter, those made in Kirman
if he can afford them; otherwise, those of Kashmiripatta.
A house without curtains and screens is like an open shop in a bazaar. In every season he should
consider it unwholesome to eat without a magaskhana (a net hanging all around for protection against
the flies); otherwise, it would be like eating in the bazaar.
He should regard the beauty of flowers as better than the green beauty of grass, though he should
appreciate that also. [F.94a] He should appreciate more the green grass under the flower-shrubs.
Of the jewels, he should like rubies and pearls; of the fruits,pomegranate. A house which does not have

16
Presumably during the winter and the rainy season, for earlier garden of the house near the pond, presumably during the
he had recommended that the dinner-cloth be spread in the summer.
 SEVENTEENTH CENTURY MIRZA IN INDIA 105

a pond and a fountain surroundedby flowerpotsfilled with flowers of every season, is a house without
enjoyment. He should set a garden wherever possible in the compound of the house, for the mirzdis
equal in numbers (ham-'adad)to a gulzdr (a rose-garden); he is bound to be attracted by a garden. In
every corner of his garden there should be colourful chirping and singing birds like nightingales" and
parrots. He should hear unpleasant voices of other birds from a distance, because a mirzd'stempera-
ment cannot bear listening to such noises. The beauty of these flowers and birds is not merely for ex-
ternal view; the beauty of every bird leads one to the contemplation of its Maker, and its singing leads
the heart to the anguish [of divine love].
Of the fighting animals, he may like to view deer- and camel-fights, provided that he does not be-
friend deer- or camel-keepers. But like a good mirzd,he should avoid viewing ram-fightsor bull-fights,
since the people of the bazaar like these. For his journey he should have camels ready with all their
equipment.
He should avoid the company of such [self-proclaimed], self-opinionated, bastard mirzdswho tie
their turbans with great delicateness,who talk with the movement of head or with the gesturesof body
or of eyebrows, who are over-emphatic in speech, who praise halwasand greens from among the foods,
and do not like the Kashmirijuice from among the drinks, who turn away with affected delicacy from
whatever is invigorating, who do not clean their teeth without looking in the mirror, who clad them-
selves in the single layer of a thin and transparent upper garment and wear trousers of satin and
kamkhdb(many-coloured, embroidered cloth), and who have the habit of eating pan frequently and
blackening their teeth with missi. Such mirzdsare no good. Mirzd-hoodis to be mirzdkhdnor mirzd-beg;1'
not to be a mirzdda-begum or mirzdda-khanum [i.e. effeminate].
Theetiquetteof wearingapparel.In winter, he should wear a datahi(sc. a garment with two folds and
made of various kinds of Indian material). He should use pearls for buttons, [F.94b] for pearl is natural
while other jewels have to be cut. In winter, he should wear a shawl, either plain or imprinted with
gold and silver leaves. He should wear gold-embroideredturbans (chira)which though of high quality
are inexpensive, and come from the fatah workshopswhich produce high quality striped cloth for low
prices. In summer, when he sits on a wooden seat with a white covering, he should wear the silver-
threaded cap round the head and the ears (gash-pich),and a silver-threadedupper garment (bdla-band).
He should never wear brocade or cloth of gold. He should never be inclined to wear a golden or em-
broidered turban, or a gash-pichof embroidered brocade, or trousers (shalwdr)of cloth of gold or satin,
as this would be below the dignity of a mirzd. He should use the cloth of gold only for pillow-cases and
curtains. If he has the means he can indeed give away cloth of gold and satin as a khil'at (robe of
honour). He should not wear embroidered and gold-threaded turban as it may give the mirzaa head-
ache, and it may also fall down.
Theetiquetteof ridingandhunting.Of all the means of riding, he should regard the pilki (palanquin)
as the best. It is most harmlessof all the kinds of rides available to a mirzd. In riding an elephant or a
horse there is the risk of falling off. But, in the rainy season, an elephant ride is the best; as both in the
pdlkiand on the horse there is the risk of getting soaked in the rain, or of the mud and dirty water from
the rooftopssoiling the head and headgear and trousers,which would be against the dignity of a mirzd.
But for visiting gardens and viewing flowers and flower-gardens,he should ride a flower-colouredor
black and white (ablaq)horse. For shooting cranes or herons he should ride a black and white horse
with long mane. Such horses should be available and ready in his stable every day....
[F.95a] Of the hunting birds, he should prefer the sparrow-hawk (bdsha). He should enjoy the sight
of hunting with a bahri-hawk. He should adorn the wrapping linen and the headgear of the hunting
animals, and should fully apply his aptitude for decoration and art in this matter so that the hunting
animals of the mirzd remain distinguished from those of a non-mirzd. These are his associates, and the
associates should be dressed like the man. He should know that hunting with a falcon is allowed for this
reason, so that one may not remain empty-handed until one obtains a bahri. One should not gallop one's
horse impatiently after the bahri, but should ride slowly and let one's companions gallop; for there is
danger of falling off the horse in galloping on such occasions. One may well be enamoured of hunting

