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The Seyāsat-nāmeh 

Shortly before his assassination and at Malik-Shāh’s request, Niẓām al-Mulk wrote down his views on government in the Seyāsat-nāmeh. In this remarkable work, he barely refers to the organization of the dewan (administration) because he had been able, with the help of his well-chosen servants, to control and model it on traditional lines. But he never had the same power in the dargāh (court) and found much to criticize in the sultan’s careless disregard for protocol, the lack of magnificence in his court, the decline in prestige of important officials, and the neglect of the intelligence service.