The history of India, as told by its own historians. The Muhammadan period

Preface

The reign of Akbar, which the Fifth Volume left unfinished, is in this volume brought to a close. Copious Extracts have been drawn from the great AMar-ndma of Abu-1 Fazl, a work as yet but little known to the European reader except by vague reputation. Some Extracts relating to the closing years of Akbar’s reign have also been taken from the continuation of the AJcbarndma by ’Inayatu-lla. Another and smaller Akbar-ndma by Shaikh Illahdad, otherwise called Faizi Sirhindi, has also been laid under contribution ; but it does not fulfil the expectations which had been formed of it, as it proves to be little more than a compilation from the Tabakdt-i Akbari and the greater work of Abu-1 Fazl. Some curious and interesting personal details have been derived from the Memoirs of Asad Beg, an officer in Akbar’s service. His statements place the Imperial government in an unfavourable light, and are far from exalting the personal character of the monarch. The original writers upon the life and times of Akbar may now be considered as exhausted, for their writings have all been diligently searched, and there cannot remain much to be yet gleaned.

A considerable portion of the volume is occupied with notices published by Sir H. Elliot in his original Volume I., and all the contents of that publication have now been re-printed.

VI

PREFACE.

The history of the reign of Jahangir depends almost entirely on the Memoirs written by himself or under his direction j for although there are other professed historians of the reign, they mainly draw their information from the Memoirs, and rarely venture upon an independent statement. It has long been known that there were different works, claiming to he Autobiographies of Jahangir. The copious Extracts which are given in this volume leave little room for doubt as to which must have been the more approved and authentic version.

The Note in the Appendix, on the Early Use of Gunpowder in India, is a reprint, with some alterations and additions by Sir H. Elliot himself. The Comments on the Institutes of Jahangir are entirely his own work. Two other Notes were prepared under his direction and superintendence. Sir H. Elliot’s notice of Eirishta s great history appears in this volume, and the Editor has taken the opportunity of supplying an oft-expressed want, by giving a complete translation of the Introduction to that voluminous work.

The following is a list of the articles in this volume with the names of the respective writers : —

XLII. — Akbar-nama of Abu-1 Fazl — Editor.

XLIII. TakmQa-i Akbar-nama — “Lieutenant” Chalmers.

XLIV. — Akbar-nama of Eaizi Sirhindi — Editor and “ Ensign E. Mackenzie.

XLYI. AYikaya of Asad Beg — B. W. Chapman, Esq., B.C.S.

XLYII.— Tarikh-i Hakki— Beprint from old volume.

XLYIII.— Zubdatu-t Tawarikh ,, ,,

XLIX.— Banzatu-t Tahirin ,, ,,

L.— Muntakhabu-t Tawarikh ,, ,,

PREFACE.

VU

LT. — Tankh-i Firishta — Reprint from old volume.

LII. — Ma-asir-i Rahi'mi ,, ,,

LIII. — Anfa’u-1 Akhbar ,, ,,

LIV. — Tan'kh-i Salim Shah! or Tuzak-i Jahangiri — Major Price. LV. — Waki’at-i Jahangiri — Sir H. M. Elliot, Editor, and others. LYI. — Tatimma-i Waki’at-i Jahangiri — Editor.

LYII. — Ikhal-nama — Editor.

LYIII. — Ma-asir-i Jahangiri — Sir H. M. Elliot and Editor.

LIX. — Intikhah-i Jahangir Shahi— Sir H. M. Elliot and a munsM. LX.— Snbh-i Sadik— Sir H. M. Elliot.

• APPENDIX.

A. — Early Use of Gunpowder in India — Reprint from old volume.

B. — Extracts from a work of ’Ahdu-1 Hakk Dehlawi — Major

A. R. Fuller.

C. — Comments on the Institutes of Jahangir — Sir H. M. Elliot.

D. — Translations from Shash Fafh-i Kdngrd — A munslii and Sir

H. M. Elliot.

E. — Translation of the Introduction to Firishta’s History — Editor.

F. — Bibliographical Notices — Reprint from old volume.

ADDENDUM TO YOL. lY.

The following paragraph ought to have been inserted in page 228 at the end of Sir H. M. Elliot’s notice of the Memoirs of Babar. But in arranging the fragmentary copy of the article, part of which was MS. and part print, the passage Avas accidentally omitted —

“ Almost all the above remarks have been taken from Elphinstone’s India, vol. ii. pp. 119, 122, and the Edinburgh Review, No. xci. Article 2.”

ERRATA IN YOL. YI.

Page 8, six lines from bottom, /or ‘‘ translation,” read “ translations.”

„ 181. Note at foot, read: “ Some Extracts from another work,” and see p. 483.

CONTENTS OF VOL. VI.

PAGE

XLII. — Ahhar-ndma, of Shaikh Ahu-1 Fazl 1

XLIII. — Takmila-i Ahhar-ndma, of ’Inayatu-lla 103

XLIV. — Ahhar-ndma, oi Shaikh Illahdad Faizi Sirhindi - - 116

XLV. — Wdhi’dt, of Shaikh Faizi 147

XLVI. — Wihdya, of Asad Beg 150

XLVII. — Tdrihh-i Hahhi, oi Shaikh ’Abdu-1 Hakk - - - - 175 XLVIII. — Zuhdatu-t Tawdrihh, of Shaikh Xuru-1 Hakk - - - 182

XLIX. — Rauzatu-t Tdliirin, of Tahir Muhammad - - - - 195 L. — Muntahhahu-t Tawdrihh; or, Ahsanu-t Tawdrihh, of

Hasan bin Muhammad 201

LI. — Tdrihh-i Firishta, of Muhammad Kasim Hindu Shah

LII. — Ma-dsir-i Rahimi, of Muhammad ’Abdu-1 Bakf - - 237 LIII. — Anfau-l Ahhhdr, of Muhammad Amm ----- 244 Memoirs of Jahangir — Preliminary Xote by Editor - 251 LIV. — Tdrihh-i Salim Shdhi ; Tuzah-i Jahdngiri, of the

LV. — Dwdzda-Sdla-i Jahdngiri ; TTdhz^dt Jahdngiri, of the

LVI. — Tatimma-i WdhV dt-i Jahdngwi, of Muhammad Hadi - 392 LVII. — Ihhdl-ndma-i Jahdngiri, of Mu’tamad Khan - - - 400

LVIII. — Ma-dsir-i Jahdngiri, of Kamgar Khan 439

LIX. — Intihhdh-i Jahdngiri- Shdhi --- 446

LX. — Suhh-i Sddih, of Sadik Isfahani 453