[THE author of this work, Muhammad Muhsin Sádikí, son of Haníf, was, according to his own statement, enrolled in the corps of Wálá-sháhís. His work extends from the death of Aurangzeb to the departure of Nádir Sháh from India on the 7th Safar, 1152 A.H. (9th May, 1739 A.D.). The early part of the work is very brief and summary, and the history really begins with the reign of Farrukh Siyar. It is written in a very ambitious extravagant style, with a great tendency to exaggeration. He tells us, for instance, that Nádir Sháh's army consisted of “two lacs of Kazalbásh horsemen,” and he makes a long and horrible story out of the deposition and murder of Farrukh Siyar. He states that he was induced to write the work at the “earnest entreaty of Shaikh 'Aláu-d dín, an old and constant associate of Amíru-l umará Samsámu-d daula in all his military exploits, who related all the particulars to him, and frequently urged him to compose a connected narrative of them.” The work was no doubt named after Samsámu-d daula, who plays a conspicuous part in the history. According to his own statement, our author grew tired of his work, and resolved “not to furnish historical details respecting any more vain-hearted and ambitious princes after he had described the general massacre caused by Nádir; but he was subsequently persuaded by his spiritual instructor, Sháh Badr-i 'Álam, to write a tolerably full account of them.”

The whole work has been well translated for Sir H. M. Elliot by the late Major Fuller, with the exception of many pages of empty rhetorical flourishes. From that translation this notice has been compiled and the following Extracts have been taken.]