His Majesty had long desired to introduce a new computation of years and months throughout the fair regions of Hindustan in order that per­plexity might give place to easiness. He was likewise averse to the era of the Hijra (Flight) which was of ominous signification, but because of the number of short-sighted, ignorant men who believe the currency of the era to be inseparable from religion, His Imperial Majesty in his graciousness, dearly regarding the attachment of the hearts of his subjects did not carry out his design of suppressing it. Although it is evident to right-minded people of the world, what relevancy exists between the market-coin of commercial dealing and the night-gleaming jewel of faith, and what participation between this chain of objective connection and the twofold cord of spiritual truth, yet the world is full of the dust of indiscrimination, and the discerning are heedful of the fable of the fox* that took to flight when camels were being impressed. In 992* of the Novilunar year, the lamp of knowledge received another light from the flame of his sublime intelligence and its full blaze sḥone upon mankind. The fortunately gifted, lovers of truth raised their heads from the pillow of disappointment and the crooked-charactered, drowsy-willed lay in the corner of disuse. Mean­while the imperial design was accomplished. Amir Fatḥu'llah Shirázi,* the representative of ancient sages, the paragon of the house of wisdom, set himself to the fulfilment of this object, and taking as his base the recent Gurgáni Canon, began the era with the accession of his Imperial Majesty. The splendour of visible sublimity which had its manifestation in the lord of the universe commended itself to this chosen one, especially as it also concentrated the leadership of the world of spirituality, and for its cogni­tion by vassals of auspicious mind, the characteristics of the divine essence were ascribed to it, and the glad tidings of its perpetual adoption proclaimed. The years and months are natural solar without intercalation and the Per­sion names of the months and days have been left unaltered. The days of the month are reckoned from 29 to 32, and the two days of the last are called Roz o Shab (Day and Night). The names of the months of each era are tabulated for facility of reference.

1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.	7.	8.	9.	10.
Hindu months.	Khaṭái months.	The Aighúr Era.	The Era of the astrologers.	The Era of Adam.	The Era of the Jews.*	The Era of the Deluge.	The Era of Nabonasar.	The Era of Philipus Arrhi­daeus.	The Era of the Copts.*
Chait	Chanweh	Arám Ay.*	”	”	Tishri	”	Thoth	Thoth	Thoth
Baisákha	Zhezheweh	Ikandi Ay.	”	”	Marhesh­wán	”	Bápeh	Bápeh	Páopi
Jeṭh	Sámweh	Ochanj Ay.	”	”	Kislew	”	Hátor	Hator	Athyr
Asáṛh	Harweh	Dardanj Ay.	”	”	Ṭebeth	”	Kehak	Kehak	Khawáḳ
Sáṇwán	Ụweh	Beshanj Ay.	”	”	Shebáṭ	”	Túbah	Túbah	Tybi
Bhádoṇ	Lúweh	Altínj Ay.	”	”	Adhár	”	Amshér	Amshér	Makhír
Kunwár	Cheweh	Yetinj Ay.	”	”	Nisán	”	9	Barmahát	Phamanoth
Kátik	Báweh	Saksanj Ay.	”	”	Iyár	”	9	Barmúdah	Pharmúthi
Aghan	Kheweh	Ṭúksanj Ay.	”	”	Siwán	”	9	Bashans	Pachon
Pús	Shabweh	Onnanj Ay.	”	”	Tammúz	”	9	Bonah	Payni
Mágh	Shayayweh	Onbaranj Ay.	”	”	A´b	”	9	Abíb	Epiphi
Phágun	Sirweh	Haḳsabát Ay.	”	”	Elúl	”	9	Misri	Mesori

