THE writer of the Jám-i Jahán-numá was Muzaffar Husain, surnamed Mahárat Khán, son of Hakím Ghulám Muhammad Khán, son of Hakím Muhammad Kásim, son of Hakím Muhammad Sálih, son of Mauláná 'Abdu-s Salím, son of Mauláná 'Abdu-l Mumin, son of Mauláná Shaikh Muhammad, son of Mauláná Shaikh 'Alí, son of Mauláná Muhammad Aslam.
The reputation which some of these ancestors acquired for science and learning is dwelt upon by the author at the close of his account of the Poets. He traces his descent to Khwája Kohí, who left Baghdád to reside at Hirát.
Khwája Kohí Astajlú is represented as a great saint, who flourished in the time of Sultán Husain Gurgání. Mírzá Haidar says in the Táríkh-i Rashídí, in the chapter in which he gives an account of the saints and doctors, that one day as his father went to the Jáma'-masjid in Hirát, he saw there Khwája Kohí, who, having read his prayers, was sitting with his face towards the kibla engaged in his meditations. He asked the people who this man was, and on being told of his name, he stood aside; and when the Khwája arose, with the intention of departing, he advanced and met him with every mark of respect. The Khwája compiled a work on Moral Philosophy and the science of Mental Purification, which is entitled Siyaru-l Arwáh.
Mauláná Muhammad Aslam, grandson of Khwája Kohí, was born in Hirát. When 'Abdu-llah Khán Uzbek, the ruler of Máwaráu-n Nahr, laid siege to Hirát, and invested it for nine months, his father and relations, amongst many others, died, either from some pestilential disease which had broken out in the city, or from famine. Muhammad Aslam, who survived, was then only fourteen years old, and, after the conquest of Hirát, was taken away by certain nobles of Bukhárá, Mír Sadru-d dín Muhammad and Mulla Tálib Hirví, to whom he was related. He was brought up under their care, and passed his hours in the acquisition of knowledge. Afterwards, in the beginning of the reign of the Emperor Jahángír, he came to Láhore, and became a pupil of Shaikh Bahlol. He also went to Ágra, and had an interview with the Emperor. As he was the nephew of Mauláná Mír Kalán Muhaddis, he was very kindly received by the Emperor, and obtained the rank of fifteen hundred. He resigned the royal service in A.H. 1060, and returned to Láhore, where he died the year afterwards.
Mauláná Mír Kalán Muhaddis, son of Khwája Kohí, came from Hirát to Hindústán with his grandfather in the reign of the Emperor Akbar. Jahángír was a pupil of his. Mír Kalán died at Ágra.
Mauláná Shaikh 'Alí, Mauláná Shaikh Muhammad and Mauláná 'Abdu-l Mumin, were also held in good repute.
Mauláná 'Abdu-s Salím was a very learned man. He had been educated by Shaikh Is'hák, Shaikh Sa'du-llah, Kází Sadru-d dín, and Shaikh Fathu-llah Shírází. He wrote a commentary on Baizáwí. He died in the first year of Sháh Jahán's reign. Mírak Shaikh Hirví of Khurásán, who was the tutor of Prince Dárá Shukoh, and held the office of Sadr, read several standard works with Mauláná 'Abdu-s Salím.
Mauláná Muhammad Sálih acquired great proficiency in medicine, and was a scholar of Hakímu-l Mulk Takrí Khán. Hakím Takí of Láhore, who is said to have possessed great skill in the profession, and was a most successful practitioner, was one of his pupils.
Muhammad Kásim, alias Hakím Kásim, diligently applied himself to the study of Theology, the several branches of Natural Philosophy, Mathematics, Divinity and Physics. He also spent his time in getting the Kurán by heart. For some time he was a servant of Amír Khán, the Governor of Kábul, after whose death he led a solitary life, and died at Láhore in the beginning of Farrukh Siyar's reign.
Hakím Ghulám Muhammad Khán, after having acquired a proficiency in the different branches of learning, took up his residence in early youth, towards the end of the Emperor Aurangzeb's reign, in the city of Aurangábád. He had acquired perfection in Caligraphy, and specimens of his writing were long admired. He entered the service of the Emperor Farrukh Siyar at the commencement of his reign, through the recommendation of I'timad Khán, whom he had taught to write Naskh. He obtained the rank of five hundred personal allowance, with some jágírs in the mahál of Sakráwá, in the district of Kanauj, and the parganas of A'zam and Ál in the Panjáb. When the revolution caused by the Saiyids embarrassed the affairs of the Empire, and the jágírs were confiscated or exchanged, he retired from public life, and passed the remainder of his days in devotion. He died in A.H. 1178 (1764 A.D.).
Muzaffar Husain, surnamed Yúsufí, alias Mahárat Khán, the author of the work now under consideration, was born in the city of Aurangábád, in A.H. 1118 (1706 A.D.). He was only seven years old when he finished the Kurán, which he read with his father. He then commenced his Persian studies under the tuition of Sháh 'Abdú-l Hakím, who was one of his father's intimate friends. He learnt to write the Khat-i Naskh, and studied some of the works which were compiled by his grandfather. He went through all the standard works on Arabic Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric, with Mauláná Mírzá Nazar 'Alí, brother of Hakím Zainu-d dín. At the age of fifteen, at his father's suggestion, he commenced the study of Physic, under the instruction of Hakím Muhammad Husain, surnamed Bukrát Khán, son of Hakím Ma'súm Khán. For six years he practised Medicine under his tutor, and when the Emperor, Muhammad Sháh, left the city of Dehlí to go on a hunting excursion to the village of Siolí, his tutor, who was the Emperor's physician, accompanied His Majesty; upon which occasion the author, who was then only twenty-one years of age, was left to take care of his patients. He informs us that as he had taken great pains to make himself master of his profession, he was able to cure many of them, and they expressed their thanks to him in the presence of his tutor. During the time he was learning Physic, he also studied books on Natural Philosophy, Divinity, Mathematics, Astronomy, Music, Astrology, as well as other sciences, under the instruction of Mauláná Ghairutu-llah. He was not, however, contented with these studies; he extended them also to the translated works of the ancients, such as Galen and Hippocrates. He also turned his attention to composition, and wrote the Usúlu-t Tibb, Siráju-l Hajj, Minháju-l Hajj, and other treatises. During the time he was thus occupied, he also collected, for the sake of amusement, some very interesting stories relative to the great men of past ages, and also the most select passages of ancient and modern poets. He was urged by his friends to put all the matter he had thus amassed into a regular form, and connect it in such a manner as to make it fit for publication. Although, in consequence of being one of the physicians of His Majesty, he had very little leisure from his ordinary duties, yet, for the sake of his friends, he consented to devote the best part of his time to preparing the work, and completed it in A.H. 1180 (A.D. 1766-7).
The Jám-i Jahán-numá is of an exceedingly miscellaneous character, and deals but little in History. The authorities are not mentioned, but a great part appears to be derived from the Madínatu-l'Ulúm and the Nafáisu-l Funún. The information it contains is useful, and the anecdotes interspersed are entertaining and instructive.
The work is divided into five Books.