Introduction.—On the study of History in general, and its advantages, especially to Rulers.
Book I.—Gives an account of the Creation of the World, and of the Deluge; details the lives of the Patriarchs and Prophets; and contains the ancient History of Persia, to the conquest of that country by the Muhammadans, A.D. 636; the Life of Alexander, and several Grecian Philosophers.—339 pages.
Book II.—Details the History of Muhammad and the four first Khalifs, Abú Bakr, 'Umár, 'Usmán and 'Alí, with a particular account of their conquests to A.D. 664.—368 pages.
Book III.—Contains the lives of the twelve Imáms. This
section comprises also the History of the Ummayide and Abbá-
Book IV.—Includes Memoirs of the Dynasties of Táhirides, Saffárides, Sámánides, Búwaihides, Saljúkides, Ghaznivides, Ghorians, Atábaks, etc., who reigned over Persia, Transoxiana, 'Irák, etc., from about the year 800 to 1263 A.D.—pages 293.
Book V.—Presents the History of the celebrated conqueror Changíz Khán, who was born A.D. 1154, and died at the age of 73; also Memoirs of his descendants, who reigned over Irán and Túrán till A.D. 1335.—pages 253.
Book VI.—Exhibits the History of Tímúr; also of his sons and successors to the year 1426.—pages 408.
Book VII.—In this section are preserved the Memoirs of Sultán Husain Mirzá Abú-l Ghází Bahádur, fourth in descent from Tímúr, who reigned with great repute over Khurásán for thirty-four years, and died A.D. 1505—pages 166.
Conclusion.—Contains a description of the city of Hirát (then the capital of Khurásán), and of several other places of that kingdom.—pages 75.
Size.—Folio, 2 vols., containing respectively 939 and 1195 pages, of 29 lines each.
This accords with the Table of Contents given by the author himself, and copied by Stewart in his “Catalogue of Tippú Sultán's Library,” but differs from the Latin Catalogue of the MSS. of Erpenius, at page 27 of the Appendix to Hottingeri Promptuarium.
A very full list of Contents will be found in the Vienna
Jahrbücher, Nos. lxix. and lxx. Anzeige-Blatt, where the Rubrics
of the entire work are given. Baron Hammer-Purgstall has also
given a detailed account of its contents in Handschriften Hammer-
M. Jourdain, in his elaborate article in the ninth volume of Notices et Extraits des MSS. observes that additions were subsequently made to the seventh book by the author's son, Khondamír, because the author died A.H. 903, and events are recorded in it of A.H. 911. He consequently is disposed to ascribe the whole book to another hand. Major Price concurs in this opinion,* but Sir W. Ouseley* is of opinion that Mírkhond wrote at least the first part of that book. His son Khondamír distinctly observes, that of his father's work the seventh book remained incomplete for want of materials, or, as has been suggested, more probably through the delicacy of engaging in a narrative of the passing events of the reign of Abú-l Ghází. This omission he pledged himself at a future period to supply, should the requisite materials be procurable, and heaven be propitious to his hopes, This he accordingly did, and the seventh book is composed of extracts taken from the Habíbu-s Siyar, and contains the biography of Mírkhond. The preface leaves it very doubtful whether any portion of the seventh book was written by Mírkhond, for the names of both father and son occur in it in a very strange combination.