This kind of memoria technica was never in much use in Europe, although the Roman system of notation admits of it. In ancient literature it seems to have been altogether unknown, and even in modern times, when, in the middle of the sixteenth century, the taste for anagrammatic trifling was so strong, it was seldom applied to this more useful purpose. The following instances will show to the European reader the use and application of a chronogram, by combining the numerical values attached to the capital letters according to the Roman system : gloria lausque Deo sæCLorVM in sæc Vla sunto, but this is a very lame instance, as some letters, which have a value assigned to them, are omitted from the computation. A better example is to be found in the distich composed by Godart, on the birth of Louis XIV., in the year 1638, on a day wherein there happened to be a conjunction of the Eagle with the Lion's Heart: eXorIens DeLphIn aqVILæ CorDIsq Ve Leon Is Congress V gaLLos spe LætItIaqVe refeCIt. In the Persian system, which is called Jummal (Addition), the letters of the alphabet have a numerical value assigned to them, according to a particular scale styled Abjad, because the first four units are represented by that word; a being equal to 1, b to 2, j to 3, d to 4. The sentence which contains the date should always be significant: the consequence is, that awkward methods are sometimes resorted to in order to combine both sense and chronology. There are four principal modes of using the scale. 1st. Mutlak, in which all the letters are requisite to the formation of the date. There is an inferior kind of Mutlak, in which only some of the letters of the text are used. 2nd. Ta'miya-dákhili, in which the numerical value of the letters used is less than the date required; in which case we are told that some other word or letter will complete the date. 3rd. Ta'miya-kháriji, the contrary of the preceding, in which the numerical value is excessive, and we are therefore told that we must deduct some word or letter. 4th. Taushik, an acrostic, in which the initial or final letter of each verse composes the date. All these kinds are illustrated in various parts of this work, and we may suppose that, under the licence granted in the second and third instances, some of them are very ill-constructed. Many however, exhibit, to say the least, great inventive faculty. Take, for instance, the example at p. 309, where in thirty-one distichs the first line throughout represents the date of Akbar's accession, and the second line throughout represents the date of Jahangir's birth. Or take the following from p. 219: بادشاه و هر بابر باکمال عدل بود واقف احسان عالم مصدر لطف آل سال جان او گزیدن جا بفردوش بگو جای فردوس آبد بگزید بابر بادشاه This quatrain represents the death of Bábar in eight different ways; each hemistich by itself represents the date: they therefore give the date four times. The fifth is obtained by combining the unpointed letters of the first hemistich with the pointed letters of the second hemistich. The sixth, by taking the unpointed letters of the second hemistich. The seventh, by taking the pointed letters of the second line, and the eighth, by combining the unpointed letters of the second line. I have a chronogrammatical treatise in my possession which evinces even more labour than this. In it the events of Bengal in 1170 A.H. are related in prose, and each separate sentence gives the date of 1170, and the number of sentences amounts also to 1170. The narrative runs in so easy a flow that it would be difficult, without knowing it, to surmise that there was anything artificial about its construction. There are other works of a similar nature to this which have been written in India, such as the Tárikh-náma, and a few others with like names, but none so copious or so well arranged as this. The Miftahu-t