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Abdul Wali— Antiquity and Traditions of Shahzadpur. [No. 3 3 
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On the Antiquity and Traditions of Shahzadpur.—By Maulavi Abdtjl 
Wali. 
[Read January, 1904] 
Among the various methods, which the Society has adopted, for 
the study of the land and people of Asia, the decipherment and reading 
of ancient inscriptions, on old temples, tombs and other monuments, is 
one. Unfortunately, when some of these inscriptions are not accom¬ 
panied by oral traditions or elucidatory notes, they give very little useful 
information. In the same way, mere traditions, unaccompanied by 
written inscriptions, are full of inaccurate hypotheses. In my 
opinion, tradition always has a substratum of facts which antiquarians 
can seldom disregard, and anthropologists never. It is to be regretted 
that since the death of the late Prof. Blochmann, our Society has not 
had the advantage of such an indefatigable researcher regarding 
Muhammadan Bengal. Thanks to the labours of a few workers, our 
knowledge of the early annals of the Europeans in Bengal is far more 
accurate now than it was before. 
The traditions of Shahzadpur—which I have collected—are of pass¬ 
ing interest; inasmuch as they give us a glimpse into the troubles, 
privations, and hostilities, which the early colonists and comers had to 
contend against. History tells with what ease Bakhtvar Khilji became 
the master of a part of Bengal, but passes over the hardship which 
subsequently terminated his career. 1 Our Society cannot, therefore, 
lose sight of monuments with no inscriptions, as also much of the 
legends and traditions of the past, for the fulfilment of its great 
objects. 
Shahzadpur, the headquarters of a thana and till lately of a Munsifi, 
is situated on the south centre of the great jute-producing sub-divi¬ 
sion of Sirajganj, which forms the northern half of the District of 
Pabna, which, again, occupies the south-east corner of the Rajshahi 
1 The popular notion that India fell an easy prey to the Musalmans is opposed 
to the historical facts. Hunter’s “ Indian Empire,” 3rd edition, 1893, page 323. 