11.	12.	13.	14.	15.	16.	17.	18.	19.	20.
Syro-Macedonian Era.	The Augus­tan Era.	The Chris­tian Era.	The era of Antoninus.	The Era of Diocletian.	Era of the Hijrah.	Era of Yazdijird.	The Maliki Era.	The Kháni Era.	The Divine Era.
Tashrínúl	Identical with those of Nabonasar.	January	Identical with those of Nabonasar.		Muḥarram	Farwardín	Farwar-	Arám Ay	Farwar-
Awwal						Máh. Old	dín Máh	Khani	din Máh
						Style	i Jaláli		i Iláhi
Tashrínu'l		February			Safar	Ardibihisht	&c.	&c.	&c.
A´khir						Máh. O. S.			like 18.
Kánún'l		March			Rabía' I.	Khurdád	&c.	&c.like 3,	substi-
Awwal						Máh. O. S.		with the	tuting
Kánúnu'l		April			Rabía' II.	Tír Máh O.	&c.	word	‘Iláhi’
A´khir						S.		“Kháni”	for
Shebáṭ		May			Jumáda I.	Amurdád	like 17.	after	“Jaláli.”
						Máh. O. S.	with the	“Ay”
A´zár		June			Jumáda II.	Sharéwar	word	In the 4th
						Máh. O. S.	“Jaláli”	month,
Nisán		July			Rajab	Mihr Máh.	after	the word
						O. S.	“Mah.”	“Tor-
Ayyár		August			Sha'bán	Abán Máh.		tanj”
						O. S.		occurs,
Huzurán		September			Ramadḥán	A´zar Máh.		where in
						O. S.		Col. 3, it
Tamúz		October			Shawwál	Day Máh. O.		is Dar-
						S.		danj.”
A´b		November			Dḥi Ka'da	Bahman
						Máh. O S.
Aylúl		December			Dḥi Ḥijjah	Isfandármaz
						Máh. O. S.

The events of the world recorded in chronological sequence, are accounted the science of history, and he who is proficient in them, is a historian. Many writings in this branch of knowledge regard­ing India, Khaṭá, the Franks, Jews and other peoples are extant. Of the Muhammadan sect, the first who in Ḥijáz occupied himself with this subject was Muhammad-b-Isḥáḳ,* then follow Wahab-b-Murabbih,* Wáḳidi,* A´sma'i,* Ṭabari,* Abu A'bdu'llah Muslim-b-Ḳutaybah,* Aa'tham of Kúfa,* Muḥammad Muḳanna',* Ḥakím A'li Miskawaih,* Fakhru'ddín Muḥammad-b-A'li Dáúd Sulaiman Binákiti,* Abú'l Faraj,* Imádu'ddín-b-Kathír,* Muḳaddasi,* Abú Ḥanífah Dinawari,* Muḥammad-b-'Abdu'llah Masa'údi,* Ibu Khallákán,* Yáfa'i,* Abú Naṣr Utbi;* amongst the Persians, Firdausi, Ṭúsi, Abúl Ḥusain Baihaḳ,* Abúl Ḥusain author of the Táríkhi Khusrawi,* Khwájah Abúl Fazl Baihaki,* A'bbás-b-Muṣa'b,* Aḥmad-b-Sayyár,* Abu Isḥáḳ Bazz'az,* Muḥammad Balkhi,* Abul Ḳa'sim Ka'bi,* Abu'l Ḥasan Fársi,* Ṣadru'ddín Muḥammad author of the Táju'l Maásir,* (corona monumentorum), Abú'Abdu'llah Júzjáni,* (author of the Ṭabakát-i-Náṣiri), Kabíru'ddin 'Iráḳi,* Abu'l Kásim Káshi,* author of the Zubdah (Lactis flos), Khwájah Abú'l Fazl* author of the Makhzan ul Balághat (promtuarium eloquentiœ and Fadháil úl Mulúk (virtutes principum prœstantes),* 'Atau'ddín Juwaini, brother of the Khawájah Shamsu'ddín author of a Diwán, (he wrote the Tarikh Jahánkushá, Historia, orbis terrarum victrix) Ḥamdu'llah Mustaufi Ḳazwíni,* Kádhi Nidhám Bayḍháwi,* Khwajah-Rashídi Ṭabíb,* Háfiz A´bru,* and other trustworthy writers.

For a long time past, likewise, it has been the practice to record current events by a chronogram and to make the computation of years appear from a single word, a hemistich and the like and this too they term a date; as for instance, for the accession of his Majesty, they have devised the words “Naṣrat i Akbar” (<Arabic>) victoria insignis and “Kám Baksh” (<Arabic>). Optatis respondens), but the ancients practised it little; thus the following was written on Avicenna.*

The Demonstration of Truth, Abu A'li Sína.
Entered in Shaja' (<Arabic> 373) from non-existence into being.
In Shaṣá (<Arabic> 391) he acquired complete knowledge.
In Takaz (<Arabic> 427) he bade the world farewell.