I have frequently observed, among the most exalted ladies, that their female slaves are very often superbly dressed; and, on occasions of marriage ceremonies, or other scenes of festivity, they seem proud of taking them in their suite, handsomely dressed, and richly adorned with the precious metals, in armlets, bangles, chains, &c.; the lady thus adding to her own consequence by the display of her attendant slaves.  The same may be observed with regard to gentlemen, who have men-slaves attending them, and who are very frequently attired in costly dresses, expensive shawls, and gold ornaments.

[1] Dargah, ‘(sacred) door-place’.

[2] ’Alam.  For illustrations of those banners see Hughes,
    Dictionary of Islam, 408 ff.; Mrs. Parks, Wanderings of a
    Pilgrim, ii. 18.

[3] Asaf-ud-daula, eldest son of Nawab Shuja’-ud-daula, on whose
    death in 1775 he succeeded.  He changed the seat of government
    from Faizabad to Lucknow, where he died in 1797, and was
    buried in the Imambara.  He is principally remembered for
    his liberality.  The merchants, on opening their shops, used to
    sing: 

Jisko na de Maula, Tisko de Asaf-ud-daula.  Who from Heaven nought receiveth, To him Asaf-ud-daula giveth.

[4] Mr. H.C.  Irwin informs me that the Dargah is situated on the
    Crommelin Road, rather more than a mile south-west of the
    Machhi Bhawan fort.  It was here that Nawab Sa’adat
    ’Al’i, on his accession, vowed that he would reform his
    ways—­an intention which was not realized.

[5] Nujumi, ‘an astrologer’; ’ilm-i-nujum, ’astrology,
    astronomy’.

[6] The numbers are greatly exaggerated.

[7] Duldul was the name of the Prophet’s mule which he gave to
    ’Ali.  It is often confounded with Buraq, the
    Assyrian-looking gryphon on which he alleged that he flew to
    Mecca.

[8] Aftabgir, ‘a sun-screen’; see p. 47.

[9] Chaunri, the bushy tail of the yak, used as a fly-flapper.

[10] Writing in 1849, General Sleeman remarks that Dom singers and eunuchs
    are the virtual rulers of Oudh.—­A Journey through Oudh, i, introd.
    lxi, 178.

[11] Almas [’the diamond’] ‘Ali Khan, known as Miyan [’Master’]
    Almas, according to General Sleeman, was ’the greatest and best man
    of any note that Oude has produced.  He held for about forty years
    Miyanganj and other districts, yielding to the Oude Government an
    annual revenue of more than eighty lacs of rupees [about L850,000]. 
    During this time he kept the people secure in life and property, and
    as happy as people in such a state of society can be; and the whole
    country under his charge was during his lifetime a garden.  He lived
    here in great magnificence,