After Kází Shahábu-d dín's demise, Mauláná Shaikhu-l Hadád Jaunpúrí, who was a pious and unaffected divine, began plying his pen in literary composition. He made notes to the Kází's Commentaries, and further wrote expositions of the Hidáyah, Madárik, and Pazhdání, though his questions are evidently more powerful than the replies. Many more people of that country likewise made notes on the Kází's Commentary; but in comparison with them, those of Míánu-l Hadád are much clearer and more pertinent. The literati of that country paid no attention to the subjects of grammar, syntax and scriptural law, together with its rudiments; while as for the other reasoning sciences, they were seldom or rarely studied, and became as it were totally extinct. One of the poets of Sultán Fíroz's reign, or even of an earlier period than that, was Muttahar Kurrah, whose style is by no means wanting in grace and elegance. He is the author of a díwán (col­lection of odes), and several elegies, the latter of which are extremely scarce, and in fact not to be procured anywhere in the present day. In the Akhbáru-l Akhyár are introduced several lines of his descrip­tion of Shaikh Nasíru-d dín Mahmúd, may the Lord sanctify his tomb!

Within the same brief period of time, too, there lived an indi­vidual called Mughís Hánsaví, who held a high position in the literary world from his discourses on practical and metaphysical subjects. He is the author of a treatise, which enjoys no great publicity, however, and mention of him has been made in the notices of Shaikh Nasíru-d dín Mahmúd's life.

Another one was Zahír Dehlawí, to whom Shaikh Jamálí used to apply the epithet of Zahír, on account of the want of freshness in his style. This same Shaikh Jamálí, in the time of Sultán Sikandar Lodí, and Nasíru-d dín Humáyún Bádsháh, ranked among the chief nobles of the city. He is the author of a díwán, which com­prises both elegies and odes, as well as of a masnaví (book of moral doctrine in verse) entitled Mihr-o-Mah (Sun and Moon). After him, his son displayed eminent genius and a cultivated understanding, and had he lived in the present times, would undoubtedly have been the paragon of the age in poetry. They say that he wrote a history, which was compiled and published under the patronage of Salím Sháh, but it is not now extant. In later times, just before the present age, the writer's father, Shaikh Saifu-d dín, flourished, who used to bear the literary soubriquet of Saifí, and was distinguished among his contemporaries in Hindústán for the perspicuity of his style and the elegance of his diction. The shock that your humble servant endured on that august individual's demise is ably portrayed in the lines which Amír Khusrú indited, as his father's funeral dirge.

“The sword has passed over my head, and my heart is left split in two;
The running stream has flowed by, and the orphan pearl remains behind.”*

He owns several treatises on the subject of theology and the Unity of God, and his verses were very numerous, insomuch, that had he been bent on collecting and publishing them, they would have made up a complete díwán. The carelessness and indifference of his dispo­sition to the compliments of popularity, however, made him pay no heed to the matter; for his mind was absorbed in the contemplation of eternity and the Unity of God. A few of the events of his life are given at the conclusion of the Akhbáru-l Akhyár, from whence the true scope of his genius can be detected, of which it is otherwise impossible to gain an idea.

Your humble servant's illustrious uncle, too, who owned the literary soubriquet of Shaikh Rizk'u-lla, was one of the wonders of the age, a perfect and upright character, and a follower of the right road. He was also an ardent votary of love and devotion, and wrote some very pleasing things both in Persian and Hindí; his compositions in the latter language having gained considerable celebrity. The Táríkh-i Wáki'át-i Mushtákí, containing the adventures of Sultán Bahlol Lodí and others, is also by him; for in Persian he uses the soubriquet of Mushtákí, and in Hindí that of Rágan to write under.

Mauláná Hasan Nakshí, Shaikh Táju-d dín, and Mauláná 'Alí Ahmad Nishání, were also numbered among the sages, poets, and saints of that period (may the mercy of God rest on them all!). Besides these, there were many more learned and talented men, as well as poets, both in this and other cities of Hindústán, a detailed account of whom would lead to prolixity; whereas the object at present in view is to furnish a memoir of those deceased authors only who have left some work or remains behind them, and not to quote merely a host of names and persons.

