A full translation of Barní's history of the reign of 'Aláu-d dín has appeared in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal since the one in this work was printed. That translation was made by the late Major Fuller, Director of Public Instruction in the Panjab, and has been revised and annotated by Mr. Blochmann, the editor of the Journal. Those who are curious may now ascertain the value of the passages omitted from this work. The translation has enabled me to correct one or two slips in my own translation, and mine may, I hope, render a similar service to the other. I proceed to notice some of Mr. Blochmann's notes.
Kílú-gharí.—The proper spelling is said to be Kílokharí. The pages of this work afford abundant evidence of the great uncertainty in the spelling of names, both of places and persons. The same was formerly the case in Europe, and although the printing-press has settled the orthography of most names, it has not in all cases decided the mode of spelling. Add to the various spellings the doubts arising from the defects of the Persian alphabet, where k is nearly always made to duty for itself and g also, and where a single dot changes the power of a letter, the difficulty and hazard of dogmatizing are sufficiently obvious. The name may be Kílokharí, and indeed Sir H. Elliot has written it so (p. 525 suprà). Syud Ahmad, in the Ásáru-s Sanádíd, also writes it so. But on the other hand, the Áráish-i Mahfil calls it Kílúgarhí, and this is the spelling of General Cunningham, in his Archæological Report on Dehli. Without pretending to say which is right, the latter pronunciation is most acceptable to my ear.
Kuhrám <arabic>.—Mr. Blochmann says the name is properly Guhrám, and if he has found it written with a g, it is good evidence of what his author thought it to be. Mr. Blochmann condemns me for spelling it incorrectly, Kohrám; but my spelling was Kahrám, which I have since modified to Kuhrám, upon the assurance that the local pronunciation is Kohrám. These Persian writers are not the best authorities upon Hindu names; the vulgar pronunciation is a far better guide to the true etymology, even as the rustic in England is more correct than his betters when he says, Peters'am and Lewis'am, instead of Peter-sham and Lewi-sham.
P. 160. Plain of Júdh.—The reading in the Journal is “(crossed)
at the fort of Bághpat, after which he encamped in the plain of
Júd.” The words in the text are “guzar káṭh ubrah kard,” i.e.
He passed over the ford (guzar) of káṭh. This reading is confirmed
by one of my MSS., the other one has simply guzar-gáh. For káṭh
the Journal reads “Bághpat,” though no authority is offered. I
followed the plain reading of the last-named MS., thinking that káṭh
might perhaps be ghát, a Hindí word for ferry or ford. Mr. Bloch-
P. 162. Jálandhar.—Some variants of this name have been noted. To these may now be added Jarúmanjúr, from Major Fuller's MS.; and Járan-manjhúr, from Badáúní.
P. 165-6. “The accursed Zúd.” Major Fuller's MS. agrees as to “Zúd,” but adds al'aín, like the printed text. In my MSS. it is clearly the usual epithet “al la'ín,” the accursed. The real name is Dawá or Dáúd. See suprà p. 548.
P. 172. Jháín.—Mr. Blochmann says, “Jháyín lies near Ran-
P. 172. Akat Khán.—Mr. Blochmann writes: “I have written Ikit Khán instead of Ukat, which Major Fuller's translation has. Ikit is Turkish, and means young, and would thus be the opposite of Ulugh, which means old, senior.”
P. 172. Bádih.—“The place Badah may be the mauza' of Bádah, south-west of the town of Jhársah.”
P. 175. “The Sultán proceeded to Rantambhor.”—To this the Journal adds, “and pitched his camp at Ran.” Mr. Blochmann adds, “rather on the Ran. Major Fuller's MS. has, correctly, dar ran, instead of the absurd dar án of the Ed. Bibl. Indica.” One of my MSS. agrees in this “absurd” reading, and the other, still more distinctly, has “darún.” The exact words are “dar Rantambhor raft wa dar án (darún) lashkargáh sákht,” “went to Rantambhor, and there pitched his camp.” A few lines lower, Major Fuller's translation runs, “the soldiery used to fill the bags with sand, and throw them into the [ravine] of the Ran.” This second mention of “the Ran” is not to be found in the printed text, nor in either of my MSS.; they all agree in simply saying, “dar ghár mi andákhtand,” “and threw them into the holes.” Thus neither the printed text nor my two MSS. of Barní afford any countenance to the word Ran. But though Barní is thus silent about the Ran, Mr. Blochmann has ample authority for asserting the existence of such a place. He refers to Badáúní (ii. 207), who says that Akbar attacked Rantambhor from “the top of the hill of Ran, which commands the fort;” and he quotes the following from the Túzak-i Jahángírí: “On Monday, I inspected the fort of Rantambhor. There are two mountains opposite to each other: one is called Ran, and the other Tambhor. Though the fort is on the latter, people call it ‘Rantambhor.’ It is very strong, and has plenty of water. The Ran also is a strong position; in fact, the only one from which the fort can be taken.” This explanation of the name is rather at variance with Colebrooke's etymology, already quoted in Vol. II. p. 324. He says it is a corruption of Rana-sthamba-bhramara, “bee of the pillar of war.”
P. 182. Khútas and Baláhars.—The general meaning of these terms is sufficiently obvious from the context, but as I could find no authority for fixing a precise meaning upon them, I left the words untranslated. Major Fuller translated them as “landlords and tenants.” Mr. Blochmann adds in a note, “Baláhar may be Hindústáni, and signify a low-caste servant.* Khút is a rare Arabic word, signifying a fine strong man. From the passages below it is quite clear that these terms mean the strong and the weak, and most probably landlords and tenants, as translated.” Major Fuller says in a footnote that the words are unintelligible to him; and Mr. Blochmann adds, “If I did not know that Major Fuller's. MS. had khútah with a kh, I would say that khútah was a blunder for fotah with f. I have never seen these terms used in any other book.” The spelling is confirmed by both my MSS.
P. 182. Mr. Blochmann offers an amendment of Major Fuller's translation in respect of the principles of taxation. My translation differs slightly from both. The author's words from the Print (p. 287), with variants from the MSS., are—