Page:History of India Vol 5.djvu/325

 ARROWS AS INSIGNIA OF OFFICE 273 ards of gold, the ranks of all the people composing the three classes were divided into twelve orders or arrows, and every one received a grade and rank suitable to himself. The twelfth arrow, which was made of the purest gold, was put in the auspicious quiver of this powerful king and no one dared to touch it; the elev- enth arrow belonged to his Majesty's kinsmen and brethren and to all who were in the government employ; the tenth, to the great divines, Sayyids, scholars, and holy men; the ninth, to the great nobles; the eighth, to the courtiers and some of the king's personal attend- ants; the seventh, to the attendants in general; the sixth, to the harems and to the female attendants; the fifth, to young maid-servants; the fourth, to the treas- urers' and stewards; the third, to the soldiers; the second, to the menial servants; and the first, to the palace guards, camel-drivers, and the like. Each of these arrows or orders had three grades: the highest, the middle, and the lowest. Another of the arrangements of this king was that he divided all the affairs of government into four de- partments according to the number of the four elements, naming them respectively AtasM (" fiery "), Haivai (" airy "), AM (" watery "), and Khaki (" earthy "); and appointed four ministers to conduct the business of these departments. The department which com- prised artillery and the making of arms, weapons of war, various sorts of engines, and other such things as require the assistance of fire, was called Atashl- and the superintendence of this department was placed