1848.] Hindi and Urdu, Hindi Tazkiras. 541 



Hindi and Urdu Hindi Tazkiras.* 



Letter from F. Edward Hall, Esq. to the Senior Secretary, Asiatic Society of 



Bengal. 



Among various works to which I have frequently been desirous of 

 referring, in connection with my Oriental studies, but which I have 

 found our library to be meagrely supplied with, I may mention, in par- 

 ticular, Tazkiras of the Persian, Hindi, and Urdu Hindi poets. These 

 Tazkiras contain biographical notices, — of poets especially, — and selec- 

 tions from their writings. At present I wish to call your attention to 

 those Tazkiras only which have reference to authors that have written 

 in Hindi and Urdu Hindi. The number of works of this description that 

 exists, has not yet been ascertained. M. de Tassy had been able to procure 

 but seven, when he published the first volume of his invaluable " His- 

 toire de la litterature hindoui et hindoustani," in 1839. In his preface 

 he gives the names of two more that had reached Europe, but which 

 he had not been able to avail himself of. These were in the collection 

 of the late Sir William Ouseley. Several others are mentioned in the 

 body of his work. His " Additions" will probably furnish the names of 

 some which I am as yet unacquainted with. In an interesting paper 

 in the January number of the " Nouveau Journal Asiatique" for 1843, 

 M. de Tassy gives some account of the Majma-u-lintikhab of Shah 

 Muhammad Kamal, the most voluminous and complete work of its 

 kind that had until then appeared. Capt. Newbold enjoys the credit 

 of having sent the first copy of this work to Europe, and perhaps of 

 beino- the first European aware of its existence. It was written in 1804-5. 

 Kamal was engaged about twenty years in collecting materials for it, 

 and two more in arranging them. From this compilation the curious 

 discoveries have been made, not only that Sadi wrote in Rekhta, but 

 that a fragment from his pen is the oldest specimen of Urdu Hindi 

 composition extant. Kamal even goes so far as to call Sadi the inventor 

 of the Rekhta language {*&&) uMj **y°)- The authority which the 

 compiler of the Majma-u-lintikhab adduces for these statements, is the 

 poet Qaim, who died about fifty-five years ago. 



* For a resolution passed with reference to this communication, see the Proceedings of 

 the Society for April last. 

 4 d 2 