17 This is an euphemism; there are no nightingales in India.

106 JOURNAL OF PERSIAN STUDIES

and absorbed in it; but life is more precious than the spectacle of hunting, which is not worth falling
from one's horse, or the falling off of one's headgear (chira),or breaking one's neck. One should only
spend one pahr(a quarterof the day, or the first quarterof the day) in hunting; for continuing after that
is doggish, and the hunting animals lose their lustre [after the firstpahr]. He should leave prolonging of
the chase to the dogs and should not join them. If he is hunting with a matchlock, he should not fire
more than two shots. If he is hunting a heron or a lark, he should decorate his headgear with their
feathers [presumablyas a decoy], and give some of these to his companions. When he returnsfrom the
chase, he may rest by a pool or stream of water under the shade of a tree. A white linen sheet has to be
ready on this occasion to be spread [overhead] under the tree, so that the dressof the mirzdmay not get
soiled by the droppingsof the birds. After drinking coffee, he should distributeportions of the kill of the
chase during the previousnight and during that morning among all his companions,high and low. If he
had hunted any deer, he should have kebdbsmade of the venison, as they are delicious. [F.95b] He should
have the hunted birds like bustard, partridge, heron or duck paraded in ones or twos by the foot-soldiers
for general view.
He should enjoy unfamiliar and half-coloured (nimrang)flowers. If he wants a flower to yield
fragrance, he should himself pluck it from the bough. He should not accept it from the hands of the
gardener, for there is no hand cleaner than the hand of a mirzd. He should not wear flowersin his tur-
ban, as it is effeminate to do so. It is a blemish for the mirzd,who is a [masculine] lover. But he can, as
a blessing, put a gul-i mutlaq[rose] which is made of the holy sweat drops of the Pride of All Creation
on his head. Occasionally, in privacy, he may put a bunch of ndfarmdn flowers,which is like a plume of
feathers, in the corner of his turban; it would look becoming.
Etiquetteof bathing. In the bath he should not use the same brush for rubbing the body and for the
rubbing of the feet. There should be different brushesfor the purpose. He should not allow a bearded
bath-attendant to rub his body with the brush; for the sweat which falls from his hair and beard is as
unpleasant as water with brimstone.
He should not allow a mean person (pdji) to be his companion; he should not look at such a per-
son if he stands in front of him; and he should regard his presence as disturbing to the mind. He can
have one or two servants, whom he must employ, also serving in his parties, on condition that they do
not remain standing in front of him. He should not utter anything vulgar or obscene, as this is degrading
for a mirztd.Similarly,he should avoid ill-mannered and short-temperedpersons. He should not speak to
a person of low or mean origin without necessity; and he should try to communicate with him [only] by
signs or gesture. If such a person does not understandhis gestures,he should not retainhim in his service.
When ill, he should not mind paying the physician handsomely; for life is more precious than
money. He should avoid a sweetheart who has another lover running after her [or him]. He should
stay a mile away from a mad elephant or camel, or a bullock attacking with his horns or an intoxicated
person who has a sword in his hand. To be involved with them is foolishness. If he is with the imperial
army, he should cross bridges, corners and narrow passes either before everyone else or after everyone
else. He should not think of running away or being absent on such an occasion; for a living hero
(pahlawdn-izinda) is commendable. He should not become warmly familiar with someone destitute, be
he a khdnor sultan; for such people professfriendship only to borrow money or for the attainment of
some other end. Their friendship is tainted with selfishnessand has no durability. But if a person is
genuinely in want and in distress, he should help him in gratitude of the means which he has; and he
should not be one of those mirzds who "spend little and sit high ". He should not accept anything from
anyone, in return of which he does not intend to give something else of greater value. He should
consider it obligatory to wear a dagger orjamdhar (an Indian dagger). He should regard as obligatory
the wearing of rings of ruby, emerald, turquoise and cornelian on his fingers, as they have different
properties.
III
Mirzt Kimran, the author of the other Mir~dndma,came in the fourteenth year of the reign of one
of the Mughal emperors [Awrangzib?], by way of Kashmir to Lahore where he found a number of
" undeserving " persons calling themselves mirzd, and decided to write a manual (dastir al-'amal) of
 SEVENTEENTH CENTURY MIRZA IN INDIA 107

