476 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



thor considered as a kind of supple- 

 ment to his history, although in it- 

 self it is a complete work. 



These Institutes we are now to 

 investigate ; and w^e shall begin, 

 with exhibiting a specimen of Abul- 

 fazel's religion, which we may sup- 

 pose was in unison with that of his 

 master. From the author's preface, 

 page xvi. 



" In the name of the most mer- 

 ciful God ! 



" O Lord ! all thy mysteries are 

 impenetrable ! 



" Unknown are thy beginning 

 and thy end ! 



" In thee both beginning and 

 end are lost ! 



" The name of both is lost in the 

 mansions of thy eternity ! 



" It is sufficient that I offer up 

 my thanksgiving, and meditate in 

 astonishment ! 



" My ecstacy is sufficient know- 

 ledge of thee !" 



This invocation of the Deity is 

 succeeded by a moral sentiment of 

 equal merit, though not couched in 

 such sublime language. 



" He is the most commendable 

 (man) who strives to perfonn meri- 

 torious actions, rather than how to 

 utter fine speeches; and who, by 

 delineating a few of the wondrous 

 works of the Creator of the World, 

 acquires immortal felicity (or, pro- 

 bably, in the original) fame." 



The first volume of this sublime 

 work, the subject of our present re- 

 view, is divided into three parts. 

 The first containing regulations for 

 the different offices, many of them 

 of so local and stationary a nature, 

 that they would appear uninterest- 

 ing to those who have no connec- 

 tions with the country. Under this 

 head — the sections treating of the 



haram, or seraglio; the current 

 price of provisions ; the wardrobe ; 

 shawls ; elephant-stables ; horse- 

 stables ; and the manner in which 

 the emperor spent his time, will 

 afford much entertainment. 



Part II. contains regulations for 

 the military department, in which 

 there is a very singular custom de- 

 scribed, viz. the ceremony of weigh- 

 ing the royal person, as a means of 

 bestowing a largess upon the indi- 

 gent, for which benevolent purpose 

 it is performed twice a year ; gold, 

 and other valuables, being put into 

 the opposite scale for their benefit. 



Part III. comprises all the regu- 

 lations for the revenue department ; 

 and the article of most importance 

 is that entitled tribute and taxes. 



Thehistory of the twelve soobahs, 

 or vice-royalties, into which the 

 vast empire of Hindostan was di- 

 vided by the emperor Akber, in the 

 fortieth year of his reign, is the 

 leading subject, and indeed the most 

 important part of Vol. II. ; and as 

 it comprises a statistical account of 

 each soobah distinctively, together 

 with an analysis of the religion, 

 laws, manners, and customs of the 

 natives, it results from this brief de- 

 scription of its interesting details, 

 that all persons concerned in East- 

 India affairs, or in any capital de- 

 gree connected with its government, 

 wiU find it essentially necessary to 

 stud}' its various contents. 



At the era when this grand divi- 

 sion was made, the dominions of 

 Akber consisted of one hundred and 

 five sircars (provinces), subdivided 

 into two thousand, seven hundred 

 and thirty-seven kusbahs (town- 

 ships). The names of the soobahs 

 were Allahabad, Agra, Owd, 

 Ajmeer, Ahmedabad, Bahar, Ben- 



