The eighth character which I have to mention is the Nasta'líq: it consists entirely of round lines. They say that Mír 'Alí of Tabríz, a contemporary of Tímúr, derived it from the Naskh and the Ta'líq; but this can scarcely be correct, because there exist books in the Nasta'líq character, written before Tímúr's time. Of Mír 'Alí's pupils I may mention two:* Mauláná Ja'far of Tabríz, and Mauláná Azhar; and of other caligraphists in Ta'líq, Mauláná Muhammad of Aubah (near Herát), an excellent writer; Mauláná Bárí of Herát; and Mauláná Sultán 'Alí* of Mashhad, who surpasses them all. He imitated the writing of Mauláná Azhar, though he did not learn from him personally. Six of his pupils are well known: Sultán Muhammad i Khandán;* Sultán Muhammad Núr; Mauláná 'Aláuddín* of Herát; Mauláná Zainuddín (of Níshápúr); Mauláná 'Abdí of Níshápúr; Muhammad Qásim Shádí Sháh, each of whom possessed some distinguishing qualities.

Besides these, there are a great number of other good caligraphists, who are famous for their skill in Nasta'líq; as Mauláná Sultán 'Alí, of Qáyin;* Mauláná Sultán 'Alí of Mashhad;* Mauláná Hijrání;* and after them the illustrious Mauláná Mír 'Alí,* the pupil, as it appears, of Mauláná Zainuddín. He brought his art to perfection by imitating the writing of Sultán 'Alí of Mashhad. The new method which he established, is a proof of his genius; he has left many master-pieces. Some one asked him once what the difference was between his writing and that of the Mauláná. He said, “I have brought his writing to perfection; but yet, his method has a peculiar charm.”

In conclusion I may mention:—Sháh Mahmúd* of Níshápúr; Mahmúd Is-háq; Shamsuddín of Kirmán; Mauláná Jamshéd, the riddle-writer; Sultan Husain of Khujand; Mauláná 'Aishí; Ghiásuddín, the gilder; Mauláná 'Abduççamad; Mauláná Malik; Mauláná 'Abdulkarím; Mauláná Abdurrahím of Khárizm; Mauláná Shaikh Muhammad; Mauláná Sháh Mahmúd i Zarrínqalam (or gold pen); Mauláná Muhammad Husain* of Tabríz; Mauláná Hasan 'Alí of Mashhad; Mír Mu'izz of Káshán; Mírzá Ibráhím of Içfahán; and several others who have devoted their lives to the improvement of the art.

His Majesty shews much regard to the art, and takes a great interest in the different systems of writing; hence the large number of skilful caligraphists. Nasta'líq has especially received a new impetus. The artist who, in the shadow of the throne of His Majesty, has become a master of caligraphy, is Muhammad Husain* of Kashmír. He has been honoured with the title of Zarrínqalam, the gold pen. He surpassed his master Mauláná 'Abdul-'Azíz; his maddát and dawáir* shew everywhere a proper proportion to each other, and art critics consider him equal to Mullá Mír 'Alí. Of other renowned caligraphists of the present age, I must mention Mauláná Báqir, the son of the illustrious Mullá Mír 'Alí; Muhammad Amín of Mashhad; Mír Husain i Kulankí; Mauláná 'Abdulhay; Mauláná Daurí*; Mauláná 'Abdurrahím; Mír 'Abdullah; Nizámí of Qazwín; 'Alí Chaman of Kashmír; Núrullah Qásim Arsalán.