mirzd-hood. His own claim to be a mirza was based on his " personal efforts and the acquiring of
pleasant manners ", though he confessesthat his words (or verses) are inclined towards wit and jesting.
Indeed, some of the points in his Mirzdndmaand some of the requirementsfor mirzd-hoodare quite trite
compared to the B.M. Mirz~ndma.
Although his Mirzandmahas been published"8and translated (it was published over sixty years ago,
and in a journal in India which is not easily obtainable in the West),19it will not be out of place now to
give a brief summary of his treatise here for any easy comparisonwith the B.M./A.S.B. Mirzdndma.
Mirzd-hood depends upon ten (principles) and a certain number [actually 64] of furi'
(minutiae). The ten are that: a mirzd
us.al should believe in God; he should acquirelearning, especially
that of grammar; heus.l should have read in his youth the Gulistanand Bzistdnof Sa'di; he should have the
capacity of judging men; he should not engage in scholarly disputes with a student who has just com-
pleted his education; he should not engage himself in conversationwith every unworthy person but
should associate only with those who are his equals; he should learn Arabic, Persian, Hindi and Tur-
kish; he should be an expert in composition and a fast worker; he should have some knowledge of
accounts; and he should have some knowledge of philosophy, but should not indulge in fruitless dis-
cussions regardingfree will and determinismor finite and infinite.
The [sixty-four]fura' of mirzd-hoodare that a mirzdshould stay a mile away from a mad elephant;
he should prefer chinaware to gold or silverwarein crockery; if there is one evil person among ten in a
place, he should give up the company of those ten; he should shorten his name (for instance Mirzd
Thsufinstead of MirzAJaldl al-Din Yfsuf) ; he should not haggle when buying; he should regard ruby
as the best of the jewels; he should regardpdlkias the best of all conveyances; he should regard melon
as the best of all fruits; if he does not want to break his limbs he should not travel with the imperial
army to Kashmir;20 he should preferboiled rice with spices to other types of food; he should leave pure
love on a high shelf, but at the same time he should not chase a capriciousbeauty; he should not smoke
too much tobacco; he should be on his guard from diseasesin India; when introduced to a house, he
should firstvisit it on the occasion of introduction, then for a second time to pay his compliments, then a
third time without compliments (i.e. informally) if he is welcome; he should regard Lahore as the best
of all towns in India; he should regard the Agra fort as unique in the world; he should regard Isfahdn
as the best city in Iran; in a crowd he should be mindful of the swords kept under their arms by ahdis
(foot-soldiers); he should pay up to twenty rupees a day for payment to his palanquin-bearersand por-
ter; he should not take a room in a sard (inn); he should not take part in a battle, and if he has to
participate, he should not stand within the firing range, should never pursue a defeated enemy, and if in
a defeated army, should make haste to run away;21 his conversationshould be eloquent and expressive;
he should like narcissus,violet and orange; he should know who is bad, but wisely not talk badly of him;
he should know how to play nard,but must not become a gambler; he should not bet heavily in chess;
he should not admire obscureverseswhich take time to understand; he should not keep company with a
fast rider; he should not reveal his income to someone who could be coveting his job; at dinner he
should not sit next to a mufti(jurist); he may sing occasionally if he has a good voice, but avoid pro-
fessionalism; he should regard Girahrtidi,Mirza Rafi' Shirdzi22,and Jaldld-yi Ardastini as
the ablest of his contemporaries; he should not be impressed by everyone who puts on the robe of
Q:.4i-zdda
learning; in a discussion,if he succeedsin making a point, he should do so fully, and if the other person
gains the point he should be courteous; where people talk of their income or means, he should get the

