named Sundar Pandi, who was legitimate, his mother being joined to the Dewar by lawful marriage, and the younger named Tíra Pandi, was illegitimate, his mother being one of the mistresses who continually attended the king in his banquet of pleasure; for it was customary with the rulers of that country that, when the daily affairs of the administration were over, and the crowds that attended the court had gone to their respective homes, a thousand beautiful courtezans used to attend the king in his pleasure. They used to perform the several duties prescribed to each of them; some were appointed as chamberlains, some as interpreters, some as cup-bearers, and day and night both the sexes kept promiscuous intercourse together; and it was usual for the king to invite to his bed that girl upon whom the lot should happen to fall. I have mentioned this in illustration of their customs.

As Tíra Pandí was remarkable for his shrewdness and intrepidity, the ruler nominated him as his successor. His brother Sundar Pandí, being enraged at this supercession, killed his father, in a moment of rashness and undutifulness, towards the close of the year 709 н. (1310 A.D.), and placed the crown on his head in the city of Márdí.1 He induced the troops who were there to support his interests, and conveyed some of the royal treasures which were deposited there to the city of Mankúl, and he himself accompanied, marching on, attended in royal pomp, with the elephants, horses, and treasures. Upon this his brother Tíra Pandí, being resolved on avenging his father's blood, followed to give him battle, and on the margin of a lake which, in their language, they call Taláchí, the opponents came to action. Both the brothers, each ignorant of the fate of the other, fled away; but Tíra Pandí being unfortunate (tira bakht), and having been wounded, fell into the hands of the enemy, and seven elephantloads of gold also fell to the lot of the army of Sundar Pandí. It is a saying of philosophers, that ingratitude will, sooner or later, meet its punishment, and this was proved in the sequel, for 2 [Namkúl ?]

1 1 [Madura ?]

Manár Barmúl, the son of the daughter of Kales Dewar, who espoused the cause of Tíra Pandí, being at that time at Karámhattí, near Kálúl,1 sent him assistance, both in men and money, which was attended with a most fortunate result. Sundar Pandí had taken possession of the kingdom, and the army and the treasure were his own; but, as in every religion and faith, evil deeds produce a life of insecurity, a matter which it is unnecessary to expatiate upon, he, notwithstanding all his treasures and the goodwill of the army, was far from being happy and prosperous, entertaining crude notions, and never awaking from his dream of pride, and at last he met with the chastisement due to his ingratitude, for in the middle of the year 710 (1310 a.d.) Tíra Pandí, having collected an army, advanced to oppose him, and Sundar Pandí, trembling and alarmed, fled from his native country, and took refuge under the protection of 'Aláu-d dín, of Dehli, and Tíra Pandí became firmly established in his hereditary kingdom.

While I was engaged in writing this passage, one of my friends said to me: 66 The kings of Hind are celebrated for their penetration and wisdom; why then did Kales Dewar, during his lifetime, nominate his younger and illegitimate son as his successor; to the rejection of the elder, who was of pure blood, by which he introduced distraction into a kingdom which had been adorned like a bride."

1 [Kárúr ?]

55

XII.

TARIKH-I BINAKITI

OF

FAKHRU-D DIN, BINAKITI.

This is the same work as is called Biná-Gety by Mr. James Fraser, in his "Catalogue of Oriental Manuscripts ;" and Bina-iGety by General Briggs, in his translation of the Preface of Firishta, which would seem to imply that the title was considered by them to bear the meaning of "History of the Foundation of the World." It certainly is so understood by native transcribers, for I have seen no copy of Firishta, not even the lithograph edition, in which it is not so written, and it has been so translated by some Continental scholars. Its correct name at full length is "Rauzat úluu-l Albáb fi Tawárikhu-l Akábir wa-ul Ansáb," ""the garden of the learned in the histories of great men and genealogies." It is chiefly an abridgment, as the author himself states, of the Jámi'u-t Tawarikh of Rashídu-d dín, and was compiled only seven years after that work, in A.H. 717 (A.D. 1317), by Abú-Sulaimán Dáúd, bin Abú-1 Fazl, bin Muhammad Fakhr1 Binákití. He is commonly called Fakhru-d dín Binakití from his having been born at Binákit, or Finákit, a town in Transoxiana, afterwards called Sháhrukhía. He copies Rashidu-d dín closely, without, however, adopting his arrangement, and dedicates his work to Sultán Abú Sa'id, the ninth Mongol king of Persia.

