The author of the Ma-ásiru-l Umará adds a few particulars respecting Mullá Ahmad, in his biography of Fúlád Khán. He says that the accomplice of Mirzá Fúlád personated one of the royal messengers, and summoned the Mullá to the King's presence; that when the Mullá had left his house, he was attacked, and had one of his hands cut off by a sword; that the assassins, mistaking it for his head, ran off, satisfied that their work was accomplished; that he fell from his horse, and when he had recovered a little, picked up his own hand, and went to the house of Hakím Hasan for succour; that when Fúlád Khán was seized, he confessed the crime before Abú-l Fazl, Khán-khánán, and Ásaf Kkán.
He says also that Mullá Ahmad went in his twenty-second year to Meshhed, and thence to Yezd and Shíráz, where, under the instructions of the physicians Kamálu-d dín Husain and Mullá Mirzá Ján, he entered on a course of medical study, and read the Kulyát-i Kánún of Avicenna, and the Sharh-i Tajríd, with all the commentaries. He then went to Kazwín, where he had an interview with Sháh Tahmásp, and when Sháh Ism'áíl the Second was converted to the Sunní doctrine, he went to 'Irák-i 'Arab and Mecca, and after mixing with several celebrated scholars in those parts, proceeded to the Dekhin, to the Court of Kutb Sháh of Golconda, and in the twenty-seventh year of Akbar's reign came to Fathpúr Síkrí, where he received orders to compile the Táríkh-i Alfí.
He used to read out his composition to Akbar, who asked him upon one occasion, why he had dwelt so long upon Khalífa 'Usmán's reign. He replied openly, says the Ma-ásiru-l Umará, before all the Túrání nobles, who were Sunnís, that that period is the “Rauzatu-s Shuhadá”* of the Sunnís, and to abridge it would give offence.
The inconvenience respecting the introduction of a novel era in the Táríkh-i Alfí has already been noticed. Another very serious accusation has been laid against this work, of leaving out several important events during the period it embraces; and the omission of the decisive battle of Cadesiah in A.D. 636, which preceded the final subjugation of Persia, has been especially commented on as a proof of carelessness. But a much greater objection to be made to the Táríkh-i Alfí is the plan of the work: it is constructed in the form of Annals, like the tedious Historical Library of Diodorus; and thus we are compelled to turn over page after page of this voluminous history, before we can trace the connexion of events in any particular country which may happen to be the subject of our investigation. Nothing but an excellent Index could remedy such a defect. There is confusion also sometimes about the dates. And protracted affairs are grouped under one year, the exact dates of their various phases not being sufficiently stated.
The compilers appear to have availed themselves of all the best sources of information open to them; for there is no historical work, Arabic or Persian, of any celebrity amongst modern European scholars, which they do not quote; often applying a very judicious criticism in selecting the most trustworthy records, and rejecting the fabulous legends with which so many of them abound. The authorities quoted on Indian affairs are few, but more may be mentioned in the Preface, which was written by Abú-l Fazl, according to his own acknowledgment.
The work is not often quoted, but it was greatly used by Haidar Rázi.
I have seen no notice of the existence of this work in European libraries.* Parts of it are to be met with in India, but not one library, which I know of, contains a perfect copy. It is a work of great size. The portion I have seen was a folio of 1646 pages, with 40 lines to a page, and it was very incomplete. At Haidarábád there is a copy in two volumes, which, though imperfect, contains, in the first volume, 1336 pages of 19 lines each, and, in the second, 2066 pages of 31 lines each. One of the best manuscripts is in the possession of the Nawáb of Murshidábád, which is thus described:
The second volume consists of 976 pages of 20 lines, and contains the events from the year 127 to 500, after the death of Muhammad.
The third volume consists of 640 pages of 20 lines, and contains the events from the year 501 to 672.
The fourth volume consists of 1092 pages of 21 lines, and contains the events from the year 673 to 974.
Two more volumes therefore are required to make this work complete. I was anxious to make further inquiries about the Nawáb's copy, but the librarian seemed indisposed to furnish any more information respecting it, and gave evasive answers; evincing thereby a suspicion, which, if anywhere, is certainly excusable in the neighbourhood of Calcutta, where commercial profligacy has brought the European character into very low repute.*
[The Extracts which follow afford ample means of judging of the character of the work. The earliest of them, preceding the reign of Akbar, appeared with some others in Sir H. Elliot's original publication, and they record events which have been passed over without notice by the historians quoted in the earlier volumes of the present work. The passages relating to the reign of Akbar have been selected and translated by the Editor as interesting in themselves, and as affording the means for comparing the Táríkh-i Alfí with the Tabakát-i Akbarí. The two works are generally very much in accord, but their language and style are different. Still the resemblance of the two works is such as to induce a belief that one author had access to the work of the other, or that both works were based upon the same original materials. The MSS. used by the Editor have been a small one prepared for Sir H. Elliot, containing only the passages relating to India; and a fine large one belonging to the Library of the East India Office, written in a variety of hands. This commences with the year 485 H., and is not quite complete at the end. Unfortunately the rubrics of the dates have been filled in only in the earlier part of the volume.]
When 'Abdu-lla, the son of Abúbakr, arrived at Nímroz, Hajjáj sent a message, requesting him not to linger in Sijistán, but to march without delay towards Kábul, as signs of rebellion and disaffection had exhibited themselves in the chief, Ráíbal.* He had formerly entered into a treaty with the Muhammadans, and agreed to pay a tribute annually into the treasury, and as long as he found the Muhammadans powerful, he paid the tribute, but whenever they were engaged in other affairs, or exhibited weakness, he withheld it. 'Abdu-lla, in obedience to the commands of Hajjáj, turned towards Kábul with the armies of Kúfa and Basra, and as fast as the Muhammadans advanced, Ráíbal retreated towards Hindústán. Dádah Sharaíh, one of the officers of 'Abdu-lla, pursued Ráíbal seventeen parasangs. At this time, the ruler of Kábul sent persons to some of the nobles and well-wishers of the State, desiring them to secure those roads, by which the Muhammadans had entered the country, in such a manner that they should neither obtain any supplies, nor have the opportunity of retracing their steps. The consequence was, that after a few days such a famine broke out in the Muhammadan camp, that every one despaired of life. Upon this, 'Abdu-lla said to Sharaíh Hání, “It is advisable for us to treat with the infidels, and to offer them 70,000* dirhams to remove from our way, so that we may betake ourselves to a place of security.” Sharaíh replied, “Whatever amount you offer to the infidels, the díwán will place to your individual account.” 'Abdu-lla rejoined, “Such a demand even would be preferable to the alternative of starvation in these dreadful places.” Sharaíh said, “My age exceeds a hundred years, and I never expected to arrive at this period of existence. It has long been my prayer before the throne of God that I might suffer martyrdom, and the time for its accomplishment has now arrived.” Saying this, he mounted his horse, and exclaimed, “O Musulmáns, ye who have a desire to be martyrs, follow me!” Upon which, a few men came forward, and joined him, and with boldness rushing to the battle-field, they charged the infidels, and kept on fighting till they were slain.