134 Badaoni and his Works. [No. 3, 



Nor was 'Abdul Qadir more fortunate in his translation into Persian 

 of the Mahabharat. Akbar even called him a Hardmkhur (sweeper) 

 and a ShalghamkJiur (turnip-eater), " as if that was the share due to 

 him for his labours." (Ain translation, p. 105, note 1.) At the 

 same time, however, he was engaged in writing a Persian translation 

 of the Ramayan, which after four years' labour he finished. In 

 Jumada I, 997, he presented his work, after a second revision, to the 

 emperor. "I had put," he says, " at the end of the translation the 

 following verse by Hafiz — 



I have finished my tale, who will take it to the Sultan ? 

 I have worried my soul, who will tell it the Beloved ? 



And this pleased His Majesty very much. He asked me how many 

 juz [one juz=Uvo sheets of paper] there were? "At first," said I, 

 " there were about seventy ; but after revising it, I got one hundred 

 and twenty."* " But you must write a preface to it," replied the 

 emperor, " according to the custom of authors." But I had no in- 

 clination (inWasli) for it, as prefaces had to be written without the 

 usual laudation (naH) of the prophet ; so I shut my eyes, and did as if 

 I assented. I take refuge with God against the consequences of com- 

 posing this black book [the Ramayan], which, like the book of my life, 

 is nothing but wretchedness. Relating the words of unbelievers, after 

 all, is not unbelief, and I earnestly denounce unbelief. * * * A 

 few days after, His Majesty was reminded that he owed me a present 

 for my translation. He said to Hakim Abulia th, " Just give him 

 this shawl here, and let him have a horse, and some money," and to 

 Shah Abulfath he said, " I give you the whole of Basawar as jdgir^ 

 and the grantholders there are also yours ;" and mentioning my 

 name, he said, u This man goes to Badaon ; and having neither 

 seen, nor heard any thing against him,. I hereby transfer his grant 

 from Basawar to Badaon." * * * As soon as I received the far-man 

 specifying my transfer, I took leave for twelve months, and went to 

 Badaon (p. 368). 



This transfer, in 997, from Basawar to Badaon is the cause why 

 'Abdul Qadir has been called Badaoni* On his return, in 998 from 

 Badaon to Court, he met his friend the Historian Nizamuddin 



* From the number of sheets which Badaoni presented, it may be'jnferred 

 that the translation was an abstract of the contents of the liamayan, not a 

 translation. 



