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 H. H. THE Nawab of Banganapalli. 3

time in providing Thaher Ali with a well-filled purse, and informing him that his life was seriously in danger, succeeded in persuading him to leave the kingdom in secrecy and without the least delay.

About this time the Moghul Empire was at its zenith in wealth and power. The Moghul Emperor, who was a ruler of a very enlightened and liberal-minded type, had thrown open the high appointments of his State, both civil and military, to men of intelligence, culture, tact and integrity, irrespective of the place from which they might hail; and consequently all responsible appointments were at the time filled by the best educated ilaen whom Persia could furnish.

Ali Adil Sha, who was then the ruler of Bijapur, in 'the Dekhan, and who had the intelligent co-operation of his Minister, Saiyid Asad Ali Khan, was a suzerain lord, and also a great patron of learning. On a certain evening, while the Minister was out in his palanquin, some Persians, who were among the retinue, oil seeing a person in the coarse garb of a mendicant seated on a pial, left their lord, hastened to the pial, and paid their most respectful homage and reverence to the,seemingly poverty-stricken personage seated there. As soon as the Minister reached home, he demanded from them, half in anger and half in surprise, an explanation regarding their stran^ behaviour and asked them to tell him what they knew about the dervish, whom they had run so eagerly to respect, leaving alone their own master. Then they told him that the man who was dressed like a dervish was the younger son of the late Minister of Persia, that for a long time he was given up for lost, nothing being, known as to his fate, but that on that day they found him in gthe wretched plight