220 A Canal Act of the Emperor Akbar, [No. 171. 



Major Rennel's words with regard to the Hissar canals are as follows : 

 "It appears that previous to the building of Hissar, Firoz had 

 made a canal from the Jumna, near the northern hills, to Safidun 

 a royal hunting place ; for the purpose of supplying it with water. 

 This canal was in length 30 royal cosses or full 60 G. miles; and it 

 passed by Karnal and Toghlukpoor. After the foundations of Hissar 

 were laid, he drew two principal canals to it ; one of which was a pro- 

 longation of the canal of Safidun, the whole extent of which was then 

 80 (common) cosses, or about 114 G. miles. The other principal canal 

 was drawn from the Sutlege river to Hissar Firozabad. The outlet 

 and course of this canal is not so clearly denned as the other : Capt. 

 Kirkpatrick, to whom I am indebted for the information concerning 

 Hissar and its canals, had it from a history of Firoze written by 

 Shumse Seraje, soon after the death of that great monarch which hap- 

 pened in 1388." 



With regard to this Sutlege canal to Hissar Firozah having ever 

 been successfully executed, we may feel sceptical. The only line within 

 possibility would be from the neighbourhood of Rupar to the Sirhind 

 nala, and thence crossing the Ghagar into the Hissar district, according 

 to the general line sketched by Capt. Baker in 1841. But leaving this 

 and turning to the Safidun canal, we remark that in Hodgson and 

 Herbert's map, a branch of the Chitang is represented as quitting the 

 main channel and passing within a short distance of Safidun (t). And this, 

 guided by the Sanad before us, we might suppose to be the original canal 

 of Firoz, were not the statement so distinct that his canal was drawn 

 from the Jumna. Toghlukpur I have no knowledge of, but the mention 

 of Karnal points to the existing line of canal, as the Chitang is ten 

 miles distant from that city. It is difficult to doubt this evidence, and 

 yet it is almost equally difficult to throw overboard the clear statement 

 of Akbar's Sanad. It is indeed possible that Firoz may have connected 

 the Chitang at a much higher point of its course with the Jumna, by 

 a cut which could only convey a supply of water into the nala when the 

 river was at high levels ; or that a canal from the Jumna was by Firoz 

 Shah attempted unsuccessfully, upon which recourse was had to the 



{t) " Of this branch all I am aware of is, that in seasons heavy of rain great floods 

 pour into the canal near Barod, said to be consequent on the destruction of the earthen 

 dams of the Chitang. — Col. Colvin in J. A. S. 11. 106. 



