1846.] on the Western Jumna Canals. 221 



temporary supply derivable from the Chitang, and as the latter flows for 

 sixty miles almost parallel to the Jumna and at no great distance from 

 it, a misrepresentation thus arose. Otherwise we can only suppose that 

 Akbar, in self-glorification, falsely represented his own renewal and re- 

 pair of his predecessor's work, as an original enterprize of his own. 



Singularly enough the Sanad itself does not speak of the new canal 

 having been fed from the Jumna, but '■ from the nalas and streams at 

 the foot of hills which are collected in the Sonb river and flow into the 

 Jumna." But the Emperor speaks of his canal as capable of supplying 

 water all the year round, and the Jumna is the only accessible source of 

 such a supply. Doubtless then as now, the supply of water crossed the 

 Sonb, that is, flowed into it and again out of it, so that the canal 

 might with truth be said, to be drawn from nalas collected in the 

 Sonb. 



It is certainly somewhat singular that Firishta, who flourished in the 

 latter part of Akbar's reign, and has made prominent mention of the an- 

 cient excavations of Firoz, should not have alluded to this work. But 

 the historian residing in the Deccan had probably no personal know- 

 ledge of the work, whilst contemporary documents would be less ac- 

 cessible than those relating to past times. It is true also that the 

 Hansi canal is still known universally as the Canal of Firoz, and the 

 name fondly bestowed by Akbar in honour of his infant heir has been 

 utterly forgotten (w). But new names always adhere loosely among 

 the many : Dehli and Agra are likely to outlive the remembrance of 

 Shdhjdhdn&bdd and Akbardbdd, and though the canals have had as many 

 names as a Parisian place during the Revolution(v), yet Nahr Firozah, 

 the first name known to the people, keeps its place in their mouths. 



There seems no good reason to doubt the genuineness of the Sanad. 

 It is dated in the month of Shawal A. H. 978, from Firozpur in the 

 Subah of Lahaur. Now it appears from Firishta, that Akbar, on the 



(u) Akbar appears to have been particularly fond of this kind of nomenclature. 

 He called the new Subah of Kandish Ddndish, after his son Daniel.— (Rennet.) 

 (v) Some of these names are — 



Nahr Firozah. 



Shaikh Nai. 



Nahr Bihisht. 



Fyz Nahr. 



Shah Nahr. 