22
1s JASB IX (1913), 8-13.
19 Ibid., pp. 2-8.
20 For a description of the imperial army's march to Kashmir,
see F. Bernier (English tr.), Travelsin the Mughal Empire,A.D.
r656-r668 (London, 1891), pp. 351-428; also Niccolao
Manucci, Storia do Mogor, English tr. by W. Irvine (Indian
reprint, Calcutta, 1965-67), II, 60-69.
21 This cowardliness advised by MirzA KdmrAn is exactly the
opposite of the standard of courage enjoined for a mirzd, who
must never run away from a battlefield, according to the BM
Mfrzdndma; see above.
As mentioned earlier in the text, Hiddyat HIusaynhas identified
this Rafi' Shirazi with Rafi' al-Din Ibrahim Shirizi, the author
of Tadhkiratal-mulak (begun in o0I7 1608-og and completed
in o2o/ 16I -I12), a history of the 'Adil Shihs of Deccan and of
contemporary Indian and Persian dynasties (Cf. Storey, I/ii,
742-3). But the latter never went beyond Ahmadnagar to the
north of India. There is no evidence that he visited the Mughal
Empire, especially Lahore, where alone he could have met
MirzA Kgmrqn. One may safely conclude that Mirzd K~mriin's
Rafi' Shirazi is a different person.
108 JOURNAL OF PERSIAN STUDIES

topic changed, otherwiseleave the company; he should visit Egypt; he should preferSyria for making a
home as bread, cheese and melons are nice there, even though these are the food of the Rdfidis;23 in
India, he should not wear the chdqshar;he should not be fond of his own words; in an assembly he
should not get involved in discussion, especially about his religion, which he may conceal to avoid the
chance of bodily injury;24 unless he has a mansabof 5oo, he should not invite a guest; when in financial
straits, he should not be guest of someone mean; he should regard watching gambling as the best of
shows; he should not talk scandal; he should not indulge in jokes with an improper person; he should
not repeat the visit [too soon]; with an income of a hundred rupees he can spend ten on belt and chira,
but even fifty on a fur [jacket]: he should not talk when people are playing nard; he should not take
his sweetheartto someone else's house, especiallyif he is richer; he should wash the dirt on his face with
salt and vinegar; he should trust only the dervish; he must recite the firstverse when reciting a poem,
but should not interrupt to complete the second half-line if someone has recited the first; in India he
should pay more attention to the strength of a house against rains than seek architecturalbeauty; in a
bath he should not allow himself to be served by a bearded bathing attendant; he should not sit in a
prominent place in an assembly,in order to avoid being snubbed; in India he should not expect wisdom
from those who wear large turbans; he should not have any expectations by being familiar with [rich]
persons; he should not eat fdlada andfirn in India, as they make one lazy; if he has a low mansabhe
should not have costly trappings; riding with his superior,he should be a pace or so behind him, except
when crossing a bridge [which is risky] and which he should be first to cross; even if impecunious, he
should not use engraved brassvessels, as the dirt is unwashable in the engravings; he should not talk at
Sunbal KhAn'sinn, which is full of argumentative men; he should not be drawn in by someone who
talks at length; he should avoid argumentative people; he should avoid the company of Muhammad
Beg and Mirza Fadli Beg, who have written [a version of] Kalila wa-Dimna; when invited, he
should
S.lih not be the first to go to a party, as thus he will have to greet many more people.

