HISTORIANS OF INDIA.

LXI.
PÁDSHÁH-NÁMA.
OF
MUHAMMAD AMÍN KAZWÍNÍ.

[THE author of this work in his preface gives it the title of Pádsháh-náma, but, like several other histories of the reign of Sháh Jahán, it is often called Sháh-Jahán-náma, and sometimes more specifically Táríkh-i Sháh-Jahání Dah-sála. The full name of the author is Muhammad Amín bin Abú-l Hasan Kazwíní, but he is familiarly known as Amínáí Kazwíní, Amínáí Munshí, or Mirzá Amíná. He was the first who received orders to write a history of the reign of Sháh Jahán. The orders were given, as he tells us, in the eighth year of Sháh Jahán, and he com­pleted this work, comprising the history of the first ten years of the reign, and dedicated it to Sháh Jahán in the twentieth year of that Emperor's reign.

The author in his preface says that he has divided his work into an Introduction, containing on account of the Emperor's life from his birth to his accession; a Discourse (makála), comprising the history of the first ten years of his reign; and an Appendix, containing notices of holy and learned men, physicians and poets. He also mentions his intention of writing a second volume, bringing down the history to the twentieth year of Sháh Jahán's reign. But he does not appear to have carried out his design, having probably been prevented by his appoint­ment to a busy office, for Muhammad Sálih, in a short biography of the author, says that he was transferred to the Intelligence Department.

This history of Amínáí Kazwíní has been the model upon which most of the histories of Sháh Jahán have been formed. 'Abdu-l Hamíd, the author of the Bádsháh-náma, follows its arrangement, and although he makes no acknowledgment of the fact, his work comprises the same matter, and differs from it only in style.

Sir H. M. Elliot's MS. is a small folio of 297 pages of twenty-one lines each. It is fairly written, but all the rubrics are omitted. There is a copy in the Library of the Royal Asiatic Society, and three copies in the British Museum.]*