MUGHAL INDIA, DATED 11 RAMADAN AH 1078 / 24 FEBRUARY 1668 AD

This firman is dated to 8th Ramadan in the 11th regnal year of ‘Alamgir (Aurangzeb). It concerns the payment of a daily stipend (yawmiya) of one and half rupees for Shaykh Nizam al-Din Ahmad from the revenues of the province of Awadh. It is stated that the stipend was due to be higher, three and a half rupees, and was also due to cover the costs of a dervish lodge (khanqah) and soup-kitchen (langar) but this was not possible because Nizam al-Din had failed to provide the requisite documents. Nizam-al Din Ahmad was the grandson of Qazi Shahab al-Din Pargala-i Atish ('Spark of fire'). Qazi Shahab, or Atish Pargala, is mentioned in connection with the Chishti order in Carl W. Ernst & Bruce B. Lawrence, Sufi Martyrs of Love, pp.51, 54. The reverse of the firman has a description of the contents of the firman as well as approvals and seal impressions of Mughal officers. This includes that of Aurangzeb's head of religious affairs (sadr), Razavi Khan.

Another firman of the Emperor Aurangzeb, dated to 1702 AD, was sold in these Rooms 10 April 2014, lot 133. More recently a mahzarnama (a document of testimony presented to the Emperor) accompanied by the resultant firman of Aurangzeb was sold in these Rooms, 30 October 2025, lot 80.