It will be seen, therefore, that the real author of these various works is Muhammad Baká, though he is the person to whom they are least ascribed, in consequence not only of his attributing his own labours to others, but from the prominence which his editors have endeavoured to give to their own names.
His real name was Shaikh Muhammad, and his poetical title was Baká. He was born in A.H. 1037. In his early youth he applied himself to the study of the Kurán, and in a short space of time learnt the whole of it by heart. Having read a few books with his father, he went to Sirhind, where he studied several branches of knowledge under Shaikh 'Abdu-llah, surnamed Míán, and other learned men. He acquired acquaintance with Muhammadan traditions under the tuition of Shaikh Núru-l Hakk, son of Shaikh 'Abdu-l Hakk of Dehlí, and having obtained his permission to teach this branch of learning, he returned to his native city of Saháranpúr, and devoted his time to imparting his knowledge to others. Afterwards, by desire of his father, he forswore worldly concerns, and directed his whole attention to worship and devotion.
When his father died, he enrolled himself among the disciples of Shaikh Muhammad of Sirhind, and made in a short time very considerable progress in spiritual knowledge. On again returning to his native place, he led, like his ancestors, a retired life. Soon after, Iftikhár Khán (Bakhtáwar Khán)—who from early youth had been an intimate friend of Muhammad Baká, and had attained the rank of three thousand horse and the office of steward (mír-sámán) to the Emperor Aurangzeb—invited him to Court, and secured for him a respectable rank, which he accepted, but with much reluctance, and owing only to the importunities of his friends. This appears to have been in the fourth year of Aurangzeb's reign. Although he held a high rank, and had public duties to attend to, yet he always led a life of retirement; notwithstanding which, we are told that the Emperor was very favourably disposed towards him.
Besides writing the Mir-át-i 'Álam, he made extracts from the works of Hakím Sanáí, the Mantiku-t Tair of Farídu-d dín Attár, and the celebrated masnawí of Mauláná Rúmí, “the most eminent writers on Divine subjects, who unanimously agree in their religious tenets.”
He also abridged the Díwán of Saíb and the Sákí-náma, and composed a Riyázu-l Auliyá, or history of Saints, and a Tazkiratu-s Shu'ará, or biography of Poets, with extracts. It is probable that much of these two works is comprised in the Mir-át-i Jahán-numá, notwithstanding that Muhammad Rizá states the loose sheets left by Muhammad Baká to have been deficient in these particulars. The Riyázu-l Auliyá is an exceedingly useful but rare work, comprised in 380 pages of 15 lines, and its value is greatly enhanced by being arranged alphabetically. In the preface to this work the author distinctly states, that in the Mir-át-i 'Álam he had devoted a namáish to an account of the Saints, but thought proper to write, at a subsequent period, this more copious work upon the same subject.
He was also an original poet, and his poetical talents are highly praised in the Farhatu-n Názirín, at the close of Aurangzeb's reign.
Towards the close of his life, he was appointed sarkár of Saháranpúr, where he erected some useful buildings. At the instance of his relations and friends he constructed some houses on the banks of the tank of Ráíwála in the suburbs of Saháranpúr. He also founded the quarter known as Bakápúra, besides constructing several mosques and public wells. He died in 1094 A.H. (1683 A.D.).
Muhammad Baká was descended from a distinguished family. His ancestor, who first came to Hindústán from Hirát, was Khwája Zíáu-d dín. He arrived during the reign of Fíroz Sháh in 754 A.H. (1353-4 A.D.). He was received kindly by that King, was promoted to be Súbadár of Multán, and received the title of Malik Mardán Daulat. He was the adoptive father of Saiyid Khizr Khán, who afterwards became King of Dehlí. His own lineal descendants were all men of distinction, in their successive generations, until we come to the subject of this article.
The Mir-át-i 'Álam, or the Mir-át-i Jahán-numá, is a monument of his industry and ability, and though there is little of novelty, except the account of the first ten years of Aurangzeb's reign, yet the compilation must be considered useful and comprehensive. The accounts of the Poets and Saints are very copious, and among the best to which reference can be made. It is doubtful how far these portions are to be attributed to his pen. They form, certainly, no portion of the Mir-át-i 'Álam.
Several works have been formed on the same model as the Mir-át-i Jahán-numá, and continuations of the work are occasionally met with, which add to the confusion attending the inquiry respecting the original authorship. There is, for instance, in the Library of Nawáb Siráju-l Mulk, ex-minister of Haidarábád, a large volume styled the Táríkh-i 'Álamgírnáma , continued down to the reign of Muhammad Sháh, subdivided in the same way into Áráish and Namáish, etc., all taken from the Mir-át-i Jahán-numá. The continuation is extracted from the Táríkh-i Chaghatáí.
This work is not common in India, at least in a perfect form. That of Muhammad Shafí is the least rare, and the best copy I have seen is in the possession of Saiyid Muhammad Rizá, Sadru-s Sudúr of 'Alígarh, though it is not uniformly written. It is enriched by some marginal notes written in A.H. 1216 by a person who calls himself Muhammad bin 'Abdu-llah. In Europe, besides the copy in the British Museum mentioned above, there is the copy in the Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds Gentil, No. 48, and the copy of Sir W. Ouseley numbered 305 and 306 in his Catalogue. He observes that he never saw another copy. [There is also a copy in the Library of the Royal Asiatic Society,* of which Mr. Morley has given a full account.]
The cleanest copy I have seen of this work is in the Library of Muzaffar Husain Khán, a landed proprietor in the Lower Doáb. There is a very good copy of the work in the possession of Fakír Núru-d dín of Lahore, and a good copy of the first half of the work is in the Library of Nawáb 'Ali Muhammad Khán of Jhajjar.
When it was reported to His Majesty Aurangzeb, that in the reign of his father every year a sum of seventy-nine thousand rupees was distributed through the Sadru-s Sudúr amongst the poor during five months of the year,—viz. twelve thousand rupees in each of the months of Muharram and Rabí'u-l awwal, ten thousand in Rajab, fifteen thousand in Sha'bán, and thirty thousand in the sacred month of Ramazán,—and that during the remaining seven months no sum was distributed in charity,—His Majesty ordered the Sadru-s Sudúr and other accountants of the household expenses, that with regard to those five months they should observe the same rule, and in each of the other months also they should give ten thousand rupees to be distributed among the poor; so that the annual sum expended in charity, including the increase which was now made, amounted to one lac and forty-nine thousand rupees.