THE Shajrat ul Atrak, or the Genealogical Tree of the Toorks, appears to have been copied and abridged from the Compilation of Toorkish or Moghool History made by order of Alugh Beg Mirza.
On reading this work some years ago, in India, it appeared to me worthy of a translation, and I accordingly made one: which has been corrected since I returned to England by a collation with the original, and, such as it is, I now do myself the honour to present it to the Public.
In submitting this history of the Toorks, I consider it proper to observe, that I have not yet been able to discover whether the ground I have taken be occupied or not: that is, whether there be any previous translation of this work into English or not. I can only say, I never heard of any, except those of De Guignes and De la Croix, neither of which have been translated into English.
The language of the Author being, in general, plain and perspicuous, with a good copy of his work there is little difficulty in its translation. I should, therefore, claim no merit, even were the translation much better than it is; at the same time it may be proper to observe, that that from which this translation was made, although tolerably well written, is in some parts defective and in others obscure: it is also filled with Persian poetry, most of which is a mere versification of the history.
The merit of this work is said to consist chiefly in the details it gives of the life and conquests of Chungeez Khan and his descendants. I shall not presume to decide, but I perhaps may be allowed to say, as my opinion, that it contains, besides, many valuable historical documents.
The name of Chungeez Khan not being perhaps very familiar in Europe, it may not be improper to attempt a sketch or outline of his life, and a short account of what is known of his tribe and country.
Beginning with the last:—Moghoolistan, or the territory of the Moghools, is a wide tract on the western frontier of China, extending, on a rough estimate, from the 30th degree of north latitude to about the 45th, and from the 108th degree east longitude to the 128th.
This appears to have been near the limits of Moghoolistan before the conquests of Chungeez Khan.* The residence of Chungeez, by which I suppose is meant Karakorum, is marked in Strahlenberg about 34 N. 118 E., that is, on the western side of the wall of China. The place where he was buried is named, in the same map, Karakoschun, and appears to be near the Chinese wall, lat. 38 N., 126 E.
Very little, however, appears to be known either of Moghoolistan or the Moghools; this being, I believe, almost the only History of the Eastern Moghools translated into the European languages.