940 Notice of the Rekhd Ganita, [Nov. 



common with all Hindu authors. He coolly informs his readers that 

 the work was originally revealed by Brahma to Viswakarma; and to 

 himself he attributes the honor and credit of restoring and reviving its 

 revelations, which he says had iu the course of ages been lost or for- 

 gotten. His object in so doing may perhaps have been rather a desire 

 to secure its acceptance with his countrymen*, than a hope of advancing 

 his own reputation. For at a time when the minds of the whole Hindu 

 nation were burning with a sense of indignation at the ruthless perse- 

 cutions and oppressions of the wily, bigotted and h; poci itical Aurang- 

 ze'b and his Muhammaclan advisers, he may have apprehended the total 

 rejection by all men of his faith of any thing however valuable profes- 

 sedly borrowed from the Musalmans and their Yunani teachers. The 

 fact of his hazarding a discovery of the theft, however bears ample 

 internal evidence to the gross ignorance of even all his educated coun- 

 trymen at this time. 



7. The allusion in the 3rd verse to the protection afforded to the 

 learned expatriated brahmans of Vrinddvan, probably refers to the 

 oppressive persecutions inflicted on the city and brahmans of Mathura 

 by Aurangze'b, by whose orders many temples and the valuable libra- 

 ries they contained, were destroyed. 



8. The allusion in the 4th verse to the courageous labours of raja 

 Jaya Singh, in removing " the people-grinding impost/* probably re- 

 fers to the obnoxious jaziyd imposed by Aurangze'b. The honor of 

 procuring its abolition he attributes to his master Jaya Singh. Colo- 

 nel Tod has given to rana Raj Singh the credit of having written 

 that roost eloquent, and elegant, and spirited letter of remonstrance 

 against this impost, which has been so admirably translated by Sir W. 

 B. Rouse, and which is attributed by Orme to Jeswant Singh of M&r* 

 war. I have seen nothing in the Persian language of which I would 

 more desire the honor of being the author than of his remonstrance ; 

 and if we consult the internal evidence, to what Hindu prince could we 

 with so much propriety attribute the noble sentiments it breathes, as to 

 the enlightened chief of Jaipur ? To him as well as to Jeswant Singh 

 I have heard it attributed. Colonel Tod in his partial zeal for the 

 Rajputs in attributing it to R/j Singh would have us regard it as a 

 proof of the enlightenment of his favorite Rdndwats of Udipura. But 

 if it must be given either to rana Raj Singh or Jeswant Singh of Mdr- 

 wdr, then to their enlightened Musalman munshis alone can be accord- 

 ed the credit of the actual composition ; for we have no reason whatever 



* Had he wished for concealment, he would not surely have retained the Persian 

 order in the letters of the diagrams (see PI. L,)— Ed. 



