296 
H. Beveridge— Memoirs of Bayazid ( Bajazet ) Biyat. 
[No. 4, 
The Memoirs of Bayazid ( Bajazet) Biyat.—By H. Beveridge, Esq., 
I.C.S. (retired). 
[Read November, 1898.] 
This work, which is still in manuscript, owes its origin to the 
Emperor Akbar. We learn from the introduction to the Akbarnama 
that when Abu’l-fazl undertook, under Akbar’s orders, to write the 
history of the emperor’s reign, considerable pains were taken to collect 
the necessary materials. Among other things inquiries were made 
among members of the royal family and old servants of the Court, 
and all who had knowledge of past events were directed to put their 
recollections into writing. It was in obedience to this order that 
Bayazid Biyat, who was then holding an office in Akbar’s kitchen, 
dictated his memoirs to a clerk of Abu’l-fazl. The same order pro¬ 
duced the charming memoirs of Princess Gulbadan, Akbar’s aunt, and 
apparently also those of Jauhar, the ewer-bearer. There is a copy of 
Bayazid’s Memoirs in the India Office, MS. No. 216. This was 
Erskine’s copy, and is the one which I have used for this article. 
Major Baverty had another copy which he quotes in his Notes on 
Af gh anistan, but which, he informs me, is no longer in his possession. 
I hope that other copies may turn up, and also that some scholar will 
one day undertake the editing of the text. If any one undertake the 
task, he will do well to consult MS. Additional 26,610 of the British 
Museum. This is a nearly complete translation of the Memoirs by 
Mr. Erskine, and which might almost be printed as it stands. 
Bayazid Biyat belonged to a Turkish tribe, but was a native of 
Persia and was brought up in Tabriz. This appears from p. 77 h where 
we are told that ‘All Quli ShaibanI (IQian Zaman) was a neighbour of 
Bayazid’s in Tabriz when he was little, and also from p. 102a where 
it is stated that Bayazid grew up with ‘Ali Quli in the Awa quarter of 
Tabriz. Bayazid was the younger brother of Shah BardI Biyat, the saint 
and poet, who forsook the profession of arms to become a water-carrier 
and whose tomb is at Bardwan. 1 
I See Professor Blochmann’s article on Bahram Saqqa, the name assumed by 
Shah Bardi, in the J. A. S. B. for 1871, vol. 40, p. 281. 