IV
Who was a mirzi, and what was the category of mirzd-hoodin the latter seventeenth century when
these two manuals, and possibly others now lost or hitherto undiscovered,were written?
Before one answers this question, one has to investigate the etymology of the title mirzd,its various
meanings and various applications. It is generally considered to be an abbreviation of amirzdda,
though this derivation has been doubted by some."2 Mir, as an abbreviation of amir,was quite common
from the sixteenth century onwards in Iran as well as in India as a title of amirsand sayyids,and for
officialdesignationssuch as mirmunshi,mirshikdr, etc. In SafavidPersiamorecommonly26than in Mughal
India,'7 many sayyids used the prefix mirzdrather than mir.
In eighteenth century India, and almost certainly earlier, in the seventeenth century, the term
mirzdhad a primary and a secondary meaning. In the primary sense it has been defined by Arzfi as
" used formerly in the titles of kings and princes, and now by noblemen and their sons; also used in
Irin for the sayyids."28It has been defined in the secondarysense by another eighteenth century Indian
lexicographer, Shad, as " a manly person held in esteem by people ".29 A similar definition occurs in a
dictionary compiled by Nafisi in Iran, who also defines mirzdmizsaj as one who appreciatessubtleties,
is of an independent temperament and haughty, and mirzdmanish as one of exalted nature, graceful,

23This polemical referenceto the Shi'is

may either mean the larly abbreviated.
Druzes of Syria, or Shi'is in general in which case Mirz! '* MirzN Mulammad TAhir Nasribldi, Tadhkira (Tehran 1317
Kdmrin (who came to India through Kashmir) might be of shams!), pp. 65, 71, 95, 99 et seq. and passim.
TirAni origin. But see below, n. 24. 27
Shaykh Farid Bhakkari, Dhakhiratal-Khwanin(Karachi 1961),
24This advice for taqiyyais curious,coming from some one who I, 170-72, 230; Shah Nawiz Khan, Ma'dthir al-umard'
polemically calls the Shi'is Rdfidfs. But some Sifis having (Calcutta 1888-9o), I, 222-4, 479-81, 739-48; II, 736-8;
heterodoxor pantheisticviews also concealedtheir faith. III, 218, 214-21, 590-94, 633-5-
21 Sirajal-Din 'Ali "
Khan Arzfi" Akbarlbldi, Chardgh-i hiddydt, 28 Chardgh-ihiddyat,p. 297.
ed. Dabir (Tehran i96o), 293-98. Professor 9*Muhammad PAdsh-h " Shid ", Farhang-i Anand Rdj, ed.
Wickens, who also doubtsthis etymology,pointsout that other
Muh.ammad Multammad Dabir (Tehran 1335 shamsi), VI, 3939.
titles like shdhzdda,
pfrzddaand shaykhzddahave not been simi-
 SEVENTEENTH CENTURY MIRZA IN INDIA 109
delicate and having delicacy.30 The two mirzdndmas are concerned with the mirzdin this secondary
sense.
In the primary sense, the title mirz~is said to have been used first by the Sarbadtrs of Harit,31
though the last Sarbadar used the title malik.32The sons of Timiir were called amirzddas33 or mirzds,
which is the strongest evidence for the theory that the latter term is an abbreviation of the former.
Shah Rukh was referredto both as amirzdda34and as mirzd,the latter title being applied to him more
generally after his accession.35 Among the Timiirid princes, the title mirzdcould be a prefix or a suffix;
in the case of the Safavids it was always a suffix. In Safavid Iran, wazirs,mustawfisand officers of the
daftarkhdna affixed the title mirzd to their names.36 So did also some of the nobility in the Timafrid
successor-states. By the fifteenth century, mirzd was quite a widespread title in the Islamic world. After,
and possibly even before, the extension of the Ottoman suzeranity over the Giriy Khans of Crimea,
leaders of the various Tatar tribes in Crimea were known as mirzds,and the Ottoman sultan installed
or deposed a Girty Khan in Crimea generally in consultation with them. Four of these mirzds (dirt
Karafibegi), the heads of ?irin, Argin, Barin, and Kipchak tribes held a more honourable position by
tradition than the rest.37
Although Babur discarded the title mirZdand assumed the title Bddshdh,38 his sons Kamran and
others retained the title mfrzd. Even in the sixteenth century, Akbar'shalf-brotherwas known as Mirzd
Muhammad IHakim,though by this time the sons of the Mughal emperor came to bear the title shdh,
shldhzdaor bddshdhzdda, titles which had already come to be used along with the title amirzddaor mirzd
during Timiir's reign.39
Even in the higher echelons of Mughal nobility, the title mirzdhad considerablydeclined as early as
the sixteenth century and the official title khdn,bestowed by the emperor, was taking its place. Shaykh
Farid Bhakkari,whose tadhkirawas compiled in 1060/1650, has written notices on 186 nobles of Akbar's
court, of which only 13 bore the title mirze.40The Ma'dthiral-umard',the other famous tadhkiraof the
Mughal nobility, which was compiled, revised and completed during the late eighteenth century, gives
notices on 722 nobles from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, of whom only 55 bore the title
mfrzd.41Most of these mirzesbore the title in the primary sense, but some in the secondary one.
A brief survey of the mirzdsin the upper echelons of Mughal nobility might be interesting. To begin
with, there were the Timirid princes, distant relations of the Mughal reigning family, such as Muham-
mad Sultan Mirza,42a grandson of Sultan IHusaynBayqara, and the Timarid princes of Balkh, Mirz~
Sulayman and Mirza Shih Rukh and the latter's son, Najabat Khan Mirza Shuja'.43 Then there were
the Safavid refugeeprinces MuzaffarHusayn Mirza and Rustum Mirza who had surrenderedQandahar
to Akbar, and their descendants in India, Mirza Shah Nawaz Khan, Mirzi JHasan,Mirzi Nawdhar,
Mirz~ Sultin, and Mirza Mukarram Khan.44 To these one may add Mirza Safavi Khan 'Ali Baqi,
who came to India during the reign of Awrangzib, who claimed to be of Safavid descent, and who re-
ceived a title to that effect from the Mughal emperor.45 Several Iranis with real or pretended claims of
Safavid ancestry came to India during the eighteenth century, after the fall of that dynasty.46
Among the Irani higher nobles of Mughal India was Mirza Ja'far Asaf Khan who rose to be wakil,
the highest office in the state.4' Another equally illustrious mirzd was Nfir Jahan's father I'timid

