Preface, p. 1.—Book I. The Ante-Muhammadan History of India, chiefly from the Mahábhárat and Subh-i Sádik, in two Chapters, p. 7; II. The Ghaznívides and Emperors of Dehlí, in two Chapters, p. 52; III. Biographical account of the Nobles of Hindústán, p. 384; IV. Geographical description of the seven climates, marvels of the world, and miscellaneous matters, in four chapters, p. 436.
SIZE—Small 8VO., containing 504 pages of 14 lines each, but a few pages are missing at the end.
The first, second, and third Books are too short to be of any value, and they are for the most part mere abstracts of other common works. The fourth Book conveys information in a useful, and occasionally a novel form, and has, therefore, been copiously abstracted from in the following pages.
The Sa'ádat-i Jáwed is a rare work. I have never heard of any other copy but that in one of the Royal Libraries at Lucknow, which I should have supposed to be an autograph, but that my own copy, which is taken from it, is so very full of errors that I can hardly suppose the original to be free from them. [The following Extracts were translated by munshís, and revised by Sir H. M. Elliot.]
He was an inhabitant of Lún, and his name was Mirzá Rafí'. His father, Muhammad Afzal Khán, was one of the nobles of the Emperor Muhammad Aurangzeb. Mirzá Rafí', who was the díwán of Prince 'Azímu-s Shán, displayed great bravery in the battle with A'zam Sháh, and obtained the title of Mumtázu-l Mulk Sarbuland Khán. In the time of Mu'izzu-d dín Jahándár Sháh, when Prince 'Azímu-s Shán was slain, Sarbuland Khán, disregarding his obligations, forsook Farrukh Siyar, son of 'Azímu-s Shán, and joined Mu'izzu-d dín. He was deputed to Gujarát on the part of Asad Khán, the minister; and through the recommendations of Kutbu-l Mulk Saiyid 'Abdu-llah Khán, Farrukh Siyar, after his accession, pardoned him for his past conduct, and conferred on him the Governorship of Oudh and Alláhábád.
After some time he became Governor of the province of Bihár. He then obtained the rank of seven thousand, as well as a jágír in the súba of Láhore, and the office of súbadár of Kábul. In the time of Muhammad Sháh Badsháh, he was again made Governor of Gujarát, and when he was removed from that office, he fought a desperate battle with Rája Dhankal Singh Ráthor, who had been appointed Governor in his place, and obtained victory over him. When he came to Ágra, the displeasure of the Emperor was evinced by prohibiting him from attending Court for one thousand days. When that period had elapsed, he was admitted to an audience by Muhammad Sháh, and was raised to the Governorship of Alláhábád. At the time of the invasion of Nádir Sháh, he came to Court. Nádir Sháh entrusted him with the duty of collecting the amercement fixed upon the people of Dehlí. He departed to the next world in 1153 A.H. He was a favourite of the Emperor, and always victorious in battle. He was generous, polite, merciful and humane. He always drank the water of the Ganges, and during his governorship of Gujarát and Kábul, large sums were laid out in carrying it to those provinces. It was said by Mansúr Rám, his treasurer, that fifty-six krors of rupees in cash, independent of personal allowance, had passed through his hands for the payment of the Nawáb's troops, and other necessary expenses of the different departments. His power may be readily conjectured from this single statement.