512 On the Use of the Siddhdntas [Oct. 



enced, in almost every part of India, the greatest obstructions in the 

 discharge of their duties, from the prejudices and ignorance of the peo- 

 ple and their native princes. At Kotah, no less ignorance and preju- 

 dice had been displayed than elsewhere : so strong were the suspicions 

 entez-tained by the late Raj Rana Madhu Singh, of the designs of the 

 British Government, when Captain Paton, the Deputy Quarter-Master 

 General at Nimach, entered his territories to survey certain roads, &c. 

 and so reiterated his objections in reply to the Agent, Captain Ross's 

 assurances, that the last-mentioned officer was at length obliged to 

 request Captain Paton to withdraw. Whilst at Kotah, I received orders 

 from Government, desiring me again to use my influence with the Raj 

 Rana to prevent all further obstructions. Upon this, I sent for Vaij- 

 na'th, the astronomer above mentioned, and for the Raj Rana's joshi, 

 and found no difficulty, by the help of the 33rd verse here quoted, and 

 others treating more at length on the subject, in satisfying them of 

 our real object. They equally soon procured for me an intimation 

 from the Raj Rana, that his co-operation w r ould infuture be readily given 

 to the officers deputed to survey his territories. 



15th. From the arguments and facts above recorded, the natural con- 

 clusion appears to me to be, that it will be our wisest course, at the 

 same time that we afford every encouragement to the study of English 

 by those who are likely to find use for it, or have leisure and talents to 

 prosecute it with effect, to give every encouragement to the study of 

 the Siddhantas ; and to the explanation of their contents, first to the 

 jyotishis, whose profession is founded on the principles given in them, 

 and through them to all their flocks. Where is the native of India, 

 however poor, who is not constantly consulting his jyotishi ? 



I would therefore recommend that no time be lost in giving to the 

 world the best printed editions of the Siddhanta Siromani of Bha's- 

 kak A'charya, including the Goladhyaya, or Treatise on the Globes, and 

 the treatises on Algebra and Trigonometry ; of the Surya Siddhanta, 

 and of that of A'rya Bha't, with Prithudak's commentary, the author 

 who maintains the diurnal though not the annual revolution of the 

 earth. 



The Graha Laghava (which, as far as my inquiries extend, seems to 

 be in almost universal use over the greater part of India,) will perhaps 

 be even of more use than the Siddhantas, if accompanied by the most 

 excellent and rational commentary of Malla'ri. Almost all these works 

 contain a chapter on the construction and use of the globes. These 

 the natives at our colleges should be encouraged to construct accord- 

 ingly, and to compare and contrast them with our globes, without 

 which no school or college in India ought to be. My own pandit and 



