13. Notes on a unique History of Herat, discovered in the 

 Bxihar Collection of MSS. in the Imperial Library, 



Calcutta. 



By Khan Sahib Maulavi ; Abdul Mttqtadir, Oriental 



Public Library, Bankipur. 



The Buhar collection of MSS., for Orientalists the most 

 important section of the Imperial Library, Calcutta, consists 

 of more than nine hundred Arabic and Persian MSS. represent- 

 ing the various branches of Muhammadan literature. Chance 

 directed me to a Persian MS. containing a history of Herat, 

 composed in the beginning of the eighth century, between 

 a.h. 721 (a.d. 1321) and 729 (a.d. 1329), by an author who 

 himself was an eye-witness of most of the events that he 



narrates. 



I have seen no notice of the existence of this work in any 



of the catalogues of European or Indian libraries, aud what is 

 more astonishing it seems to have been unknown to the cele- 

 brated Haji Khalifah as well as to many other bibliographers. 

 It is however mentioned by the author of the Raudat-ul- 

 Jannat as one of his sources. I have no hesitation in saying 

 that this rare volume is the most valuable literary gem of the 

 Imperial Library. That it should have remained hidden for 

 the last six hundred years is surprising and obviously regret- 

 table. 



The MS. is of a folio size, measuring 12" x 9", and consists 



of 275 folios with 25 lines to a page. It is written in a beauti- 

 ful bold and learned Naskh hand with fine rubrics, on creamy 

 white paper. It is in a damaged condition but fortunately no 

 page seems to be missing. The date of transcription is not 

 given, but the nature of the handwriting and the general aspect 

 of the MS. tend to suggest that the copy was made shortly 

 after the composition of the work. The following note on the 

 fly-leaf in the handwriting of 'Inayat Khan (d. a h 107/ = a.d. 

 1666), the celebrated historian and Librarian of the Emperor 

 Shah Jahan, proves that this valuable MS. once belonged to, 

 and was held in high esteem by, the aforesaid 'Inayat Khan 

 and his illustrious father Zafar Khan, Governor of Kabul and 

 Kashmir (d. a.h. 1073 -a.d. 1663), both authors of distinc- 

 tion. 'Inayat Khan says that this history of the Mali ks of 

 Herat, which belonged to his deceased father reached Kashmir 

 from Lahore at the end of Ramadan, a.h. 1047 (a.d. 1664). The 

 note runs thus : 



