6 HISTORY OF CASHMIR. 



some passages, especially those of a legendary character, being' minutely 

 "riven, whilst others of more historical importance are imperfectly rendered 

 or altogether omitted. The author, Narayan Cul, was a Hindu Brahman, 

 and a native of Cashmir. 



The last work enumerated is of very modern date, having been written in 

 the time of the last Shah Alem: the author Bedia-ud-din was the son of Moham- 

 med Azim, the author of the Wakiat, whose omissions he purposes to supply, 

 from authorities peculiarly his own, and of which he had subsequently be- 

 come possessed. He particularly specifies the Nur N&mah, an ancient his- 

 tory of Cashmir, written by Sheikh Nur- ad-din* Wali in the Cashmiriau lan- 

 guage, and rendered into Persian by Moulavi Ahmed Almeh, in the reign 

 of Zein ul ab-ad-din. A copy of this the author had procured from one 

 of the descendants of the last independant princes of Cashmir, who were set- 

 tled as private individuals in Akberabad or Agra; and it is to be presumed that 

 to this work Bedia-ud-din owes the extraordinary additions which he has made 

 occasionally to the labours of his predecessors, and their common original. 

 None of the works above particularised, offer much valuable illustration of the 

 Sanscrit original history; nor do they furnish any additions of historical im- 

 portance. As well as the summary of Abulfazl however they are very use- 

 ful in corroborating" or explaining many parts of the Sanscrit text, whilst 

 they do comprise a few additional circumstances, which are curious at least 

 in their origin and character, although very questionable in point of pro- 

 bability or truth. The chief value of these works, however, is the notice they 

 take, of the comparatively modern condition of many towns and temples, 

 the foundation of which is commemorated by the Hindu writers, and the 

 existence of which at all, cannot perhaps now be verified, except upon the 

 testimony of these Mohammedan authors ; the short interval that has elapsed 

 since their days, having been sufficient to sweep away- the vestiges of an- 

 tiquity> which in their time continued to bear witness to the public spirit, 

 -and munificence, of the Hindu Sovereigns of Cashmir. 



In the utter darkness which envelopes the history of India previous to the 



