6                   HISTORY OF THE STATES

It will not, therefore, appear surprising, that even the
Omrahs are distinguished only by this kind of title. One,
for instance, calling himself Ras-Andaze-Kan, another
Safe-Cheken-Kan, a third Barc-Andaze-Kan; and others
Dianet-Kan or Danechmend-Kan, or Fazel-Kan: which
terms respectively signify The Disposer of Thunder, The
Destroyer of Ranks, The Hurler of the Thunderbolt,
The Faithful Lord, The Learned, and The Perfect; and
so it is with others.

Dara was not deficient in good qualities: he was
courteous in conversation, quick at repartee, polite, and
extremely liberal: but he entertained too exalted an
opinion of himself; believed he could accomplish every-
tliing by the powers of his own mind, and imagined that
there existed no man from whose counsel he could derive
benefit. He spoke disdainfully of those who ventured to
advise him, and thus deterred his sincerest friends from
disclosing the secret machinations of his brothers. He
was also very irascible; apt to menace; abusive and
insulting even to the greatest Omrahs; but his anger was
seldom more than momentary. Born a Mahometan, he
continued to join in the exercises of that religion; but
although thus publicly professing his adherence to its
faith, Dara was in private a Gentile with Gentiles, and a
Christian with Christians. He had constantly about him
some of the Pendets, or Gentile Doctors, on whom he
bestowed large pensions, and from these it is thought he
imbibed opinions in no wise accordant with the religion
of the land : but upon this subject I shall make a few
observations when I treat of the religious worship of the
Indous or Gentiles. He had, moreover, for some time lent
a willing ear to the suggestions of the Reverend Father
Buzee, a Jesuit, in the truth and propriety of which he
began to   acquiesce. ^    There are persoirs, however, who

^ Catrou in his History of the Mogul Dynasty in India, Paris, 1715,
which is largely based upon the materials collected by Signor Manouchi,
a Venetian, who was for forty-eight years a Physician at the Courts of