[The author of this history, 'Abdu-llah, son of Fazlu-llah, of Shíráz, is commonly known by his literary name Wassáf, the Panegyrist. The title which he has given to his work, “A Ramble through the Regions and the Passing of Ages,” is quite in keeping with its florid style. Different readings of the title are common, and, for simplicity's sake, the work is often called Táríkh-i Wassáf. The date of the work, as given in the preface, is the last day of Sha'bán 699 (March 1300), and the first four volumes were published about that time, for Rashídu-d dín borrowed from them, as has been already stated. But Wassáf subsequently resumed his labours, and, adding another volume to his history, brought the work down to the year 728 (1328 A.D.)
Rashídu-d dín, the wazír of Uljáítú and author of the Jámi'u-t Tawáríkh, was, as we have seen, more of a compiler than an author, but he had a just appreciation of those from whom he had borrowed, and was ready to acknowledge and requite his obligations. He extended his patronage to 'Abdu-llah, the author of the history before us, and under his auspices the author presented his work to the Sultán Uljáítú on the 24 Muharram 712 (June, 1312). This introduction had been long desired by 'Abdu-llah, and when he obtained it he recited an ode on the succession of the Sultán, and another in praise of his city of Sultániya. These productions were so full of metaphors that the sovereign was many times obliged to ask for explanations, but in the end he was so gratified that he conferred on the writer a robe of honour and the title “Wassáfu-l Hazrat, Panegyrist of his Majesty.” In one of his chapters the writer dilates upon this incident with much self-complacency.
This work takes up the history at the point where the Jahán Kushá closes, and was designed as a continuation of that work, of which Wassáf expresses the highest opinion, and on which he expends a laboured panegyric. The facts recorded in the work the author professes to have gathered from the oral accounts of trustworthy persons.
The history opens with the death of Mangú Khán and the accession of Kublai Khán. In the third and fourth volumes it gives some notices of India, from which the following extracts are taken. The fourth volume closes with a summary retrospect of the reigns of Changíz Khán and his immediate successors. The fifth volume, subsequently written, is principally occupied with the reign of Abú Sa'íd. As a history of the Mongol dynasty the work is held in the highest estimation. There is not much in the work directly relating to India, and the extracts which follow this give all that is of importance in respect of that country.
D'Ohsson has made great use of this work in his History of
the Mongols, in which he often refers to it and quotes it.
Hammer-Purgstall made it the object of his especial attention,
and has noticed it in several of his writings. He says “the
history of Wassáf, so far as regards style, holds the same
position in Persian as the Makámát of Harírí in Arabic, being
an unapproachable model of rhetoric, and also, in the opinion of
the Persians of historic art.” He describes and dilates upon its
difficulties, but is enthusiastic upon its merits as a literary composition,
rating it above Harírí, “because Wassáf has decked the
highly-embellished pages of his historical narrative with the
choicest flowers of Arabic and Persian poetry, and has worked
with equal labour and accuracy on the limited subject of geography
and in the wide field of history.” Sir H. Elliot, while
admitting the style of Wassáf to be highly elaborated, considers
Hammer's description of it to be rather overdrawn.] He says
Hammer, in his notice of Aibak's reign, makes Wassáf to exceed
the Táju-l Ma-ásir in ornateness, but this is not possible. In
the extracts which follow, and which do not amount to one-
Wassáf's reflections and opinions are judicious and appropriate, as where he speaks of 'Aláu-d dín slaying the ambassadors. He was partial to introducing Arabic words and phrases into his history; indeed some whole chapters are written in Arabic. The extract, for instance, which is given below, respecting the conquest of Somnát, is in Arabic, avowedly in imitation of 'Utbí. The first extract respecting Java has the Arabic words in italics in order to show their prevalence in his ordinary style. Some of the extracts are literal and some are abstract translations, with the omission of all superfluous words; but Wassáf is so full of useful historical matter that, after divesting his volume of all redundancies we should reduce them to only half their size, whereas, were the Táju-l Ma-ásir subjected to a similar process, not more than one-hundredth part of it would remain.
[An edition of Wassáf in lithograph, with a vocabulary of difficult words, was published at Bombay in 1853, and in 1856 Hammer-Purgstall published the first book of the text with a German translation, most beautifully printed in the Imperial printing office at Vienna. The further publication of the work has been interrupted by the death of the veteran and hardworking orientalist.
[In Sir H. Elliot's library there is only the 4th book of Wassáf, and some loose leaves containing the text of the extracts printed below, very badly copied. The work is not rare in Europe, for several libraries contain copies.]*
Among the easy conquests during the time of the reign of Kublái Khán was that of the island of Múl Jáva, one of the countries of Hind, in the months of the year 691 H. Having appointed “a leader of an army who was a seeker of battle,” he despatched him with extreme splendour and immense preparations “upon ships traversing the waves of the sea.” When the men of the expedition had brought their ships to anchor at the shore of their desire, they brought under the bondage of their acquisition , through fear of the attack of their swords, an island which could scarcely be called an island, as it was no less than two hundred parasangs long and one hundred and twenty broad.
The ruler of that country, Srí Rám, intended to pay his respects to his majesty with offerings and humble representations, but predestined death did not grant him the power of moving from that place. Afterwards his son came to the foot of the sublime throne and acquired abundant good fortune by the bestowal of favours and kindnesses without stint; and his majesty, after fixing an annual tribute in gold and the pearls of that country, confirmed him in the possession of it.
The true account of that country is, that it is a portion of the portions of the ocean full of accumulated curiosities and abundant wealth, with plenty of all kinds of treasures and precious jewels, and charming products of ingenuity, and honourable gifts of merchandise , displaying the contrivances of the incomparable one. That country and all around it is fragrant with the odours of aloe-wood and cloves, and plains and precincts are vocal with the notes of parrots, saying, “I am a garden, the shrubs of which are envied by the freshness of the garden of Paradise,” etc., and so forth.
India, according to the concurrent opinion of all writers, is the most agreeable abode on the earth, and the most pleasant quarter of the world. Its dust is purer than air, and its air purer than purity itself; its delightful plains resemble the garden of Paradise, and the particles of its earth are like rubies and corals.*