30o'All Akbar Nafisi (Ndzim al-atibba'), Farhang-iNaffsi (Tehran Europeand theCaucasus(New York 1972), pp. 8, 13-
1343), V, 3257. 38
'Abd al-Bdqi NihAwandi, Ma'dthir-i Rafhmi (Calcutta 1924),
3' For a detailed history of the Sarbadars, seeJohn Masson Smith, I, p. 495-
The History of the SarbaddrDynasty, 1336-r381 A.D. and its 3* Yazdi, ZafarnamaI, p. 573 and passim.
Sources('s-Gravenhage I970). 40 Shaykh Farid Bhakkari,Dhakhiratal-khawdnin(Karachi 1961), I.
3s Sharaf al-Din CAliYazdi, ed. 'Abbisi 41 Shih Nawdz KhAn, Ma'dthir al-umard,' (Calcutta, I888-90).
.Zafarnama, Mul.ammad 42Ibid. III, I92-9.
(Tehran 1336 shamsi), I, 223, 232-7.
33
Thus, for instance, Amirzada Jahangir (ibid. I, i8o and passim); 43 Dhakhirat
al-khwadnn[Dh], I, 20-23; Ma'athir al-umard[MU],
Amirz~da MirdnshAh (ibid. I, 336, 445 and passim); and III, 264-76; 329-34; 821-8.
AmirzAda 'Umar Shaykh (ibid. I, 473). 44Dh I, 99-IOI; MU III, 296-30I, 434-42; 477-8, 555-7;
34 Ibid.
II, 30 and passim. 581-2; 583-5, 692-4; II, 670-76.
35
Kamal al-din 'Abd al-Razzdq, al-sa'dayn wa majma' 45 MU III, 653-4-
Ma.tala' 46 Ibid. III, 681-2.
al-bahrayn,B.M. Or. MSS. 1291, passim.
36 Nasrqbqdi, pp. 69-125. 47 Dh I, 170-72; MU, I, 107-15.
3 TAhir
Max Kortepeter, OttomanImperialismduring the Reformation:
110 JOURNAL OF PERSIAN STUDIES

