Book I.—The Genealogy and History of the Prophets and Patriarchs from the time of Adam to Abraham, comprising a period of 4838 years. (The use of the word Ausiyá shows the writer to be a Shí'a Muhammadan;)—from p. 2 to 25.
Book II.—The kings of Persia, from Kaiúmars to Yazdajird, together with the celebrated Prophets and Philosophers who were their contemporaries; 4322 years;—from p. 25 to 59.
Book III.—History of Muhammad; the four first Khalifs; twelve Imáms, and later Khalifs, down to Mustasim bi-llah, the last of the 'Abbásides; 626 years;—from p. 60 to 186.
Book IV.—The Sultáns and kings who, in the time of the
'Abbáside Khalifs, rose to power in the kingdom of Írán, including
the dynasties of Saffárians, Sámánians, Ghaznivides, Buwai-
Book V.—The history of the Jews, their Kings and Prophets, from Moses to Mutína (Zedekiah, see 2 Kings xxiv. 17), who was slain by Bakhtnassar; 941 years;—from p. 208 to 230.
Book VI.—The history of the Christians and Franks; the descent of the Virgin Mary from David; the kings of the Franks, the Cæsars, and Popes; 1337 years;—from p. 231 to 260.
Book VII.—The Hindús; an account of the country and kings of India from Básdeo to 'Aláu-d dín, and an account of Shákmúní; 1200 years;—from p. 260 to 281.
Book VIII.—History of Khitá. The government lasted, according to local historians, 42,875 years;—from p. 281 to 299.
Book IX.—History of the Mughals; the origin of Changíz Khán, and his conquest of Persia, etc., with an account of his sons and successors; 101 years;—from p. 299 to 402.
SIZE.—Small Folio, containing 402 pages, of 21 lines.
A fuller detail is given in the Vienna Year-book for 1835 by Hammer-Purgstall, who states that our author composed his work in A.H. 718, not 717, though the latter date is expressly mentioned, not only in the Preface, but in other parts of the work. The same author gives the year of his death as A.H. 730 (1329 A.D.), and reads his name Binákatí. [Morley also has given a full notice of the work in his Catalogue of the MSS. of the Royal Asiatic Society.]
It will be observed that the seventh Book is devoted to India. Throughout the whole of it Binákití follows Rashídu-d dín implicitly, copying him even with all his errors, just as Rashídu-d dín follows Bírúní. Nothing shows more completely the ignorance of the western Asiatics with respect to the state of India since Mahmúd's time than to find these two authors, 300 years afterwards, mentioning that Bárí is the capital of the province of Kanauj, of which the kings are the most potent in India, and that Thanesar is in the Dúáb. All this is taken from Abú Ríhán, as may be seen by referring to the extracts in the first volume.
It is needless to translate any passage from this work, but it
may be as well to mention, as the Calcutta copy of Rashídí, as
well as that of the India House, is deficient in that respect,*
that
the succession of the Kábul kings, who preceded the Ghaznivides,
occurs in nearly the same order as in M. Reinaud's edition of
Bírúní, and with nearly the same names, but the last of the
Turk dynasty, whom M. Reinaud calls Laktouzemán, appears
here under the more probable shape of Katorán, or Katormán,
“king of the Katores,”*
It is worthy of remark that the
present chief of Chitrál is called Sháh Kator, and claims descent
from the Macedonians. Kalar, the first of the Bráhman dynasty,
is omitted by Binákití. Anandpál is converted into Anda-
[The following is translated from a MS. in the library of the Royal Asiatic Society:—
“After (him) Arjún became king; after him Kank, who was the last of the Katormán kings; after him Bráhma Sámand became king; after him Kamlú; after him Jaipál; after him Andah pál; and after him Tadar Jaipál,* who was killed 412 Hijrí (1021 A.D.).”