XIV 
INTRODUCTION. 
and when these could be identified, they often gave a useful clue. 
When all other methods failed, I had in many cases the Saroj as a 
guide. Sib Singh continually gives dates, and I have generally found 
them fairly accurate,—with this proviso, that he always gives his date 
as that of the birth of the poet referred to, when in reality it is not 
seldom the date of his principal work. 1 The Saroj’s dates have, at 
any rate, this value, that, in default of any other authority, we may be 
pretty certain that the author referred to was alive on the date which 
Sib Siijgh gives as that of his birth. In the present treatise any dates 
depending only on his authority have been printed in italics. I would 
draw attention to the addenda, which give some dates which I have 
been able to fix while the work was passing through the press. 
The following is a list of the anthologies and other works which 
form the basis of this book :— 
No. 
Name of anthology. 
Abbreviation. 
Author’s name. 
Date. 
1 
Bhakt Mala 
Bhakt. ... 
Nabkaji Das (No. 51) ... 
About 1550 A.D. 
2 
Gosai Charitr* 
Go. 
Beni Madliab Das (No. 
130). 
Tul’si (No. 153) 
About 1600. 
3 
Kabi Mata 
Mai. ... 
1655. 
4 
Hajara 
Haj. 
Kalidas Tribedi (No. 159) 
1718. 
5 
Kabya Nir’nay 
Nir. 
Bliikkari Das (No. 344) 
About 1725. 
6 
Sat-kabi-gira BiJas... 
fit* nt 
Bal Deb (No. 359) 
1746. 
7 
List of poets praised 
by Sudan. 
Sud. 
Sudan (No. 367) 
About 1750. 
8 
Bidwan Mod Tarag- 
gini. 
Bid. 
Subba Siggh (No. 590)... 
1817. 
9 
Kag-Sagarodbkab 
Kag-Kalpadrum. 
Hag. 
Krisk’nanand Byas Deb 
(No. 638). 
1843. 
10 
S rig gar Sap grab ... 
Srigg. ... 
Sar’dar (No. 571) 
1848. 
11 
Urdu translation of 
Bhakt Mala. 
U. Bhakt. 
Tul’si Earn (No. 640) ... 
1854. 
12 
Has Ckandroday ... 
ItfiS# ••• 
Tkakur Par’sad Tripathi 
(No. 570). 
1863. 
13 
Dig-bijai Bhukkan... 
Dig. 
Gokul Par’sad (No. 694) 
1868. 
14 
Sundari Tilak 
Sun. 
Harishchandr’ (No. 581) 
1869. 
15 
Kabya Sag grab 
Kab. 
Makes Datt’ (No. 696)... 
1875. 
16 
Kabi Katnakar 
Kab. 
Mata Din Misar (No. 
698). 
1876. 
17 
Sib Siggh Saroj 
Sib. 
Sib Siggh Segar (No. 595) 
1883. 
18 
Bichi tropades 2 
Bick. ... 
Nak’chhedi Tiwari 
1887. 
1 Sometimes, e.g. in tlie case of Man Siggh (No. 599), he gives the date 
of the poet’s death as that of his birth. 
2 This book is not mentioned in the body of the work, which only goes 
down to 1883. It is published at the Kaskika Tress, Banaras. The author’s 
name is Nak’chhedi Tiwarl alias Ajan Kabi, of Dum’raw. He worked in 
collaboration with Sudhakar Kabi. It is an anthology of didactic pieces in a 
comic style* About fifty well-known poets are quoted. 
