THE author of this work is Muhammad 'Alí Khán Ansárí, Ibn 'Izzatu-d daula Hidáyatu-llah Khán, son of Shamsu-d daula Lutfu-llah Khán Sádik Tahawwur Jang.

Being devoted from his early youth, as most of these authors say of themselves, to history and studies subsidiary to it, and passing most of his time in the company of those who spoke and wrote of these subjects, he determined upon writing a general history; and as he had already written an account of the Prophets, he thought he could not do better than devote his time to a more secular History, embracing the lives of the Kings who in past times have ruled upon the earth; so that, through both his labours combined, he might derive the double reward of hope of heaven and advantage upon earth. Relying, therefore, upon the help of God, he allowed “the parrot of his tongue to expatiate in the garden of language,” and after spending a very long time upon his compilation, he completed it in the year 1209 A.H., corresponding with A.D. 1794-5.

It is a comprehensive and useful work, as will be seen from the list of contents given below, but it presents nothing particularly worthy of extract.

The work is divided into nine Chapters, and forty-nine Sections, fancifully called seas (bahr) and waves (mauj) respectively, and hence the title of Bahru-l Mawwáj, “The Tempestuous Sea.”