English
Their names were Marhat, Kanar, and Talang; and Dakhinans are all descended from him, and up to this time all the three tribes dominate there. And Nnbarwal had three sons, namely, Babruj, Kanoj and Malraj. After them cities wore also named. of Mnsalmans ia the Parmeehnr of tho Hindus, that they ought to bo tolerant of each others creeds, and to regard each others as fellow-brethren Tho labours of Kabir may be placed between 1380 and 1420 A.C., and reflect not only credit on him, but illustrate what ethical and spiritual progress took place amongst the people of India under the impact, of Islam. It may be added that on Kabir’s death, both Hindus and Musalmans claimed his body; so catholic and liberal was he in his views. This great thoistio move¬ ment set on foot by Kabir, received expansion in tho following century bv the labours of Chaitanya, the Nuddca leader of Vishnuism, in Bengal who flourished in the reign of Saltan Alan-d-din Husain §hah, King of Bengal. 20 And Purab, who was the eldest son of Hind, had forty-two sons, and, within a short time, their descendants multiplied and colo¬ nized different countries, and when they became numerous, they raised one of themselves to be the chief and to look after the management of the realm. And Bang, the son of Hind, getting children born to him, colo¬ nized the country of -Bengal. The name of Bengal was originally Batig. And the reason why the word nl was added to it, is this: al in the Bengali language meansan ‘embankment’ or raised ground, which is placed round a garden or cultivation,, so that Hoods may not enter it. As in ancient times, the chieftains of Bengal on lowlands which were situate at the foot of hills, used to raise mounds about ten cubits high and twenty cubits broad, and to make homes, cultivations, and buildings within them, people used to call this couutry Bangalah. 1 The climate of Bengal is temperate, and owing to proximity to the sea and owing to heavy rains, is very damp. The rainy season begins from the month of Urdi Bihisht, 2 3 which in Hindi is called Jaet, and for six months the mins continue ; this is unlike other parts of Hindustan, where rains set in from the middle of the month of Khurdad, which the Hindis call Asar and lust till Shalirlwar which Hindis call Asia, for four months. In the rainy season, the lowlands of Bengal get flooded, and the climate becomes bad, especially towards the end of the i-ainy season. Human beings as well as animals become sick and die. The soil contains much damp, so that in many places they build two- storeyed buildings, made of lime and brick Notwithstanding -that they make the floor of lime and brick, the lower rooms art not fit for habitation, and if any one lives there he soon falls sick. And owing to excessive humidity’, the soil of Bengal has much power of sprouting, for instance, some sorts of paddy, in propor¬ tion to the rise of water, so long as they are not inundated, shoot 1 Abul Fazl similarly in tho Ain-i-Akbari explains the origin of the term Bangalah. (See Jar. Tr., p. 115, Vol. 11). In the Tabaqat-i-Nafiri, the expression “ Bang ” is invariably nsed. In the Tarikh-i-Firuz Shaht, the expression “ Bangalah ” or “ Bengal ” is used. 3 Tho Persian Calendar consists of twelve solar months, named (1) Farwar- din (March), (2) Ardibihasht (April), (3) Khurdad (May), (4) Tir (June), (5) Mardad (July), (6) Shahriwar (August), (7) Mihr (September), (8) Aban (October), (9) Addr (November), (10) Di (December), (11) Bahman (January), (12) Sepaudarmaz (February). See Richardson’s Pers. Diet, and also Ameer Ali'e History of Sarccns, p. 316. 21 forth higher up and their cars do not sink under water, and similarly from one paddy-seed two or three seers of paddy arc obtained in the ease of certain sorts of paddy. And most of the lands grow three crops in a year. And the crop of that country is all paddy, whether tine or coarse. Other crops, such as wheat, barley and pulse, tc., arc scarce. And strange to say the paddy crop grows in so much abundance that it needs not the rains in dry months nor the water of wells and rivers. Hut in eases of drought in the rainy season, the paddy crop is totally destroyed. 