INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

14
TRADITIONAL AND
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overseer received his punishment whenever the
fact found its way to the king's eam"
If more was wanting to bring home the fact
that such doings were entirely oriental, and
emanated from the will of a despot, the mention
of the punishment awarded for defrauding by
giving short weight would certainly do so.
Weare told that on short weight being detected,
"an equal weight of flesh was cut
from the haunches of the seller and thrown
down before his eyes." As might be expected,
fraud accomplished by short measure was soon
cured, and an excess weight was the normal
state of affairs.
The Sultan who devised these regulations
was succeeded by his son, and afterwards
by his grandson, both of whose reigns were
short; but they enjoyed and appreciated the
advantages, such as they were, of the provident
measures of Ala-ud-din, which is more
than can be said of his third successor, Muhammad
Tughlik. During the reign of the latter
Sultan, more than one famine is recorded; but
we must observe chronological order, and first
notice that of 942, already referred to.