2 Papers. [Jan. 



2. That he liad received only one essay in competition for the 

 Elliott Prize for Scientific Research for 1903. 



The General Secretary reported the presentation of 7 silver coins 

 from the Government of United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, found 

 in Jaunpur, Kheri and Fateligarh Districts. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On the Antiquity and traditions of Shahzadpur. — By Maulavi 

 Abdul Wall 



(Abstract.) 



The author brings together all that is known of the traditions and 

 ancient remains of Shahzadpur, in the Sirajganj subdivision of the 

 Pubna district, and thence attempts to reacli the underlying substratum 

 of fact. 



Shahzadpur has a small brick mosque of ancient construction 

 with 28 black basalt columns and door jambs of the same probably 

 taken from some Hindu temple. South of the mosque are more than 

 twenty tombs including the shrines of Makhdum Sahib, the martyr, of 

 Khwajah Kalan Danishmand, his nephew, and of the darvish Shah 

 Yusuf. There are also two large burying places of martyrs. A fair 

 is held annually near the mosque in April and May. Bokhara pigeons 

 are found round the mosque and in the neighbouring villages. 



The tradition is that Makhdum Shah was the son of a king of 

 Yaman in Arabia. With a large following, including his sister, tliree 

 nephews, and twelve darvishes, he set out on a religious expedition for 

 the spread of Islam. At Bokhara they were given a few khaki coloured 

 pigeons. At length they arrived in ships at Bengal which was then 

 mostly under water. The pigeons discovered land near Shahzadpur 

 and Makhdum Shah and his followers took possession of it. In the 

 conflict which followed between them and the Hindu rajah of the 

 country most of the Moslems were martyred. Supernatural signs led 

 the rajah to repent. He accordingly buried the martyrs with due 

 solemnity and built the mosque. 



The author points out that the king of Yaman whom the tradition 

 calls the father of Makhdum Shah was a contemporary of the Prophet. 

 His descendants may have emigrated to Trans-Oxcania or Bokhara. 

 Makhdum Sahib, a member of the family, may have been contemporary 

 with Nizamu-d-din Auliya, may have come to Bengal about the time 

 of its conquest by Muhammad-i-Bakht-Yar, and may have fought and 

 died as the tradition says. As his ancestor was a Shahzada, the place 

 of his death received the name of Shahzadpur. 