One of these, who within a very recent period has opened his lips in poetry, and reached the highest standard of literary merit, is Faizí of Ágra, so eminently distinguished for the graceful ease and fervid eloquence of his periods; but, alas! that he should have drawn censure, obloquy, and misfortune on himself through sinking into the abyss of error and infidelity, for now all men of piety and religion, and all friends and supporters of the apostolic faith, refrain from ever uttering his name or speaking of his accursed clique (may the Lord have patience with them, if they be true believers!).

Among the blessings, too, of which the good fortune of people in these times announces glad tidings, as a favour for which it is incum­bent on all impartial and liberal characters to return thanks, is the auspicious child, the light of the eye of wisdom and intelligence, Núru-l Hakk, commonly called Mashrikí; for the effulgent lumin­ary of his talent and learning in each of the two paths of literature and erudition has almost reached the zenith of the firmament of excellence and maturity. I feel convinced that if he were to direct his attention to the matter, and, after the manner of the poets of the present age, were to apply his energies night and day to practising composition, and brooding over poetry, he could both imitate and rival the five standard works of Nizámí and of Khusrú. His time and attention, however, being entirely devoted to the depart­ments of science, virtue, and essential religion, they will not admit of his applying himself to poetry after the manner of poets. May the Sublime and Noble Protector preserve the star of his prosperity and good fortune from sinking into obscurity! The beloved child, Muhammad Hásham, likewise, is a good imitator and follower of his brother in the acquisition of science and virtue; and his innate disposition is eminently distinguished for its liberality, soundness and vigour, both in theory and practice, and more especially in the knowledge of the scriptural law, and traditions. May God, the helper of mankind, aid him in attaining his object! ^{* * *}

(The author then enters into a fabulous dialogue with his pen, at whose urgent request he eventually proceeds to give an account of himself and his writings.)

A brief memoir of your humble servant is contained in the follow­ing paragraph: The poet Hakkí, who roams a wanderer over the road of humility and superiority, was a crazy fellow, who, under the influence of companionship with the wise, according to the adage, “Madness delights in the sciences,” exerted himself for some time in mastering and acquiring the sciences; but ultimately, in verification of the saying, “The sciences produce madness,” finding his capacity unequal to the task, he gave way altogether to madness. ^{* * *}

(The pen next requests him to give some particulars of the lives of godly and pious men, to which he replies thus:)

A detailed account of them also is introduced in certain places; the commencement of the narrative being at the conclusion of the Akhbáru-l Akhyár, which contains the memoirs of the shaikhs of this country; the middle portion in the Jazbu-l Kulúb, which is a history of the glorious city (Medina); and the finale in the Zádu-l Mutakiyín, which gives the lives of the shaikhs at the two holy shrines. However, I will produce a summary of these particulars in a brief style, as well as some of the things that have not been recorded and set down in that book, in order that by these memiors the main object in view, which is the enumerating and classifying of my writings, may be faithfully accomplished and carried into execution. ^{* * *}

(The author next speaks of the progress he made in his studies during his youth, and of his pilgrimage to Mecca, with the immense intellectual profit he gained from it; after which he thus continues:)

The works which are about to be enumerated were all composed subsequently to my return from this auspicious journey, with the exception of the Akhbáru-l Akhyár, the Adábu-s Sálihín, and one or two more treatises on grammar and logic, the rough copies of which were written previously, during the period of my education, but were only finally corrected and methodically arranged some time subsequently. Now, after bringing forward the said works, I shall conclude my dissertation; and as a separate treatise on their names, entitled Tálíf-i Kalbi-l Álif-ba-kitábati Fihristi-t Tawálíf, has been already written, I shall copy them in the same fashion. These books and treatises, moreover, being in different languages, some in Arabic, and a few in Persian, the descriptions of the former have also been given in Arabic, and those of the latter in Persian.