The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians: The Muhammadan Period, Volume 6Trübner and Company, 1875 - India |
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Common terms and phrases
Abdu-lla Abú-1 Fazl Afgháns Agra Ahmadnagar Ajmír Akbar Alí Khán amirs army arrived Asad Asaf Khán attack Bahádur Begam Bengal Bihár Bíjápúr brought Burhánpúr called camp chief command Court Dakhin Dániyál Dás death defeated Dehlí dín Duryodhan elephants Emperor enemy father favour fell Firishta fled force fortress gave Gujarát Hindús Hindústán honour horse Humáyún Husain Ibráhím Imperial India jágir Jahangir Kábul Kanauj Kashmir Khán-i Khán-khánán Khusrú Khwaja King krors Kulí Lahore Ma'súm Mahábat Khán Majesty Malik Ambar mansab marched Memoirs Mír Mirzá Muhammad Muhammadan Mulk Muzaffar Khán night nobles Núr Jahán officers ordered Orissa Parwez Patna Prince prisoners proceeded Ráí Rájá Rájá Mán Singh Rájpúts Rám Ráná rebels received reign river royal Royal Asiatic Society rupees Saiyid Salím sent servants Sháh Shah Jahán Sháhbáz Khán Shaikh Shaikh Faríd siege Sultán suprà Thatta throne took translation troops victory zamindár
Popular passages
Page 470 - The magistrate shall not make war with any deceitful machine, or with poisoned weapons, or with cannon and guns, or any kind of fire-arms...
Page 7 - Every event that had a tendency to take from his goodness, wisdom, or power, is passed over or mis-stated, and a uniform strain of panegyric and triumph is kept up, which disgusts the reader with the author, and almost with the hero. Amidst these unmeaning flourishes, the real merits of Akbar disappear, and it is from other authors that we learn the motives of his actions, the difficulties he had to contend with, and the resources by which they were surmounted.
Page 165 - In Bijapur I had found some tobacco. Never having seen the like in India, I brought some with me, and prepared a handsome pipe of jewel work. The stem, the finest to be procured at Achin, was three cubits in length, beautifully dried and coloured, both ends being adorned with jewels and enamel. I happened to come across a very handsome mouthpiece of Yaman cornelian, oval-shaped, which I set to the stem ; the whole was very handsome.
Page 5 - As a writer, Abu-1 Fazl stands unrivalled. His style is grand, and is free from the technicalities and flimsy prettinesa of other munshis ; and the force of his words, the structure of his sentences, the suitableness of his compounds, and the elegance of his periods, are such that it would be difficult for any one to imitate him.
Page 164 - ... choristers, all ready to perform whatever may be desired of them. In short, the whole bazar was filled with wine and beauty, dancers, perfumes, jewels of all sorts, palaces, and viands. In one street were a thousand bands of people drinking, and dancers, lovers, and pleasureseekers assembled ; none quarrelled or disputed with another, and this state of things was perpetual. Perhaps no place in the wide world could present a more wonderful spectacle to the eye of the traveller.
Page 464 - A'tish renders the passage suspicious. In other respects the verse in which it occurs does not bear the appearance of modern manufacture. In the 257th stanza, it is said, that " The calivers and cannons made a loud report, when they were fired off, and the noise which- issued from the ball was heard at a distance of ten lcos.
Page 405 - It is impossible to describe the beauty and wisdom of the Queen. In any matter that was presented to her, if a difficulty arose, she immediately solved it. Whoever threw himself upon her protection was preserved from tyranny and oppression ; and if ever she learnt that any orphan girl was destitute and friendless, she would bring about her marriage, and give her a wedding portion. It is probable that during her reign no less than 500 orphan girls were thus married and portioned.
Page 237 - Khankhanan, his sons and progenitors, who though he certainly was of sufficient eminence to deserve a full biography, it is here written, as usual under such circumstances, in so fulsome a strain of eulogy, that it is difficult to know what faith to put in it. The first Book contains Indian History, not sufficiently comprehensive to be of any essential service ; but it is so far valuable that it does not literally copy Firishta, which can rarely be said of any other author who has followed in the...
Page 282 - Emperor's followers, and the presents he gave and received ; but taken as a whole, the work is very interesting, and assuming that Jahangir is mainly responsible for its authorship, it proves him to have been a man of no common ability. He records his weaknesses, and confesses his faults, with candour, and a perusal of this work alone would leave a favourable impression both of his character and talents. Like his father, he was fond of jewels, and estimated their value as a true connoisseur. He was...
Page 357 - ... place, and the month, and the year of the reign, on the obverse. It now occurred to my mind that, instead of the name of the month, the figure of the sign of the Zodiac corresponding to the particular month should be stamped. For instance, in the month of Farwardin the figure of a Ram, in...