It is not hidden from the minds of the inwardly lucid and right-thinking that the pen of Providence in making entries in the world's records proceeds upon the principle that the successive arrangements of the universe cannot attain coherence without regard being paid to times and to the determination of dates. The fixation of events and elucidation of occurrences receive precision and certitude from the dates of months and years, and so the eternal decree has gone forth that after the elapse of a space of time some great event shall be made the commencement of an era, and that commands and transactions, sacred and secular, shall be based thereupon. As the glorious Accession was of surpassing felicity and augmenting auspiciousness, it was worthy of being made the forehead-star (gharra) of unlimited successes and the preamble of endless felicities. By the Divine inspiration which had cast a ray of light on H.M.'s heart, and the consensus of lofty sages who had obtained his glorious assent, this rubric of the roll of months and years was made the foundation of a new era and the diffuser of comfort and repose. As the world-lighting New Year followed close upon the Accession, and as the latter is nourished by the quickening glances of the sun, the (intervening) fraction of time in whose folds thousands of victories were unveiling, was treated as the decorative border to the days of the New Year, and as the preface of glory and conquest; and the beginning of the great Era took effect from the coming New Year. The principle of the calculations rested on true solar months and years, and H.M. the Shāhinshāh, out of his fortune and greatness, and under the influence of a Divine inspiration, designated this grand epoch as the Tārīkh Ilāhī (Divine Era). Secretaries of a happy pen recorded it in rolls and rescripts. The names of the months of the Era were made identical with the famous names of the Persian months, but were adorned in addition by the title Ilāhī (Divine) e.g., Farwardīn, Divine month, Ardibihisht, Divine month. The names of the days were the same as those of the current thirty Persian days, viz.:—
1. Ormuz*
2. Bahman
3. Ardibihisht
4. Shahriyūr
5. Isfandarmaẕ
6. Khurdād
7. Murdād
8. Daibāẕar (Dáí-ba-Āẕar)
9. Āẕar
10. Ābān
11. Rash
12. Māh
13. Tīr
14. Gosh or Gūsh*
15. Khūr
(Dáí-ba-mihr)
16. Mihrgān (Mihr)
17. Sarosh
18. Rashn
19. Farwardīn
20. Bahram
21. Rām
22. Bād
23. Dai (Dai-bā-dīn)
24. Dīn
25. Ārād
26. Ashtād
27. Āsmān
28. Zamiyād
29. Mārisfand
30. Anīrān*
As in some months there were two days over thirty, they were called respectively Rūz and Shub (Day and Night). By the blessing of H.M.'s attention the intercalary days were abolished, and the months, like the years, became solar. The enlightened mind of H.M. the Shāhinshāh also directed that there should be a duodenary cycle of the years of this Era, each year being named after a month, e.g., the first year was the year Farwardīn Ilāhī, the second, the year Ardibihisht Ilāhī.
The pillar of the founders of this sacred era was the Learned of the Age, the Plato of cycles,* Amir Fatḥ Ullah Shīrāzī whose title was Āẓad-ul-daula.
He it was who in a happy hour laid the foundation of this heavenward-soaring edifice. Although the foundation took place in 992 (1584), yet, as the position of events from the beginning of the sacred accession will be based upon the Divine Era, it appeared proper to enter the Era among the events of the year of the Accession. There is hope that, as the dominion and fortune of this line conjoined with eternity spring from a divine radiancy, the glory of the noble family will be for thousands of thousand years world-lighting and world-gripping, and that the number of years and months will continually surpass the dates and reckonings of calculators of celestial cycles. The copy of the world-obeyed Firmān, which was composed by Abūl Faẓl the writer of this auspicious preamble, and which was issued to the dominions after the establishment of this auspicious era, is as follows.