al-Dawla Mirzt Ghiyath BEg Tehrani, his eminent son Asaf Khan and his descendants who rose to
high offices.48 Of the Tfirdni mirzdsin the high Mughal nobility, only the Khan-i A'zam Mirzd 'Aziz
Koka, Akbar's foster-brother,may have received the title mirzdfrom the emperor or assumed it as a
token of his close relationship with the emperor. Bayram Khan Khin-i Khanan, a descendant of the
illustrious Turkmen line ofJahdn Shih, did not use the title mirzd,but his son 'Abd al-Rahim Khan-i
did, as did also his sons and grandsons.49Another distinguisheddynasty of mirzdswas that of
Khdnmn
Jani Beg Tarkhan, who claimed descent from the distinguishedTiirni clan of Arghiin and was ruler of
Sind, but later submitted to Akbar and became one of the high nobles of his administration.50 Other
illustrious nobles of his house such as 'Isd Tarkhdn and Ghazi Beg Tarkhan continued to use the title
mirzd.51 Notices on three sayyidmirzdsappear in the first volume of the Dhakhiratal-khwainin, and on
eleven of them in the Ma'dthiral-umard',including Mahabat Khan Sipahsilar, who held the person of
the EmperorJahangir in detention and who though a Kabuli, claimed Sayyid descent. Of the Sayyid
mirzds,Nawazish Khan 'Abd al-Bdqi called himself a mirzd,52while his brother 'Abd al-Hadi called
himself mir.53
Most interesting is the case of Hindu mirzes. Of these, Bahadur Singh was given the title of mirzd
rdjaby Akbar;54 and the famous Rajp*ftgeneral Jay Singh was given the same title by Shah Jahan.55
Thus it seems that in rare cases, mirzdcontinued to be a title bestowed by the Mughal emperors until
the middle of the seventeenth century.
But the usual title for the nobles and mansabddrs,high and low, was khdn,in both Mongol and Pathan
tradition. This title became exclusive; and the small percentage of mirzdsin both the tadhkiras we are
examining, shows that the later title was merely an ancestral affix or suffixsurviving in only a few cases.
In most of these few cases, the nobleman also bore the more prestigioustitle of khdn.
Among the lesser nobility and among the more insignificant mansabddrs, some were called mirzds.
In the case of some of them such as MirzAQuli Khan and Mirza 'Ali Khan of the reign of Akbar, we
know hardly anything beyond their names and some minimal details.56 Eight such " insignificant "
mirzdsare subjects of short notices in the Ma'dthiral-umard'.57It is possible that these " insignificant "
mirzdsrepresent the " vulgarization " of the title mirzd. What began as a royal title, became in due
course, not only in India but also in Iran, an affix chosen by a gentleman or a lesser nobleman. Hence
Mirzd became a category of gentlemen of taste and culture in the secondary sense of the term.
We meet the new mirzd,though in one case of high descent, already in the early seventeenth century:
Mirza AbG-Sa'id,a grandson of I'timad al-Dawla and a nephew of N&rJahdn. He was famous for his
" good looks and delicate personality "; fastidious and " ceremoniousin matters of dress and food and
floor-spread"; showing off such tastefulnessand pompousnessin everyday life that his equals could not
rival him; and " of such a proud and snobbishnature that he held the high heaven and the angels as of
no account."58
Mirzds of this type, and of the secondary sense, multiplied during the seventeenth century. It was
for their edification that the two mirzdndmas, and perhaps other such manuals, came to be written.

8 MU I, I27-33, 152-60, 180-82, 230-32; III, 431-3.

53 Ibid. I, 167-7I.
49Dh I, 11, 31; MU II, 14-17, 645--8; III, 586-9. "4Ibid. III, 360.
0oDh I, 176; MU III, 302-13. " Ibid. III, 570-71.
R1MU III, 345-8, 485-8. For a detailed study of
Gh~zi B-g DDh I, 212, 232.
and his intellectual patronage see iHusAm al-Din Rgshidi, 6" MU I, 504-05; III, 459-60, 557-8, 351-4, 200oo-o4, 354,
Mirza Ghdz Big Tarkhdnawr uskiBazm-i adab (Karachi, 1970). 258-61, 66o-6i, 482-5.
52MU III, 828. 58 MU III, 513-14.