Tawarikh was lithographed at Agra in 1849. The outer margin very conveniently contains a column, in which is inserted each date in numerals, and in regular chronological succession. It possesses other advantages, besides giving the mere dates. It gives short notices of each Asiatic dynasty, and a brief account of each reign, as well as several biographical notices of distinguished individuals who have shone in the politics and literature of the Muhammadan world. The Miftahu-t Tawarikh is divided into thirteen Sections, each representing a Century of the Hijra. CONTENTS. Preface, p. 1; First Century, p. 7; Second, p. 23; Third, p. 31; Fourth, p. 41; Fifth, p. 46; Sixth, p. 64; Seventh, p. 79; Eighth, p. 114; Ninth, p. 158; Tenth, p. 203; Eleventh, p. 288; Twelfth, p. 429; Thirteenth, p. 542. Some of the most conspicuous Indian dynasties and reigns occur at the following pages :-Ghaznívide Dynasty, p. 51; Ghorian Dynasty, p. 79; Tímúr, p. 159; Sultáns of Málwá. p. 185; Sultáns of the Dakhin, p. 190; Sultáns of Gujarát, p. 202; Bábar, p. 215; Sher Sháh, p. 226; Humáyún, p. 237; Akbar, p. 245; Jahángír, p. 308; Sháh-Jahán, p. 344; Aurangzeb, p. 394; Bahádur Sháh, p. 446; Muhammad Sháh, p. 459; Shah Alam, p. 516; Akbar II., p. 565. SIZE-Quarto, containing 609 pages of 25 lines each. END OF VOL. VIII. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INDEX. 'Abbas Khan Shírwání, ii. 451; iv. 301, 386, 389 'Abdu-llah, iv. 434 Wassáf, iii. 24 'Abdu-l Hai, viii. 189 Hakk, vi. 175, 366, 483, 491 Kádir Badáúní, ii. 432; iii. 6; v. 477, 493, 495, 496, 499, 508, 513, Karim Khán, viii. 124 Sattár Kásim, iii. 479 Abú 'Abdu-llah Muhammad, i. 74 Fazl, v. 511, 516, 519, 522, 524, Fazl Baihaki. See Baihaki. Kásim (Khurdádba), i. 12 Marín Aitánia, ii. 16 Nasr Mishkání, ii. 63, 183, 185, 272, 433 Ríhán al Bírání, i. 42; ii. 1. Sa'du s Samání, ii. 245 Akbar-náma (Abú-1 Fazl), vi. 1 Akhbarát-i Hind, viii. 433-6 Akhbaru-l Akhyár, iv. 142, 536; vi. 175, Barámika, ii. 157 Dawal, vi. 570 Muhabbat, ii. 435; viii. 376 Akhlak-i Jahangirí, vi. 447 'Alam-árái' Abbásí, viii. 354 Ahmad Nishání, vi. 489 Al Jazari, ii. 244 'Amal-i Sálih, vii. 123 Amínáí Kazwíní, or Munshi, vii. 1 Amír-i Akhbár, v. 116 Amír Khusrú, iii. 67, 110, 122, 144, 523, Anand Ram Mukhlis, viii. 76 Anwaru-t Tanzil, ii. 252 Asaru-l Bilád, i. 94; iii. 28 Ashkal ul Bilád, i. 31; ii. 412 Ashrafu-t Tawarikh, viii. 411 Asrar-i Muhabbat, viii. 376 'Ata Beg Kazwíní, viii. 8, 314, 354, 377 'Ata Malik Juwaini, ii. 384 Athar el Bakich, ii. 5 Atharva Veda, v. 483, 571 Aurangzeb, vii. 203, 562 Ausaf-i Asaf, viii. 300 Avicenna, ii. 2, 3 Ayatu-l kursi, v. 516; vi. 5 Azád, viii. 188 'Azfarí, viii. 234 Bábar, iv. 218 Badáúní, v. 477. See 'Abdu-l Kádir. Bahadur Singh, viii. 417 Bahjatu-t Tawarikh, i. 17; iii. 17 Buldan, i. 94; ii. 391; iii. 28 Zakhkhár, vi. 570; viii. 433 Baihaki, ii. 2, 53, 197, 266, 392, 430 Baizawí, ii. 252 Bakhtawar Khán, vii. 145 Bayaz-i Jahangir, vi. 276 Beg-Lár-náma, i. 289 Bhagavat, vi. 472; viii. 205, 377 Bindrában Das, vii. 283 Bírúní, i. 42; ii. 1, 202, 403; v. 573 Búm-i salím-náma, iii. 236 Chach-náma, i. 131 Chahár Gulshan, viii. 255 Chahar-Gulzar Shujď'-í, viii. 204 Charaka, v. 572 Dalail-i Firoz Shahi, v. 573 Dánishmand Khán, vii. 200, 202, 568 Dastúru-l'Aml Agáhí, vii. 203, 204 Wuzrá, iv. 142, 148 Daulat Shah, ii. 561 Devi Purána, vi. 473 Diwan-i Salman, iv. 518 Sandi, iii. 116 Dwázda Sála Jahangirí, vi. 252, 276 Faizí, Shaikh, v. 537, 544; vi. 1, 147, Faizí Sirhindí, vi. 116 Faiúzát-i Akbarí, viii. 41 Fakhru-d dín Binákiti, iii. 55 Fakir Khairu-d dín Muhammad, viii. Fakir Muhammad, viii. 425 Faraj b'adu-sh Shiddat, ii. 157 Tátár Khání, iii. 367 Fath-náma, i. 131 Fawaid-i Kutb-i Hikayati, ii. 157 Fazlaka, vi. 571 Firdausu-t Tawarikh, viii. 413 Firdúsi, iv. 190 Firishta, ii. 432, 446, 452, 563; vi. 207, 532 Fíroz Shah, iii. 374 |