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thors. But the writers of Máwerá' al nahr 15 (although before the time of CHANGIZ KHAN 16 some of them undertook historical subjects) have not, since the bright dawn of the Moghul1 government, produced any works (with which I, at least, am acquainted) besides the " Táríkh-Rashidi,' composed by MIRZA HAIDER DÚGHLÁT GÚRKÁN,19 on the history of the KHÁNS, or sovereigns, of Káshghar;20 and the chronicle entitled "Sehífeh Shahi," " written by MULLA TANISH BOKHARI,

" 18

22

sième, et la plus grande partie de ce vaste pays; nous l'appellons l'Arabie Heureuse, à cause des drogues precieuses qu'elle produit." See the "Bibliotheque Orientale" in laman. 14 See the note on Irán, p. 6.

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or "that which is beyond the river" (the

Amú

or Oxus), Transoxiana. See the

آمو

Jaihún,

note on Irán, p. 7.

16

(of the hejirah) 549 (of the Christian era 1154).

17

مغل

18

19

This renowned conqueror was born in the year چنگیز خان

تاريخ رشيدي میرزا حیدر دوغلات کورکان -Kashghar, according to SADIK Is در ذکر خانان کاشغر

20

FAHANI ("Geographical Works," p. 127), the chief place of the Oighúr (or Aíghúr) country. It is described in the dictionary "Burhan Kateâ” as a place in Turkistán (...) remark

منصوب بخوبان و خوش - able for the beauty of its inhabitants صورتان

ملا تنش بخاري *

22

صحيفه شاهي

21.

recording events which occurred in the time of ABDALLAH KHAN, the USBEK, ruler of Túrán.23

But no historical work proceeding from any writer of Máwerá al náhr (or Transoxiana) has ever fallen under my inspection.

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Neither have the inhabitants of India any useful or interesting chronicle composed before this extensive country became subject to the upright government and liberal institutions of the Gúrkánian monarchs.25 Indeed, the Táríkhs, or histo

23

عبد الله خان اوزبك فرمانرواي توران *

The "Sehifeh Shahi" must be (although under a different title) the work described by Major Stewart in his excellent Catalogue of TIPPOO SULTAN'S Oriental Library, No. xxvii, as the "Abdallah Námeh" (alle)-a History of the Usbeg Tatárs who, in 1494, invaded Transoxiana, and "having driven out the descendants of TIMOUR, have ever since retained possession of that country. The prince, whose memoirs are the chief subject of this work, was ABDALLAH KHÁN, contemporary of the renowned AKBER, Emperor of Hindústán, with whom he kept up a constant correspondence and interchange of embassies, and died A. D. 1595. The author was MOHAMMED BEN TUNISH AL BOKHÁRY."

24 Our author here does not allude to works originally written in the Sanskrit language, or any other ancient dialect of India, his object being merely to notice Arabic and Persian histories of the Muselmán dynasties.

25

So called after the title خواتین عدالت آیین كوركانيه

GÚRKÁN (,), which is frequently subjoined to the name

of TAIMUR or TÍMÚR. See the notes immediately following.

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rical works that we possess, are generally restricted in their subjects to a few important transactions, and are written with little attention to chronological accuracy respecting the dates of years or months in which those transactions occurred.

But after the bright sun of prosperity, that never sets, had risen in India under the domination of the imperial descendants of his Majesty the SáHIB KERÁN, the conqueror of the world, Emír TAIMÚR GÚRKÁN," many very excellent books have been written on historical subjects.

26

26

The Lord of the grand conjunction of ، صاحب قرآن

the planets," in which, says D'Herbelot," the astronomers pretend that the foundations of the chief empires have been formed." This title may also imply "Lord of the extreme quarters of the world," the word kern here signifying a horn or extremity; thus Alexander the Great was surnamed DHUL'KARNEIN-" Lord of the two horns" of the world, the East and West. See the "Bibliotheque Orientale,” in Saheb Keran.

حضرت صاحب قران كيتي ستان امیر تیمور گورکان *

The death of this great conqueror happened in the year 807 of the Muselmán era (or of Christ 1405). To his name TIMOUR, TIMUR, or TAIMÚR, was often added the epithet lang signifying "lame" or "deformed," and alluding to some personal defect or infirmity: hence the strange title of Tamerlane, which many European writers have bestowed on him. (See the "Geogr. Works of Sádik Isfaháni,” p. 19. note.)→→→

28

In the time of his Majesty the Emperor JELÁL ADDÍN MUHAMMED AKBER PADSHAH, whose residence is now in Paradise, the events which happened during the reigns of those illustrious princes (the descendants of EMÍR TAIMÚR) were circumstantially and minutely recorded; and the "Akber Námeh," 29 the " Jehángír Námeh," 30 and the "Padshah Námeh," 31 were compiled from the journals and commentaries of those departed monarchs.

Since that time until the present day, an interval of nearly one hundred years, the want of curiosity in the sovereigns and nobles of this country and their indifference respecting history

TAIMUR, at the time of his death, was sixty years old; and the surname of lang was given to him, parcequ'en effet ce prince étoit estropié de la main et du pied droit. Clavijo, auteur Espagnol, qui a vu ce conquérant, nous assure qu'il n'avoit que les deux petits doigts de moins." See the Life of TIMOUR prefixed to M. Langlès's "Instituts Politiques et Militaires de TAMERLAN, proprement appellé TIMOUR," p. 34. A portrait, extremely curious, and said to be original, is in the collection of the Right Hon. Sir Gore Ouseley.

جلال الدین محمد اکبر پادشاه 13

28

اکبر نامه 29

30

جهانگیر نامه

پادشاه نامه

31 oil This Chronicle, with the "Akber Námeh,”

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and the Jehángír Námeh," shall be more particularly noticed in subsequent passages.

have been such that no new work of any merit has appeared, and the notices of transactions are confined to the pages of official records.

Now the titles of some extensive historical works of a general nature shall be offered to the reader; among them I must first mention compositions in the Arabic language. One is the "Táríkh Kebir," 32 or "Great Chronicle" of MAHOMMED IBN JARÍR TABRI,33 comprising the history of most regions in which Islám (or the Muselmán religion) is professed, down to the year

32

تاريخ كبير

This work, from the author's different names, below mentioned, is sometimes quoted by Eastern writers as

the “Táríkh Jaaferi" (b), or the “Táríkh Ebn

,(تاريخ جعفري)

. (تاريخ ابن جرير) Jarir

Of this eminent historian we have محمد ابن جرير طبري

33

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the following account in a note annexed to Pococke's " Specimen Historiæ Arabum (p. 383, Oxon. 1650). "Al Tabarita-Abu Jaafar Mohammed Ebn Jarir al Tabari

-Ille to ties in Historia Sara ابو جعفر محمد بن جرير الطبري

cenica laudatus. Natus anno H. 224, in ditione,b Tabarastan, mortuus anno 310. Historiæ suæ seriem perduxit

كان ثقة في نقله و تاريخه اصبح التواريخ و اثبتها 302 ad annum

Fidus fuit in allegationibus suis, estque historia ipsius historiarum verissima et certissima, inquit EBN CHALLECAN.

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