70 N. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XIX, 
inscription as a common noun, and absurd to translate it as 
‘‘the victory of Haidar was manifested or born to conquer 
the world.’ This clinches the question and it is quite clear 
that the coin-legend should be translated thus: ‘“ The Faith of 
Ahmad (i.e. Muhammad) has received lustre from (or been 
illumined or glorified by) Fath Haidar in the world.’ 
But if the building up of these metrical legends is often 
difficult, their correct interpretation is at times no easy task. 
To give aninstance, the rendering of the Jammia rupee-couplet 
which was first given by Rodgers (J.AS.B., 1885. p. 66; also 
. J.A.S.B., 1888, p. 33), and which has been transcribed into his 
own catalogue by Mr. Whitehead is, to my mind, absolutely 
indefensible. The Persian distich is— 
25S oT ye cove “Sy iile 
o,f ols Je only egos 
and Rodgers translates it thus :— 
‘** Ranjit Deo peopled this part, 
Lachmi Narain made glad its heart.” 
The English words hardly yield any sense, and are at best 
only “sounds signifying nothing.’ But if they mean that 
the city or district of Jammu was first peopled by Ranjit Deo, 
it is historically false. The antiquity of Jammd and its long 
line of kings is matter of common knowledge. Their in- 
Smyth’s “History of the Reigning Family of Lahore 
(pp. 219-263) by any one who cares to do so. Vide also Elliot 
and Dowson, III, 467, 471, 517, 519; IV, 56, 58, 415. 
Again oS oT alk does not mean ‘to people a part. 
olf aK is a common exclamation or mode of salutation and 
means according to Steingass, ‘‘ May you flourish”’ (Dictionary, 
8:¥.). seems to me that the order of the lines must be 
reversed and that the following would be a fairly faithful 
version in English of the Bait : 
Lachhmi Narain gladdened hearts, 
And made the family (lit. house) of Ranjit Deo pros 
perous (or flourishing). 
1 have elsewhere (Num. Sup. XX XV, p. 57) adduced reasons 
for holding that Ranjit Deo died in 1781 A.C. His known 
coins bear the dates 1841 Sambat and XXVIIR. Now the 
28th year of Shah ‘Alam II lasted from 5-V-1200 to 4-V-1201 
A.H. i.e, from 6th March, 1786, to 22nd February, 1787 A.C- 
[Mr. Whitehead has 1199-1200 A.H., but this is an error | 
Vikram Samvat 1841 commenced on 14th October, 1784 N.S., 
and ended on Ist November, 1785 N.S. The discrepancy cannot 
be explained except on the supposition that 28 is an error, for 
