266                            DESCRIPTION OF

as upon his courtiers to be present; i nothing but urgent
business, or serious bodily affliction, preventing him from
appearing at the two assemblies. In his late alarming
illness Aureng-Zebe was carried every day to the one or
the other, if not to both. He felt the necessity of show¬
ing himself at least once during the twenty-four hours ;
for his disorder was of so dangerous a character that his
absence, though only for one day, might have thrown the
whole kingdom into trouble and insurrection and caused
the closing of every shop.^

Although the King, when seated in the hall of Gosel-
Kanay, is engaged about such affairs as I have mentioned,
yet the same state is maintained for the most part as
in the Am-Kas; but being late in the day, and the
adjoining court being small, the cavalry of the Omrahs
does not pass in review. There is this peculiar cere¬
mony in the evening assembly, that all the Manseb¬
dars who are on guard pass before the King to salute
him with much form. Before them are borne with
great ceremony that which they call the Kours,^ to wit,
many figures of silver, beautifully made, and mounted
on large silver sticks : two of them represent large
fish ; * two others a horrible and fantastic animal called
Eiedeha ;"' others are the figures of two lions; ^ others of

^ ' His Majesty generally receives twice in the course of twenty-four
hours, when people of all classes can satisfy their eyes and hearts
with the light of his countenance.'—Ain, vol. i. p. 157. The first public
appearance of the Emperor was called Darsan, from the Sanskrit
dar^ana, sight, Greek bcpKOfxai..

^ See pp. 123-126.

*  Ktir was the name given to the collection of flags, arms, and
other insignia of royalty.

'' Muhrattib-i-mahi, or insignia of the fish, one of the ensigns of
Mogul royalty

*  Azhdaha, a dragon.

^ ' The royal standard of the Great Mogul, which is a couchant
lion shadowing part of the body of the sun.'—Terry's Voyage to East
India.    London, 1665.