112 BROWN : 



built by Rajah Jeysing in the reign of Mohammed Shah 

 about the year 17 lo. The immediate objects for which it was 

 erected may best be understood from his own published 

 account. 



" Sewai Jeysing from the first dawning of reason in his 

 mind and during its progress towards maturity was entirely 

 devoted to the study of mathematical science ; and the bent of 

 his mind was constantly directed to the solution of its most 

 difficult problems. By the aid of the supreme artificer he 

 obtained a thorough knowledge of its principles and rules. 

 He found that the calculation of the places of the stars as 

 obtained from the tables in common use gives them widely dif- 

 ferent from those determined by observation ; especially the 

 appearance of the new moons. Seeing that ven,' important 

 affairs both regarding religion and the administration of 

 empire depend upon these, and that in the time of the rising 

 and setting of the planets and the seasons of eclipses of the 

 sun and moon many considerable disagreements of a similar 

 nature were found " he represented the matter to Mohanmied 

 Shah ; whom Jeysing terms in language that proves him as 

 apt a courtier as he was truly an able, learned and scientific 

 man : — " His majesty of dignity and power : the sun of the fir- 

 mament of felicity and dominion ; the splendour of the fore- 

 head of imperial magnificence ; the unrivalled pearl of the sea 

 of sovereignty ; the incomparably brightest star of the heaven 

 of Empire, — whose standard is the sun, whose retinue the 

 moon, whose lance is Mars and his pen like Mercury, with 

 attendants like Venus ; whose threshold is the sky, whose sig- 

 net is Jupiter ; whose sentinel Saturn ; the Emperor descended 

 from a long line of kings ; an Alexander in dignity, the 

 shadow of God, the victorious king Mohammed Shah : may 

 he ever be triumphant in battle." 



A reply was given to his representation: — "Since you 

 who are learned in the mysteries of science have a perfect 

 knowledge of this matter, having assembled the astronomers 

 and o-eome1ririans of the faith of Islam and the l>ramins (sic > 



