THIS work was composed in 1223 A.H. (1808 A.D.), by Ghulám 'Alí Razwí [or according to Mr. Morley,* Mír Ghulám 'Alí Nakawí bin Saiyid Muhammad Akmal Khán] at the request of Col. Baillie, Resident at Lucknow. It contains an account of the Nawábs of Oudh, from Sa'ádat Khán to Sa'ádat 'Alí, and gives some particulars regarding the transactions in Rohilkhand which make it worthy of perusal. It also gives many interesting details relative to the affairs of Hindústán, the Mahrattas, the Durrání Afgháns, the Nizáms, the Sikhs, etc. The work concludes with the arrival of Lord Minto as Governor-General in 1807 A.D. I have heard that there is another work of the same author, called either Imámu-s Sa'ádat or Ma'dan-i Sa'ádat, which goes over the same ground, but in much greater detail.

The author gives the following account of himself. When he was eight years old, he was summoned by his father from Rai Bareilly to Sháh-Jahánábád, where, though he was placed under tutors, his idleness prevented him acquiring any knowledge. In consequence of Ghulám Kádir's proceedings, his father left Dehlí on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and our author repaired to Lucknow, where, instead of devoting himself to his studies, he became a great opponent of the learned men of the city, and vainly tried to argue with them upon false and insufficient premises; never­theless, he thus, by questionable and illicit means, managed to acquire a little true knowledge. Meanwhile the news arrived of his father's death in the Dakhin, after having performed his pilgrimage. He was thus forced to visit and remain in that country for the period of seven years, after which he returned to his native land. He says he mentions all these circumstances in order to excuse his sad deficiency of learned acquirements.”

Size of MS. 8VO., 646 pages of 15 lines each. [This work has been printed at Lucknow.]

[There are many stories current about the disease with which the Nawáb Shujá'u-d daula was affected; some of them opposed to all reason, and others so unworthy of credence that they are not worthy of being recorded. What was constantly affirmed is, that he had a bubo (khiyárak) which suppurated. Ointment was applied to it, but so far from healing, the wound grew worse from day to day. He lived for a month and thirteen days at Faizábád, during which time, that form which had been noted for its stalwart proportions grew thin and slender as a thread; and his arms looked like reed pens in his sleeves. He died on the night of the 14th Zí-l ka'da, 1188 A.H. (1775 A.D.).]*