I just thought this was really interesting.

The following is an excerpt from an American journalist's blog (currently living in India) describing a story from which he used a famous quote to tattoo on his arm in Farsi.

In the 14th century Nizamuddin, a sufi saint, was building a mosque in Delhi at the same time that the sultan Tugaluk was constructing a fortress on the south side of the city and the two were in constant competition for workers. Tughaluk was often out of the city waging wars and expanding the empire while Nizamuddin was expanding his spiritual practice. On one of Tugaluk's military excursions Nizamuddin took away all of Tugaluk's workers and set them to building his mosque. Eventually word reached the sultan as he was finishing a campaign in Bihar and he sent a message back to Delhi that said that he would "deal with" Nizamuddin when he returned. This of course meant that Nizamuddin's days were numbered. But when Nizamuddin heard of Tugaluk's plan he was not concerned. Instead he sent Tugaluk a one line note in Urdu that read "Hanoz Dilli Dur Ast" or, "Delhi is still far."--meaning that Tugaluk had to be in Delhi to exercise his powers. Tughaluk headed back to Delhi while riding on a war elephant and had started to set plans in action to kill Nizamuddin. However, when he was only a day's ride outside the city his elephant was crossing over a bridge which gave way under the animal's weight. Both Tugaluk and the elephant perished and Nizamuddin was safe.

Trailing Technology: The Writing on my Arm

Does anyone know more about this story or when it was orginially written/recorded and by whom?

yep the quote is famous but i think the story went that he kept on saying "hanuz delhi door ast" until the enemy reached delhi and he had not done anything to save himself....

now who'll post for us the real story....

main ny tu ye suna hai ky babar badshah ne koi khas paigham diya aik qasid ko or kaha ke ye barq raftari se dehli puhnchao. Kuch din ki mudaat thi ke os main dehli puhanchna hai. Ab qasid pehli dafa ja raha tha woh her jaga jab ghora tabdeel kerta (ke pehla ghora bhag bhag ker adh muwa hu chuka hota tha)Tu pochta dilli kitni door hai:aq: tu log kehty "hunuz dilli door asat"
Akhir woh Dilli puhanch giya wqat-e-muqarrar per or os ne aik burhiya se hanpty kanpty pocha, "dilli kitni door hain:aq:" Burhiya nai heyrat se kaha(yani ulta swal kiya, "hunuz dilli door ast":aq:"
woh qasid budhi ka tanz o mazah na samjh saka or socha aj tu ye paigham puhanch jana chahiy tha bas shidat-e-gham se os ka dill phat giya os ka or woh ghory sy paatt se gira or mar giya. Logon ne jab dykha ky badhshah ka farman is ke paas hai tu samjh eke kiya hath ho giya i skysath Bas tab se ye muhawra mashhr hu giya