ʿĪd al-aḍḥā (Feast of sacrifices) Sultan's exit from the palace

The Sultan exits the palace on the occasion of the Feast riding an elephant, between pageantry and musical performances. The sultan and each amīr is told to be going out with his own his "marātib" [lit. ranks, degrees], i.e. flags, drums [ṭubūl], coiled trumpets [abwāq], straight trumpets [anfār], and zurnas [ṣurnāyāt].

وإذا كانت ليلة العيد بعث السلطان إلى الملوك والخواص وأربابِ الدولة والأعزةِ، والكُتّابِ والحُجّابِ والنقباءِ والقُوّادِ والعبيد وأهلِ الأخبار الخلعَ التي تعمهم جميعًا، فإذا كانت صبيحة العيد زُيّنَت الفيلة كلها بالحرير والذهب والجواهر، ويكون منها ستة عشر فيلًا لا يركبها أحد، إنما هي مختصّة بركوب السلطان، ويُرْفَع عليها ستة عشر شطرًا — جترًا — من الحرير مرصعة بالجوهر، قائمة كل شطر منها ذهب خالص، وعلى كل فيل مرتبة حرير مرصعة بالجواهر، ويركب السلطان فيلًا منها وتُرْفَع أمامه الغاشية — وهي ستارة سرجه — وتكون مرصعة بأنفس الجواهر، ويمشي بين يديه عبيده ومماليكه، وكل واحد منهم تكون على رأسه شاشية ذهب، وعلى وسطه منطقة ذهب وبعضهم يرصعها بالجوهر، ويمشي بين يديه أيضًا النقباء وهم نحو ثلاثمائة، وعلى رأس كل واحد منهم أقروف ذهب، وعلى وسطه منطقة ذهب، وفي يده مقرعة نصابها ذهب، ويركب قاضي القضاة صدر الجهان كمال الدين الغزنوي، وقاضي القضاة صدر الجهان ناصر الدين الخوارزمي، وسائر القضاة، وكبار الأعزة من الخراسانيين والعراقيين والشامليين والمصريين والمغاربة، كل واحد منهم على فيل، وجميع الغرباء عندهم يُسَمّوْن الخراسانيين، ويركب المؤذنون أيضًا على الفيلة وهم يُكَبّون. ويخرج السلطان من باب القصر على هذا الترتيب والعساكر تنتظره؛ كل أمير بفوجه على حدة معه طبوله وأعلامه، فيقدم السلطان وأمامه من ذكرناه من المشاة، وأمامهم القضاة والمؤذنون يَذْكُرون لله تعالى، وخلف السلطان مراتبه وهي الأعلام والطبول والأبواق والأنفار والصرنايات، وخلفهم جميع أهل دخلته، ثمَّ يتلوهم أخو السلطان مبارك خان بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه ابن أخ السلطان بهرام خان بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه ابن عمه ملك فيروز بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه الوزير بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه الملك مجير ابن ذي الرجا بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه الملك الكبير قبولة بمراتبه وعساكره [ص. ٣٢٠]

On the eve of the festival the Sultan sends robes of honour to the maliks, the courtiers, the chief officers of state, the foreigners called ʿazīz, the secretaries, chamberlains, naqībs, qāʾids, slaves, and couriers, to each and all of them. On the morning of the feast day all the elephants are adorned with silk, gold, and precious stones. There are sixteen of these elephants which no one rides, but they are reserved to be ridden by the Sultan himself, and over them are carried sixteen parasols of silk embroidered with jewels, each with a shaft of pure gold. On each elephant is a silk cushion adorned with precious stones. The Sultan himself rides on one of these elephants, and in front of him there is carried aloft the ghāshiya, that is his saddle-cover, which is adorned with the most precious jewels. In front of him walk his slaves and his mamlūks, each one of them wearing on his head a cap of gold and round his waist a girdle of gold, which some of them adorn with jewels. In front of him also walk the naqībs, about three hundred in number, each one of them wearing on his head a golden aqrūf [high conical hat] and round his waist a golden girdle, and carrying in his hand a whip with a handle of gold. Those who ride are the Grand Qāḍī Ṣadr al-Jahān Kamāl al-Dīn al-Ghaznawī, the Grand Qāḍī Ṣadr al-Jahān Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Khwārizmī, the rest of the qāḍīs, and the principal foreigners among the Khurasanians, 'Iraqis, Syrians, Egyptians, and Moors, each one of them mounted on an elephant. All foreigners are called by them Khurasanians. The muezzins also ride on elephants and they keep on calling out "Allāhu akbar". The Sultan comes out of the gate of the palace [with his retinue] in this order. Meanwhile the troops await his coming, each amīr with his company separately, along with his drums [ṭubūl] and flags. The Sultan advances, preceded by those whom we have mentioned as walking on foot; these again are preceded by the qāḍīs and the muezzins reciting praises to God, and behind the Sultan are his "marātib" [lit. ranks, degrees], i.e. flags, drums [ṭubūl], coiled trumpets [abwāq], straight trumpets [anfār], and zurnas [ṣurnāyāt]. Behind them come all the members of his personal entourage, then these are followed by the Sultan's brother Mubārak Khān with his "marātib" and troops, who is followed by the Sultan's nephew, Bahrām Khān, with his "marātib" and troops, followed by the Sultan's cousin Malik Fīrūz with his "marātib" and troops, then the vizier next with his "marātib" and troops, then the malik Mujīr ibn Dhu'r-rajā with his "marātib" and troops, then the great malik Qabūla with his "marātib" and troops.

663-665

1334 circa