1 The dwellers in villages arc loyal and submissive to their rulers, aud unlike the Zemindars and tenants of other provinces of Hindustan, they do not fight with their rulers. They pay in the land revenue of each year in eight instalments in eight months, and the tenants personally pay their rents at the Kacheris. The appraisement of each crop is based on vasnq *—and nasuq is a document which remains with the mnhnrir 8 and the paticari * and the Kurknn* with the seal of amil. But in affairs relating to bargains of giving and tukiug and purchases and sales and other worldly matters, no race in all the xour quarters of the globe is equal to the Bengalis in wickedness, duplicity, knavery and villainy. They do not consider loans repayable, and the promises which they pledge to perform in one day, they do not fulfil in one year. And the food of the natives of that kingdom, from I he high to the low, arc fish, rice, mustard oil and curd aud fruits and sweetmeats. They also cat plenty of red chilly and salt. In some parts of this country, salt is scarce. The natives of this country arc of shabby tastes, shabby habits and sl abby modes of dress. They do not eat breads of wheat find barley at all. Meat of goats and fowls and clanfied-buttcr do not agree with their system. And there are many amongst (hem who, if they cat the same, cannot digest them, and vomit them out. The dress of both males aud females, thl ^ C 8 cri J Uons of Amines in India in past times will bo found in o Tartkh-t-Ftruz Shahi, liadaoui, and the Uaasir-UAlamyiri. Alml Faxl in the Ain says:-**The harvests are always abundant .r 01 T"’ aUd ^ determined IT T, P ' U,S i,aje8tjr Em lW Akbar in his goodness has oonfirnmd tins practice.” (See Ain-f-AUban, Vol 2, pp. 12M22, 3 Muhnr is a clerk. 8 "KarkT ,r VllIng ° Accoun tant.—’This functionary flourishes even now. of - , W “ a 8 U P ervUJOr patwuris,-he was an Imperial fficer m charge of the accounts of a ^arjanah. The ** Karkuns •• were in supervise y • Amils 1 m charge of an aggregate of parganahs or a 22 of both the upper and lower classes, consists of one strip of cloth just sufficient to cover the private parts. The males wear one white strip of cloth, called generally a dhoti , which is tied from below the navel down to the leg, and a small turban about two or three cubits long is tied on the side of the head, so that the whole skull of the head and the hair arc visible. And the females wear one strip of cloth called a sari , half of it is wrapped round from below the navel to the leg, and the other half being drawn across aside is thrown down the neck. They arc bareheaded, and do not wear any other cloth ; nor do they wear shoes and stockings. Both males and females daily rub mustard oil over their bodies, and bathe in tanks and rivers. The Bengali females do not observe purdah , and go out of their houses for the performance of evacuations and other household duties. And the wildness and habitation of this country are similar, in that the people erect huts of thatch, made up of bamboos and straw. Their utensils are generally earthen, and few are of copper. Whenever quitting one plaec they migrate to another, straightway they erect a thatched hut, similar to their former one, and collect earthen utensils. Most of their habitations are in jangles and forests, so that their huts are encircled with trees. And in case one of the huts catches fire, all the huts arc burnt down, and after the con¬ flagration they get no trace of their habitations, except through trees which surrounded their huts. Most of them travel by water, especially in the rainy season, in which season they keep boats, small and large, for journeys and for going to and fro. For travelling by land, they have conveyances, such as singhasan 1 and palhi and jowalah. Elephants arc captured in some parts of the country ; good horses are uot procurable, and, if had, they cost much. A curious sort of boat is made in this country for capturing forts. And it is in this wise: the boat is large, and district. Hero wc got a glimpse of the old fiscal system in regard to its account-branch. In the collection-brancb of the Musalman fiscal sjsUim, Shiqdvr, (corrupted into Hindu family names Sikdars) presided over Mahals, Majmwahdars (corrupted into Hindu family name, of Morumdar.) over a group or circle of Mahal, or a Turf, and over an aggregate of Mabala or l-urfe, oorreaponding to a modern District, an Amil presided and over an aggregate of Districts or a Division, the District., there ^ ”‘ W “ - TheTaet two functionaries were generally Musalman. whilst the first two subordinate functionaries were tlmost invariably H.ndns, , gjnghasan of onr author correspond, to Abul Fail's “ Sukhasan the Am. (See Ain-i-Akban, VcL 2, p. 126). k the prow of it, which is called in the dialect of the country gnlki, is made so high that when it is placed alongside the wall of a fort, people from the boat can get on to the wall from it, and enter the fort. And a kind of carpet is manufactured from tho linseed plant, which is very pretty and much liked. And precious stones, pearls, jasper, and ruby do not exist in this country. Prom other countries these are imported into the ports of this Subah. And the best fruit of this country is mango, which in some parts is iarge, sweet, and without strigns, and tasty, and has a small stone. And the tree of three years’ growth—of the height of a man- - bears fruit. And large oranges, which are called ifean/a, and small oranges, which are called. naranqi, grow well in this country. And varieties of citrons are available.