H.—BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF WORKS OF
THE PERIOD.
I.
Zainu-l Akhbár.

This work is quoted in the Histories of Firishta and Nizámu-d dín Ahmad Bakhshí as one of the authorities on which their state­ments are founded; but it does not appear for what particular period of Indian History they are indebted to it for information. The only knowledge I have of it is derived from the account of Sir W. Ouseley, who describes it thus:—

“The Zainu-l Akhbár is a very curious and extraordinary work; containing the ancient history of Persia, of the Jewish, Christian, Magian, and Hindu religious fasts and ceremonies, Annals of the Muhammadan kings and Khalífas, Geographical notices, anecdotes, and chronological tables,” etc.

“A most valuable work in illustrating the history and antiquities of Asia. Of this excellent work I have never seen another copy.”*

Size—Small folio, containing 527 pages.

II.
Táríkh-i Hind.

Hájí Khálfa mentions (No. 2340) a work under this title, com­posed by Muhammad bin Yúsuf Hirwí. He says that it contains an account of the notable things in the country of Hind, and he adds, “To this Title are to be referred the histories of New West India, which a late author has translated into Turkí from the lingua franca, with additions. In it he has given a full account of the country known by the name of Yangí Dunyá, “the new world.” The Táríkh-i Hind is no doubt the same work as Risálu-i 'Ajáib wa Gharáib-i Hindustán, since the author of that treatise also bears the name of Muhammad Yúsuf Hirwí. This Risála is twice quoted in the Haft Iklím under “Kálpí.”

It is probably the same Táríkh-i Hind which is quoted in the Táríkh-i Alfí, the Habíbu-s Siyar, and the Nafahátu-l Ins. As the last two in their quotation from the Táríkh-i Hind show the author to have been contemporary with, and to have conversed with Khwájá Hasan Dehliví, who was a disciple of Nizámú-d dín Ahmad, he must have flourished about the beginning of the eighth century of the Hijra, for Nizámu-d dín died A.H. 725.

III.
Táríkh-i Pádsháhán-i Hind;
Táríkh-i Pádsháhán-i Humáyún.

The first work is described in Stewart's Catalogue (p. 17) as an abridged history of the Muhammadan kings of Hindustán till the accession of the Emperor Akbar. It is probably the same as the work of that name noticed by James Fraser (Catalogue of Manu­scripts collected in the East, 1742), as well as by Von Hammer (Gesch. d. red. Pers., p. 411).

The second is the title of a work in the Catalogue of Capt. Jonathan Scott's Library (Ouseley, Oriental Collections, vol. i., p. 370).