His Majesty's library is divided into several parts: some of the books are kept within, and some without the Harem. Each part of the Library is subdivided, according to the value of the books and the estimation in which the sciences are held of which the books treat. Prose books, poetical works, Hindí, Persian, Greek, Kashmírian, Arabic,* are all separately placed. In this order they are also inspected. Experienced people bring them daily and read them before His Majesty, who hears every book from the beginning to the end. At whatever page the readers daily stop, His Majesty makes with his own pen a sign, according to the number of the pages; and rewards the readers with presents of cash, either in gold or silver, according to the number of leaves read out by them. Among books of renown, there are few that are not read in His Majesty's assembly hall; and there are no historical facts of the past ages, or curiosities of science, or interesting points of philosophy, with which His Majesty, a leader of impartial sages, is unacquainted. He does not get tired of hearing a book over again, but listens to the reading of it with more interest. The Akhláq i Náçirí, the Kímiyá i Sa'ádat, the Qábúsnámah, the works of Sharaf of Munair (vide p. 48), the Gulistán, the Hadíqah of Hakím Sanáí, the Masnawí of Ma'nawí, the Jám i Jam, the Bustán, the Sháhnámah, the collected Masnawís of Shaikh Nizámí, the works of Khusrau and Mauláná Jámí, the Díwáns of Kháqání, Anwarí, and several works on History, are continually read out to His Majesty. Phiologists are constantly engaged in translating Hindí, Greek, Arabic, and Persian books, into other languages. Thus a part of the Zích i Jadíd i Mírzáí (vide IIIrd book, A´ín 1) was translated under the superintendence of Amír Fathullah of Shíráz (vide p. 33), and also the Kishnjóshí, the Gangádhar, the Mohesh Mahánand, from Hindí (Sanscrit) into Persian, according to the interpretation of the author of this book. The Mahábhárat which belongs to the ancient books of Hindústán has likewise been translated, from Hindí into Persian, under the superintendence of Naqíb Khán*, Mauláná 'Abdul Qádir of Badáon,* and Shaikh Sultán of T'hanésar.* The book contains nearly one hundred thousand verses: His Majesty calls this ancient history Razmnámah, the book of Wars. The same learned men translated also into Persian the Ramáyan, likewise a book of ancient Hindustan, which contains the life of Rám Chandra, but is full of interesting points of Philosophy. Hájí Ibráhím of Sarhind translated into Persian the At'harban* which, according to the Hindús, is one of the four divine books. The Lílawatí, which is one of the most excellent works written by Indian Mathematicians on Arithmetic, lost its Hindú veil, and received a Persian garb from the hand of my elder brother, Shaikh 'Abdul Faiz i Faizí.* At the command of His Majesty, Mukammal Khán of Gujrát translated into Persian the Tájak, a well known work on Astronomy. The Memoirs* of Bábar, the Conqueror of the world, which may be called a Code of practical wisdom, have been translated from Turkish into Persian by Mírzá 'Abdurrahím Khán, the present Khán Khánán (Commander-in-Chief). The History of Kashmír, which extends over the last four thousand years, has been translated from Kashmírian into Persian* by Mauláná Sháh Muhammad of Sháhábád. The Mu'jam ul Buldán, an excellent work on towns and countries, has been translated from Arabic into Persian by several Arabic scholars, as Mullá Ahmad of T'hat'hah,* Qásim Bég, Shaikh Munawwar, and others. The Haribans, a book containing the life of Krishna, was translated into Persian by Mauláná Sherí (Vide the poetical extracts of the second book). By order of His Majesty, the author of this volume composed a new version of the Kalílah Damnah, and published it under the title of 'Ayár Dánish.* The original is a master-piece of practical wisdom, but is full of rhetorical difficulties; and though Naçrullah i Mustaufí and Mauláná Husain i Wá'iz had translated it into Persian, their style abounds in rare metaphors and difficult words. The Hindí story of the Love of Nal and Daman, which melts the heart of feeling readers, has been metrically translated by my brother Shaikh Faizí i Fayyází, in the masnawí metre of the Laílí Majnún, and is now everywhere known under the title of Nal Daman.*

As His Majesty has become acquainted with the treasure of history, he ordered several well informed writers to compose a work containing the events which have taken place in the seven zones for the last one thousand years. Naqíb Khán, and several others, commenced this history. A very large portion was subsequently added by Mullá Ahmad of T'hat'hah, and the whole concluded by Ja'far Bég i A´çaf Khán. The introduction is composed by me. The work has the title of Taríkh i Alfí,* the History of a thousand years.