4 OLDHAM : CATALOGUE OF INDIAN EARTHQUAKES. 



A. D. 



893 ? 894. ... and the total number of people that were found killed 



below the ruins amounted to 150,000." — (Tornberg's edi- 

 tion of Alkamil, Vol. VII., p. 323.) 



There is here a perfect agreement as to date. Indeed it 

 seems probable that both writers derived their information 

 from the same source. The month of Shawwal, in the 

 year of the Hijra 280, commenced 90 days before the 13th 

 of March, 894, A. D., that is, on the 14th of December 

 893. Hence the earthquake must have been at the close 

 of the year 893, or in the few first days of 894, A. D. 



But these two authorities differ in the name of the large 

 town said to have been destroyed, one calling it" Daibul," 

 the other Dabil. Now, Daibul, according to Yaqut's 

 Geographical Dictionary (a famous Arabic work), lay 

 "on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is a famous town, 

 and the waters of Lahor and Multan reach it, and flow 

 into the Bahr-i-Hind" (Indian Ocean). This is the ancient 

 town of Daipul. In all probability this was the town 

 visited by this severe earthquake, still it is very strange 

 that the narrators refer to no sea-wave having covered 

 the land. 



According to the same authority, Dabil is, 1st, a town in 

 Armenia, near Arran 1 (between the Euphrates and 

 Tigris) ; and 2nd, a sandy district in Arabia, between 

 Yamamah and Yaman. This would render it probable 

 that the earthquake was in Armenia, although there 

 seems nothing to lead one to conclude that this Dabil was 

 a town of such importance or size as to contain more than 

 150,000 inhabitants. 



1505. July 6th. — In the catalogues this very severe earthquake is referred 



to, but without a date, ' about the middle of the year.' 

 In Sultan Baber's memoirs also no date is given. And, 

 again, in Firishtah (Dow's edition, II., 75), an earthquake 

 is stated to have occurred at Agra on the 15th July, 

 which it seemed probable was the same as that reported 

 in Kabul, Afghanistan, &c. Elphinstone also (India, II, 

 586) notices the same earthquake as occurring at Delhi. 

 Mr. Blochmann, at my request, has been able to trace out 

 the history of this occurrence fully and to fix the date. 



1 Arran, Harran Harra, (Greek* avpovirf.i$), signifies volcanic region. 



C 1*8 ) 



