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XVIII. Essay on the Life and Writings of Ferishta. By Lieut. -Colonel 



John Briggs, M.R.A.S. 



Read January I7, 1829. 



During our last session I did myself the pleasure of presenting to the 

 Society an autobiographical sketcli of Nana Farnevis ; and of elucidating 

 the character of Madhu Rao the Great, the prince of Poona, from a series, 

 of original letters, principally in his own handwriting. 



The interest which those papers excited fully proves, that the biography 

 of celebrated men is an object not only deserving your attention, but, I 

 may venture to say, is also one of the most pleasing forms in which infor- 

 mation regarding the inhabitants of the East can well be conveyed to the 

 learned of the West. It is this conviction that has induced me to submit to 

 you the following sketch of the life of the great Muhamedan historian of 

 India, commonly known by the name of Ferishta, with some account of 

 his writings ; and I feel assured that your attention will be more completely 

 roused, when you know that his work, now lying before me, has lately been 

 translated, and will in a few days, I trust, be open to your inspection, and 

 submitted for your judgment and approval.* 



The singular modesty of this eminent individual, proofs of which I shall 

 have an opportunity of laying before you, prevented him from leaving any 

 specific account of himself; but his anxiety to authenticate facts, and to 

 verify his narrative, has frequently induced him to introduce his name, 

 whenever he was an eye-witness ; and from these observations we gather suf- 

 ficient information to enable us to form a tolerably exact idea of his circum- 

 stances, of the advantages he possessed as an historian, and of the qualities 

 he brought with him to complete his valuable work. 



Muhamed Kasim, the son of Gholam Ali Hindu Shah, is the real name 

 of the person entitled Ferishta. He was born at Astrabad on the shores of 

 the Caspian sea ; and at the age of twelve he left his native country, in 

 company with his father, on their journey to India. He must have reached 

 Ahmudnuggur in the Deccan, the seat of the Nizam Shahi kings, about the 



• The work here alluded to has since been published by Col. Briggs, under the title of an 

 " History oftlie Rise of the Muhamedan Power in India." 



Vol. II, 2 Y 



