CXLVI.
JINÁNU-L FIRDAUS
OF
MIRZÁ MUHAMMAD YÚSUFÍ.

“The Gardens of Paradise:” so called, we are informed, for the very substantial reason that the work consists of eight chapters, and the Muhammadan Paradise contains as many gardens. The author may perhaps have derived his idea from the famous Firdausu-t Tawáríkh of Ibn Mu'ín, composed in A.H. 808.

This work consists of historical tables, showing the Princes of the several Muhammadan Dynasties of Asia, Africa, and Spain, with the dates of the birth, accession, and death of each sovereign, and the period of his reign and life. The tables are generally prefaced by a brief Introduction. The Jinánu-l Firdaus shows the successions of the different Khalífs, the rulers of Syria, Arabia, Persia, Egypt, Shirwán, Lár, Khwárism, and Hindú-stán; the Isma'ílians, Saljúkís, Atábaks, Sámánians, Sharífs of Mecca, Ghaznívides, Ghorians, and Mughals, and several other dynasties of minor importance.

The work was composed in A.H. 1126 (A.D. 1714), by Mirzá Muhammad Yúsufí, but completed by Tajammul Husain in A.H. 1244 (A.D. 1828-9), who, finding in the library of his patron, Mr. Montague Turnbull, of the Civil Service, an incomplete copy of the Jinánu-l Firdaus, added a seventh and eighth chapter to supply the deficiency. The sixth chapter of the original work contains an account of the Kings of Dehlí to the close of the Afghán Súr Dynasty, as well as an account of the Bahmaní, Nizám-Shahí, 'Ádil-Sháhí, Kutb-Sháhí, and Fárúkí Dynasties, and the Kings of Gujarát, Málwá, Jaunpúr, Bengal, Kashmír, Multán, and Sind. There are, no doubt, perfect copies of the original, complete in eight chapters, as the name implies. In the seventh chapter, added by Tajammul Husain, there is an account of the Mughal Dynasty of India, and in the eighth chapter an account of the Wazírs of Oudh, and the Nizáms of Bengal and Bihar.

The tables have been compiled from the best sources of infor­mation, including, among others, Jalálu-d dínu-s Sayútí, Ibn Khallikán, Nizámu-t Tawáríkh, Matla'u-s Sa'dain, Habíbu-s Siyar, Rauzata-s Safá, Tabakát-i Akbarí, Firishta, Jahán-ará, Táríkh-i Alfí, and Táríkh-i Badáúní; and it would therefore be worth printing, if correctly edited, for the use of the Persian students of our colleges.

The only copy which I know of the Jinánu-l Firdaus is in the possession of Major-General T. P. Smith, of the Bengal Army.

SIZE—4to., 162 pages, of 19 lines each.