The author was a poet as well as an historian, and was

1 This is the name he gives in his own Preface. European Orientalists generally call him Fakhru-d dín. [Morley cites several variations in the name and genealogy.]

appointed by Sultán Gházán, poet laureate of his Court. Till the discovery of the lost portions of the Jami'u-t Tawarikh, Binakití's work ranked very high both in Europe and Asia, but it must now take its place as a mere abridgment, and can be considered of no value as an original composition. Several good copies of the work exist in European libraries, as in the Rich collection, Nos. 7626, 7627, of the British Museum; in the library of the Royal Asiatic Society; in the Leyden library; and in Hammer-Purgstall's private collection. The work is not common in India. The best copy I know is in the possession of a native gentleman at Lucknow.

The 8th Book of this work is already known to the European public, though ascribed to a different author. In the In the year 1677, Andreas Müller published at Berlin a small work in Persian, with a Latin translation, under the title of Abdalla Beidarai Historia Sinensis, ascribing the original to the Nizámu-t Tawárikh of Baizáwí. It was reprinted by his son in 1689, and Brunet1 tells us that Stephen Weston published fifty copies of an English translation in 1820. M. Quatremère had the ingenuity to guess, for several reasons which he states in detail, that this was in reality an extract from the History of Binákití, and not from Baizáwí; and by comparing the passage he has given from Müller's printed work with Binákití, of which a copy was not available to M. Quatremère, it proves to be verbatim the 2nd Chapter of the 8th Book of Binákití; and as the same result has been obtained by comparing it with the copy in the British Museum, there can no longer be any doubt on this point, and the Historia Sinensis must henceforth be attributed to Binákití.

CONTENTS.

Book I.-The Genealogy and History of the Prophets and Patriarchs from the time of Adam to Abraham, comprising a period of 4838 years. (The use of the word Ausiyá shows the writer to be a Shi'a Muhammadan ;)-from p. 2 to 25.

1 sub voce Abdalla.

Book II.-The kings of Persia, from Kaiúmars to Yazdajird, together with the celebrated Prophets and Philosophers who were their contemporaries; 4322 years ;-from p. 25 to 59.

Book III.-History of Muhammad; the four first Khalifs; twelve Imáms, and later Khalifs, down to Mustasim bi-llah, the last of the 'Abbásides; 626 years;-from p. 60 to 186.

Book IV.-The Sultáns and kings who, in the time of the 'Abbaside Khalifs, rose to power in the kingdom of Irán, including the dynasties of Saffárians, Sámánians, Ghaznivides, Buwaihides Saljúkians, Khwarizmians and the kings of the Forest or Heretics (Assassins); 400 years;-from p. 186 to 208.

Book V.-The history of the Jews, their Kings and Prophets, from Moses to Mutína (Zedekiah, see 2 Kings xxiv. 17), who was slain by Bakhtnassar; 941 years ;-from p. 208 to 230.

Book VI.-The history of the Christians and Franks; the descent of the Virgin Mary from David; the kings of the Franks, the Cæsars, and Popes; 1337 years ;-from p. 231 to 260.

Book VII.-The Hindús; an account of the country and kings of India from Básdeo to 'Aláu-d dín, and an account of Shákmúní; 1200 years;-from p. 260 to 281.

Book VIII.-History of Khitá. The government lasted, according to local historians, 42,875 years ;-from p. 281 to 299. Book IX.-History of the Mughals; the origin of Changíz Khán, and his conquest of Persia, etc., with an account of his sons and successors; 101 years ;-from p. 299 to 402.

SIZE. Small Folio, containing 402 pages, of 21 lines.

A fuller detail is given in the Vienna Year-book for 1835 by Hammer-Purgstall, who states that our author composed his work in A.H. 718, not 717, though the latter date is expressly mentioned, not only in the Preface, but in other parts of the work. The same author gives the year of his death as A.H. 730 (1329 A.D.), and reads his name Binákatí. [Morley also has given a full notice of the work in his Catalogue of the MSS. of the Royal Asiatic Society.]

It will be observed that the seventh Book is devoted to India.