themselves in the discharge of their ordinary duties, except the historians. These should refrain from recording the events of my reign, for at present the record cannot be a pleasant one. The reins of Imperial or Supreme Government have fallen from my hands. I am now the viceroy of Nádir Sháh.' Notwithstanding that the nobles and great officers of the Court, hearing these melancholy reflections of the Emperor, in many complimentary and flattering speeches recommended him to withdraw this order, His Majesty would not be satisfied. Consequently, being helpless, all the historians obeyed the royal mandate, and laid down their pens."

The work is not a very long one. The copy used by Colonel Lees was a royal octavo of 668 pages, 15 lines to the page. There is a copy and several extracts of the work in the library of Sir H. M. Elliot.1]

EXTRACT.

(Nádir Sháh), calling Burhánu-l Mulk before him, sent him to the presence of Muhammad Sháh, having determined upon this treaty, that the Emperor of Hindústán should come to have an interview with him, and that he should not be sparing of his money and goods. He on his part would hold fast to the treaty, and the sovereignty and the whole kingdom, as formerly, should remain in the possession of his brother monarch.

Burhánu-l Mulk was admitted to the presence for the purpose of delivering this message. Next morning Nizámu-1 Mulk went before the Sháh to arrange matters, and the Sháh came as far as the door of the tent to meet him.

The following day Muhammad Sháh proceeded there, riding in a light litter. As he entered the tent, Nádir Sháh came respectfully forward, and they, taking one another's hands, sat down

1 [This article has been chiefly derived from Col. Lees' article in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (N.s. vol. iii.), and his translations of the two Extracts above quoted have been adopted; but the passages had been picked out by Sir H. M. Elliot, and were translated for him by a munshi.]

together upon the same masnad. The coffee-bearer first presented coffee to Nádir Sháh, and he with his own hands courteously presented it to Muhammad Sháh, and said, "Since you have done me the honour to come here, you are my brother, and may you remain happy in the empire of Hindústán."

After two hours, Muhammad Sháh returned to his own camp, and diffused comfort among the dejected chiefs of Hindústán. It had been determined that both Kings should march together towards Sháh-Jahánábád. So on Friday, the 8th of Zí-l hijja, in the year 1151 A.H. (8th March, 1739), the two Emperors reached Dehlí. Nawab Burhánu-l Mulk was present there at the time, but on the following morning he died. On the night of the third day from that Friday, this extraordinary circumstance occurred, that some people of Hindústán raised a report that Muhammad Sháh had made away with Nádir Sháh. When this rumour spread through the city, every man cut down with his sword each vanquished one without compassion. The Persians, hearing of the murder of their master, lost all self-control, and three thousand or more of them were put to death.

About midnight, the officers of Nádir Sháh, frightened and trembling, represented the state of affairs to the Sháh. The Sháh, angry at being aroused, said, "The men of my army are maliciously accusing the people of Hindústán, so that I should kill a number of them, and give the signal for plunder." But when this information was repeated over and over again to the Sháh, he seized his sword, and in the Mosque of Rasadu-d daula (which is situated near the court of the superintendent of the police), he himself made that sword a standard, and issued the order for slaughter.

From that night till five hours of the following day, man, woman, animal, and every living thing which came under the eyes of the Persians, was put to the sword, and from every house ran a stream1 of blood. At last Muhammad Sháh mounted, and went to the Sháh to make intercession for God's people. Nádir

1 Lit. "A Tigris."

Sháh, out of consideration for him, willingly acceded to his wishes, gave orders that the Persians should immediately cease from further slaughter, and desist from this unseemly work. In short, a proclamation of quarter was made, and the cry of this glad tidings resounded on all sides.

After this, Nádir Sháh remained for some days, and collecting a great deal of treasure and wealth, he set out towards the capital of Irán. On the way to Lattí, the ruler of Sind, who had come out with hostile designs, was defeated by Nádir Sháh with very little trouble, and obliged to submit. On the day Nádir Sháh set out for the capital of Irán, a notice was sent to Fúlád Khán, the superintendent of the police of Hindústán, intimating that not one of the Persians remained in Hindústán.

LXXXIX.

BURHANU-L FUTUH

OF

MUHAMMAD 'ALI.

THIS rare work, immediately after the usual praises of the Creator and the Prophet, commences with an eulogium on History. It informs us that stories of ancient heroes operate as a warning to posterity, and those relating to the manners and customs of great men and powerful monarchs form a rule for the existing sovereigns of the world. For proud men and warriors, History is the surest means of knowing what acts every one has performed according to his power and understanding; what balls were struck by what bats, and how the games were won; how the swords of revenge were drawn against enemies, and how they were destroyed; how some by their arts, machinations and prudence, saved themselves from the hands of their adversaries, and how others, by the force of their arms and courage, conquered the countries of the world; what heroism warriors have displayed, and how with their swords, battle-axes, arrows, lances and daggers, they have cut off or broken the heads of foes, and darkened, as with night, the fields of battle with the dust of their feet. From History also may be known what learned man flourished at what time; when a certain poet composed his poems; at what time a certain prose work was compiled; what miracle was performed by such a saint at such a time; what physician flourished at such a period; what caligrapher acquired fame in his profession, and at what time.

"As the advantages," he continues, "of this branch of learning are clearly obvious, and the motives to study it have been fully shown, this mean and sinful person, this criminal, shameful, forlorn, and abashed, embarrassed and distressed; this drowned in the ocean of fault and sin; this bad character and blackfaced one; this hoper of forgiveness from God, the Protector of great and small, viz. Muhammad 'Alí, son of Muhammad Sádik-al Hasní-al Naishápúrí-al Hanafi, compiled this history, which is extracted from many other similar works, in an exceedingly condensed form, and to the extent of his power took great care in adjusting the dates. Thus the periods of the births and deaths of the different kings, and the actions of different governors, may be found in the course of these narratives. has produced a polished mirror, in which are reflected all the prophets, saints, learned men, poets, sovereigns, princes, philosophers, ministers, saiyids, and physicians. Having for many years dived into the depths of books, he brought out these pearls from those oceans."

He

The works which he quotes as his authorities are the Rausatu-s Safá, Habibu-s Siyar, Firishta, Rauzatu-l Ahbáb, 'A'lam-árá, Jahán-kushá, Tazkiratu-l Fukahá, Tazkiratu Shu'ará, Zafarnáma, Tabakát-i Akbari, Futúh-i 'A'sam Kufi, Guzidah of Hamdu-llah Mustaufí, Mas'údi, Afzalu-t Tawárikh, Jahán-árá, Nizamiya, Wassáf, Mu'ajjam, Majálisu-l Múminín, Lubbu-t Tawarikh, and 'A'lamgiri.

The author dedicates his work to Nawáb Burhánu-1 Múlk Saiyid Sa'ádat Khán, upon whom he bestows a long and laboured eulogy. In other parts of the work he takes every opportunity of lauding his patron, and at page 329 says that he alone is capable of competing with the Mahrattas, at the dread of whom all the other nobles of the Empire had at that time lost heart, and become alarmed. It is in compliment to his patron's title of Burhánu-l Múlk that his work takes its name of Burhánu-l Futúh-"the demonstration of victories."

The work was composed in A.H. 1148 (a.d. 1735-6),——and,