How the Sultan holds audience on feast days

The author reports the King's customs on the days of celebration for the two main Islamic feasts. Ibn Baṭṭūṭa provides no detail about the music, but according to the slightly later chronicle Taʾrīḫ-ī Fīroz Šahī, Muḥammad had been an admirer of the musician and poet Amīr Khusrow who is credited with several musical inventions, including ṣūfī chants called Qawwāl and even the musical instrument called sitar, although there is no historical evidence for this. In his poems and the Iʿjāz-i-Khusrau, Amīr Khusrow "mentioned Persian instruments like chang, rubab and barbat (also referred to as rud, tambur, and daff). He also mentioned Indian vinas, the four stringed alavan and the kingra (Sanskrit: kinnari), duhl (Sanskrit: dhaula, Hindi: dhol)." (see Karomat, 2012).

ويُفْرَش القصر يوم العيد ويُزَيَّن بأبدع الزينة، وتُضْرَب الباركة على المشور كله، وهي شبه خيمة عظيمة تقوم على أعمدة ضخام كثيرة وتحفّها القباب من كل ناحية، ويُصْنَع شبه أشجار من حرير ملوَّن فيها شبه الأزهار، ويُجْعَل منها ثلاثة صفوف بالمشور، ويُجْعَل بين كل شجرتين كرسيذهب عليه مرتبة مغطاة، ويُنْصَب السرير الأعظم في صدر المشور، وهو من الذهب الخالص كله مرصّع القوائم بالجواهر، وطوله ثلاثة وعشرون شبرًا، وعرضه نحو النصف من ذلك، وهو منفصل وتُجْمَع قطعه فتتصل، وكل قطعة منها يحملها جملة رجال لثقل الذهب وتُجْعَل فوق المرتبة، ويُرْفَع الشطر المرصَّع بالجواهر على رأس السلطان، وعندما يصعد على السرير ينادي الحجاب والنقباء بأصوات عالية بسم لله، ثمَّ يتقدم الناس للسلام [...] وشحنة الباركة ملك طغى بيده عصا ذهب، وبيد نائبه عصا فضة يرتبان الناس ويسويان الصفوف، ويقف الوزير والكتاب خلفه ويقف الحجاب والنقباء، ثمَّ يأتي أهل الطرب فأولهم بنات الملوك الكفار من الهنود المسبيات في تلك السنة فيغنين ويرقصن، ويهبهن السلطان للأمراء والأعزة، ثمَّ يأتي بعدهن سائر بنات الكفار فيغنين ويرقصن، ويهبهن لإخوانه وأقاربه وأصهاره وأبناء الملوك، ويكون جلوس السلطان لذلك بعد العصر، ثمَّ يجلس في اليوم الذي بعده بعد العصر أيضًا على ذلك الترتيب ويؤتى بالمغنيات فيغنين ويرقصن، ويهبهن لأمراء المماليك، وفي اليوم الثالث يزوج أقاربه وينعم عليهم، وفي اليوم الرابع يعتق العبيد، وفي اليوم الخامس يعتق الجواري، وفي اليوم السادس يزوج العبيد بالجواري، وفي اليوم السابع يعطي الصدقات ويكثر منها. [ص. ٣٢١-٣٢٢]

On the day of the feast the palace is garnished and adorned in the most sumptuous manner. Over the whole audience hall there is erected the bārka, which is like a vast tent supported by many stout poles and surrounded by pavilions on all sides. Artificial trees are made of silk of different colours, with artificial flowers on them; three rows of them are placed in the hall, and between each pair of trees there is placed a golden chair with a covered cushion upon it. The great throne is set up at the upper end of the hall; it is of pure gold throughout, and its legs are encrusted with jewels. Its length is twenty-three spans and its breadth about the half of that. It is in separate pieces, which are put together to form the whole throne, and each piece of it is carried by a number of men because of the weight of the gold. Upon it there is placed the cushioned seat, and the parasol encrusted with jewels is hoisted over the Sultan's head. As he mounts the throne the chamberlains and naqībs cry with a loud voice Bismillāh, then those present come forward to salute him. [...] The commandant of the bārka, the malik Ṭaghī, carrying in his hand a golden stick, and his deputy, carrying a silver stick, arrange all those present in order and even up the rows. The vizier stands [in his place], with the secretaries behind him, and the chamberlains and naqībs [likewise] stand [in their places]. Then the musicians and dancers [ahl al-ṭarab] come in—first of all the daughters of the infidel Indian kings who have been taken as captives of war during that year and whom, after they have sung [yuġannīna] and danced [yarquṣna], the Sultan presents to the amīrs and to the distinguished foreigners, then after them the rest of the daughters of the infidels and these, after they have sung [yuġannīna] and danced [yarquṣna], he gives to his brothers and kinsmen and relatives by marriage and to the sons of the maliks. The Sultan's session for this purpose takes place after the hour of afternoon prayer. Then on the next day also, after the hour of afternoon prayer, he holds a session after the same manner, to which are brought singing girls [muġanniyāt] whom, after they have sung [yuġannīna] and danced [yarquṣna], he gives to the amīrs of the mamlūks. On the third day he celebrates the marriages of his relatives and makes gifts to them; on the fourth day he emancipates male slaves, on the fifth he emancipates female slaves, on the sixth he marries male slaves to female slaves and on the seventh he distributes alms, and that lavishly.

666-668

1334 circa