[THE full title of this work is Táríkh-i Shahádat-i Farrukh Siyar wa Julús-i Muhammad Sháh. The author, Mirzá Muhammad Bakhsh, was a poet, and wrote under the name Áshob. Nothing has been found about him beyond what he himself tells us in his Preface. He was a soldier, and served with Nawáb Mu'ínu-l Mulk, “from the beginning to the end of the war with Ahmad Sháh Abdálí.” He records how in this war he personally overthrew and granted quarter to three Abdálí horsemen, for which exploit he obtained great applause and reward. Afterwards he served under Khán-khánán (Intizámu-d daula), and obtained a mansab of 2000, with his ancestral title of Kaswar Khán; but he adds that this title was beyond his deserts, and he remained contented with his simple name of Muhammad Bakhsh. Subsequently he acted in company with 'Imádu-l Mulk Gházíu-d dín Khán. He seems to have been a bold dashing officer, and he had several brothers and friends serving with him. His name frequently appears in the course of the work when he records what he himself did or saw, as in the Extract which follows.
The work bears no special relation to the death of Farrukh
Siyar. The author's intention was to write the history of “the
hundred years from the death of Aurangzeb to the present
time, 1196 A.H.” (1782 A.D.); but Sir H. M. Elliot's MS. and
another in the Library of the India Office close with the return
of Nádir Sháh, and the death of Zakariya Khán, governor of the
Panjáb. The history is very summary up to the beginning of
the reign of Muhammad Sháh, after which it is written in full
detail. The author acknowledges his obligations to the Táríkh-i
Muhammad Sháh, but has also recorded “what he heard from
trustworthy persons, and what he saw when serving Sultáns and
wazírs.” In his Preface he mentions the works that he used for
his Introduction. They are the usual authorities: the Akbar-
In the course of the Preface he speaks of the English in highly eulogistic terms. He specially mentions Captain Jonathan Scott, whose learning and acquirements he extols in verse, and for whose encouragement he is grateful. He also acknowledges the countenance and kindness which he received from Colonel Polier at Lucknow.
SIZE—9 inches by 8, 670 pages of 15 lines each.]
[When Nizámu-l Mulk went forth to treat with Nádir Sháh, the author of this work, with several horsemen consisting of his brethren and near relations, by the strength of their horses, but with great difficulty and much management, got in front of the elephants of Ásaf Jáh Nizámu-l Mulk, and arrived first at the battle-field. * * As we were before all, we had the first sight. The Persians and others of Nádir's army, having dismounted and picketed their horses, were plundering and ransacking without check. They had broken open the chests with blows of axes and swords, torn in pieces the bags of gold and silver, and having scattered the contents on the ground, were engaged in picking them up. Furniture, especially the culinary utensils of silver and copper, fell into the hands of the plunderers.
When we reached the place of meeting, it was dark, and every one, great and small, remained on the spot he first reached. His Majesty approached with a large escort of men and guns with great splendour. Next came the train of the chief wazír 'Azímu-llah Khán Zahíru-d daula Bahádur. His elephant was in armour, and he himself rode in an iron howda, and was clothed in armour from head to foot, so that his eyes were the only parts of his body that were visible. He was attended by a suitable escort of men and arms, and made his obeisance to his monarch, and his salám to Ásaf Jáh. Next came the Wazíru-l mamálik Bahádur. * * All the chiefs were mounted on elephants clad in armour, in war howdas of iron variously ornamented, and all the elephant riders from the greatest to the least were covered with arms and armour from head to foot.]