THE author of this little work is Mirzá Másítá, descended, both on his father's and mother's side, from ancestors of some con­sideration in India. The first of his paternal ancestors who came to India was Aliwardí Khán Turkomán, said to be de­scended from Sultán Sanjar, the Saljúkí sovereign. He arrived in the time of Jahángír, and by his bravery and good qualities (especially that of being a good sportsman, and the inventor of a mode of hunting styled Túrkalání*), obtained admission into the rank of the Nobles of that Emperor, and amongst other offices conferred upon him by his successor Sháh Jahán, he was appointed Governor of Málwá, in succession to Khán-daurán Khán. There are laudatory articles respecting him in the Tazkiratu-l Umará and Ma-ásiru-l Umará. One of his ancestors on the mother's side was the celebrated Islám Khán, the minister of Sháh Jahán, who was at one time invested with almost independent power in the government of three súbas of the Dakhin; so that the author had reason to be proud of his honourable descent.

The Intikhábu-t Tawáríkh was composed by Mirzá Másítá for the instruction of his son, Karímu-llah Khán, commonly called Mirzá Kallú. It is a mere abstract history, and it is not shown to what works the author is indebted for his limited information.

The work is divided into an Introduction, two Books, and a Conclusion. The first Book is devoted to the Kings of Dehlí, Multán, Sind, Kashmír, Jaunpúr, Bengal, and Gujarát; the second to the Kings of the Dakhin, and is divided into warak, “leaves,” and satar, “lines.”