Concerning intelligence agents and reporters and [their importance in] administering the affairs of the county

1 It is the king’s duty to enquire into the condition of his peasantry and army, both far and near, and to know everything that goes on. If he does not do this he is at fault and people will charge him with negligence, laziness and tyranny, saying, ‘Either the king knows about the oppression and extortion going on in the country, or he does not know. If he knows and does nothing to prevent it and remedy it, that is because he is an oppressor like the rest and acquiesces in their oppression; and if he knows not he is very negligent and ignorant.’ Neither of these imputations is desirable. ¹ Inevitably therefore he must have postmasters; and in every age in the time of ignorance and of Islam, kings have had postmasters, through whom they have learnt everthing that goes on, good and bad. For instance if anybody wrongly took so much as a chicken or a bag of straw from another – and that five hundred farsangs away – the king would know about it and have the offender punished, so that others knew that the king was vigilant and had put informers everywhere. The activities of oppressors were checked so that men enjoyed security and justice for the pursuit of trade and cultivation. But this is a delicate business involving some unpleasantness; it must be entrusted to the hands and tongues and pens of men who are completely above suspicion and without self-interest, for the weal or woe of the country depends on them. They must be directly responsible to the king and not to anyone else; and they must receive their monthly salaries regularly from the treasury so that they may do their work without any worries, and nobody but the king should know what they report. In this way the king will know of every event that takes place and will be able to give his orders as appropriate, meting out unexpected reward, punishment or commendation to the persons concerned. When a liing is like this, men are always eager to be obedient, fearing the king’s displeasure, and nobody can possibly have the audacity to disobey the king or plot any mischief. Thus the employment of intelligence agents and reporters contributes to the justice, vigilance and prudence of the liing, and to the prosperity of the country.