Detecting The Truth
The Sultan’s Justice
It happened long ago in Iran, where a certain Sultan was renowned for his just and honest administration. In his realm, no one could cheat another. He had appointed a number of truthful men to assist him, who jealously guarded the principles of justice.
The Unusual Complaint
One day, the Sultan was surprised to receive an unusual complaint from a foreigner. The foreigner, who carried a bag with him, said, “My lord! Grave injustice was done to me by one of your officers.”
The Foreign Merchant’s Story
“Is that so? Tell me what happened!” the Sultan asked. The foreigner replied, “My lord! When I reached this city, I had a thousand gold mohurs with me. As I was moving from place to place for the purpose of commerce, I thought it unsafe to carry my wealth. I placed the gold mohurs in this bag, sealed it, and deposited it with the Kazi of this city. Before leaving for my home country, I retrieved my bag from him. But upon returning home and opening the bag, I was shocked to discover it was filled with copper coins instead of my gold mohurs!”
Questioning the Bag’s Integrity
<p“Why did you not examine the bag properly while taking delivery from the Kazi?” asked the Sultan. “My lord! The bag appeared to be untampered. It was only at home that I discovered the deceit!” replied the foreigner.
“Was there no cut or patch on the bag?” the Sultan questioned. “No, my lord. Even my seal was intact. How could I ever doubt a Kazi?” said the foreigner.
The Path to Justice
The Sultan pondered the matter for a while and finally said, “All right, leave your bag with me. If your complaint is true, you will see justice done. If it is not, you will face severe punishment.” The foreigner left the Sultan’s court, feeling hopeful.
The Sultan was baffled; he could not comprehend how the contents could be changed while the bag remained intact. Suddenly, an idea struck him early the next morning. He entered his courtroom alone and, with a sharp knife, cut the costly velvet fabric on his chair in three places. Then he left for a hunting trip, intending to return by sunset.
The Tailor’s Craft
A little later, a servant entered the courtroom and noticed the cuts. Terrified, he called the Palace Superintendent and showed him what had happened. The Superintendent was astonished but quickly summoned a talented tailor named Ahmed, assuring him of a good reward for repairing the velvet. Ahmed, known for his exceptional skill with thread and needle, set to work immediately.
By evening, he had completed the task, and the cuts seemed to have vanished entirely!
The Sultan’s Inquiry
When the Sultan returned, the first thing he did was examine the velvet on his chair. As he had anticipated, the cuts could not be detected. “What happened to the cuts in the velvet?” he asked the servant. “Cuts? Well…” the servant stammered.
“Don’t feign ignorance. I made the cuts myself! Tell me, who is the tailor capable of making the velvet perfect again?” demanded the Sultan. Trembling, the servant revealed Ahmed’s name.
The Confrontation
The next morning, Ahmed was summoned to the court. The Sultan showed him the foreigner’s bag and asked, “Do you recognize it?” Ahmed looked at it for a moment and replied, “Yes, my lord, the Kazi had once asked me to repair it.” The Kazi was summoned immediately.
“Kazi! Are you not ashamed of your misdeed? How dare you deceive a foreigner? You have tarnished the reputation of my country in the eyes of an innocent outsider. How could you do such a thing?” the Sultan asked angrily.
“My lord! I don’t know what you are accusing me of. Perhaps some enemy has spread lies about me!” the Kazi protested.
The Verdict
“Silence!” thundered the Sultan as he hurled the bag at him, striking the Kazi in the face. The Kazi confessed his crime and begged for mercy, but the Sultan would not grant it. Instead, he was imprisoned. The Sultan then called the foreigner and awarded him five thousand gold mohurs, saying, “The extra three thousand is your reward for exposing a great criminal.”
