1856.] Alfred von Kroner's edition of Wakidy. 53 



Notes on Alfred von Kremer's edition of Wahidfs Campaigns. — 

 By A. Sprenger, M. D. 



(First Notice). 



In June, 1854, when at Alexandria, I had the pleasure of making 

 the acquaintance of the distinguished orientalist, Alfred von Kremer. 

 He showed me a very valuable copy of the campaigns of Wa/cidj. 

 I induced him to edit it in the Bibliotheca Indica and recommended 

 it to the Asiatic Society of Bengal. On my return to India in 

 February, 1856, I had the pleasure of seeing it printed. Being 

 probably better acquainted with the subject than any one else, and 

 having several books which were not at the disposal of the learned 

 editor, I undertake to write some remarks on.! the work. I beg, how- 

 ever, in the commencement to express the high sense which I en- 

 tertain of Mr. Yon Kremer' s erudition and industry evinced in this, 

 as well as, in his previous labours. 



The Musalmans applied in early times the principles of judicial 

 evidence to the historical criticism of traditions and showed an aver- 

 sion against admitting written testimony alone, though sometimes they 

 were obliged to acknowledge it, as we shall see lower down. In their 

 opinion an account found in a book has no historical value, unless 

 you have a witness who has been assured by the author himself that 

 every part of the book is genuine or who has received this assurance 

 from another witness who again may have received it from another 

 up to the author. In olden times, it was usual to write the string of 

 witnesses up to the author into every fasiculus of the book in three 

 places : first on the title page, then in the commencement of the 

 text and then again at the end. The form in which it is written is 

 different in each of these three places. In writing the Arabic title 

 page to Von Kremer's book, I restored and completed the original 

 form from the editor's preface. In the last riwayat I used the word 

 " wijadatan." This is a technical term which is explained by Tyby 

 as follows : £*£» ia^ ^U^ i ^ »-£& iy| _y& j CyJj* &si ^j <j/o ^U^J| 



a]xs^ c>^ ^\SS ^ ji "Wijadah is a newly coined word and derived 



