LII.
MA-ÁSIR-I RAHÍMÍ
OF
MUHAMMAD 'ABDU-L BÁKÍ.

DR. LEE observes of this work, that “it is a valuable and elaborate history of the Emperors and other eminent men of Tartary, Hindústán, etc., by Muhammad 'Abdu-l Bákíu-l Rahímíu-l Nahavandí. In large folio, containing about 4000 pages.”* Major Stewart describes it as “Memoirs of 'Abdu-l Rahím Khán, Khán-khánán, wazír, and of all the illustrious nobles, authors, and poets, who resided at the Court of Akbar. Author, 'Abdu-l Bákí, A.D. 1613.”*

These authors differ much in their account of the work: both are partly right and partly wrong. There is no account of the Emperors and other eminent men of Tartary, if we except the account of 'Abdu-r Rahím's ancestors, and the biographical details do not concern the Court of Akbar, but belong almost entirely to the Dakhin. A great portion of the work is devoted to an ample detail of the transactions of his patron, the Khán-khánán, his sons and progenitors, who though he certainly was of sufficient eminence to deserve a full biography, it is here written, as usual under such circumstances, in so fulsome a strain of eulogy, that it is difficult to know what faith to put in it. The first Book contains Indian History, not sufficiently compre­hensive to be of any essential service; but it is so far valuable that it does not literally copy Firishta, which can rarely be said of any other author who has followed in the same line. Nizámu-d dín is his great guide, and his alarm at attempting any period of history not already occupied by another is shown by the Extract taken from the close of his account of Akbar. The work also contains a Tazkira, or notices of poets, with long extracts from their writings, and it will be seen from the following Table of Contents that nearly one-third of the volume is devoted to that object;—the accounts of the poets extending from p. 990 to p. 1454.