MUJMALU-T TAWA′RI′KH
daughter of King Dahrát. He inherited in Hindústán the dominion which had been occupied by Jandrat and Dassal and their descendants. He became a very important personage, and built a fine capital and several cities. His country was remarkable for the superior quality of the cloth that was manufactured there. The exportation of this fabric, without the stamp of the king, was prohibited. This stamp was an impression of his foot with saffron.[1]
It happened that the wife of the king of Kashmír bought some of that cloth, and having made up a dress of the same, she appeared before her husband, who at the sight of the stamp got jealous, and asked her whence she got the cloth, and what stamp was on it. His wife replied that she had bought it from a merchant. The merchant was sent for, and the king made enquiries about it. The merchant said that the stamp on the cloth was an impression of king Hál's foot.[2] On hearing this the king of Kashmír swore he would go and cut off the foot of king Hál. His Wazír observed,— “that place is the land of the brahmans, you will gain no victory there.” The king of Kashmír did not heed this advice, but marched out with his army. When Hál heard of the king of Kashmír’s intentions, he was alarmed; he sent information to the brahmans and told them the king of Kashmír’s threat, and said it behoved them therefore to throw obstacles in his way. The brahmans offered up their prayers, and counselled him to have an elephant made of clay, and to have it placed in front of the battle-field. Hál did so, and when the king of Kashmír’s soldiers advanced under their commander-in-chief, flames burst from the elephant and burnt many of them.
The king of Kashmír was then compelled to sue for peace, (at the conclusion of which,) Hál sent many presents to him. And the king of Kashmír, in order to fulfil his oath, cut off the leg of an image made of wax, and returned by the river.[3] He was advised
- ↑ Vigne’s Kashmir, I. 134.
- ↑ This is the same legend as that of Mihirakula in the Rája Taranginí (II. 32); and the foot plays an important part in several other Indian stories. See Sprenger's Mas’údí, p. 318. Edwarde's Panjab, I. 394. Reinaud's Mem. 62. Ind. Alterh. II. 853.
- ↑ Todd, II. 239, 264. Irving's Successors of Mahomet, 61. [The word translated “river” is darya, which Quatremere says ought to he read “sea.” It bears both
