English
” The Aryans must have fallen very low in tho scale of spiritualism, tf have needed lessons in religion from a preceptor hailing from Chntia Nagpur, who was apparently a Dravidian or Sonthali Brahman. Thi B infringement of “spiritnal light” from the defiles of Chutia Nagpur tract, in the time of Rajah Suraj, strengthens my surmise that Surajgarh, whioh is not far from Chutia Nagpur, was tho home or residence of Rajah Suraj. Jt may also be noted that tho Southalese worship images of their ancestors, whioh worship is referred to in tho text. ® Zaidasht or Zartasht or jZardahasht is the name of a person descended fromManuchahar, and ^disciple of Tythagorai. During the reign of Emperor as_tasp of Persia he claimed to be a prophet, and irtroduccd fire-worship. The Magians regard him as a prophet, and say that his name was Ibrahim, an consider his book the Zend (or Zendav&rta), as a revealed book. Ho is supposed to have been the Zoroaster of the Greeks 54 I he time of Gashtasp, 1 Emperor of Persia, and spread to Kabul and Sistan and throughout the empire of Persia, and that, in process of time, the kingdom of Bengal became subject to the Rais of Hindustan, and the Rais of Bengal paid revenue and sundry tributes. After this, Shangaldip,* emerging from the environs of Koch, 3 became victorious ovcn-Kidar, and founded the city of Gaur, and made it the seat of government, and for a period ruled over the Kingdom of Bengal and the whole empire of Hindustan. When Shangaldip collected four thousand elephants, one lak cavalry, and four laks of infantry, the breeze of insolence wafted in the recesses of his brain, and he ceased to pay tribute to the Emperors of Persia, 4 as was hitherto the practice with the Rais of Hindustan. Aud when Afrasiab 6 deputed some one to demand the tribute, he rebuked and insulted him. Afrasiab flew into rage, and despatched his General, Piran-visab, with fifty thousand l Gashtasp or Keshtab was the Darina Hystaspus of the Greeks, and belonged to the Kainian dynasty ; his son, Isfandiar, was the Xerxes of the Greeks, and his grandson, Bahman, was the Artaxorxes Longimanus of the Greeks. (See Nanuih-i-Khiuruan, p. 59). 8 In Ferishta, '‘Shangaldip” is called “ Shangal, ” and so in the text in another place. In Ferishta (Persian text), Vol. 2, p. 233, the following account of Shangaldip or ghaDgal appears: “ Shangal, towards the close of the reign of Bajah Kedir Brahman, emerging from the environs of Koch (Koch Behar) wou a victory over Kedar, and founded the City of Lakhnaoti, which is otherwise known as Gaur. Skangal mobilized a force of four thousand elephants, one Ink cavalry, and five lak infantry, and stopped paying tatatoto Afrasiab, the King of Titan or Tartary or Soytbrn. Becoming eoragod, Afrasiab depated bis generalissimo, Piraa-Visah, with fifty thousand cavalry to Tbasti.e Shangal." The rest of the occouat of Ferishta Wl-e. vnth that i0 8 Ka^h Behar used to be known iaeariy days s the tract of the "Koch - im jr ,y Pe“ ;;re;. - is ^ "z Tartary or Scythia, of which Afri.iib was monarch. This rndmates subjection of India (like Persia) to the Scythians at a 'emote Pane . or s^ rr.: aMtgX’-f nr; Oxus by a famons chief called aza. z , and hi8 celebrated son, ram 8 6 family surname, like the Pharaoahs, the Ptolemys, the Cmsars. 55 Mongols, thirsty for blood. In the mountains of Koch, near the limits of Ghoraghat, in Bengal, an engagement took place ; tor two days and nights the fighting continued. Although the Mon¬ gols displayed deeds of bravery, and put to the sword fifty thousand of the enemy, yet owing to the overwhelming numbers of the Indian army, they could effect nothing. The Mongols also lost eighteen thousand of their numbers, and on the third day, seeing symptoms of defeat on the forehead of their condition, they retreated. And as the Indian army was victorious, and the Mongol’s country was distant, the Mongols gave up fighting, and retiring into the mountains, secured a strong place, where they entrenched themselves, and sent to Afrasiab an account nairating the state of things. At (hat time, Afrasiab was in the town of Gaugdogb, which is situate midway between Khata and China, and is distant a month’s journey on the other side from Khanbi. ligh. On the simple receipt of the account, and being apprised of the state of things, he marched swiftly to the aid of the Mongols, with one lak chosen cavalry. And at a time, when Shangal, summoning together the Rais of the surrounding countries, was pressing the siege hard against Piran, and was about to put all to the sword, he ( Afrasiab) attacked him on the way. The Hindus, on the first onslaught, losing heart and feeling paralysed, dispersed, like the constellation of the bear. Piran, relieved from the anxiety of the siege, paid his obeisance to Afrasiab. Afrasiab threw down on the soil of annihilation as many of the Hindn nrmy as he could. And Shangal with the remnants being vanquished, retreated to the town of Laklinauti, and owing to the pursuit of Afrasiab, could not prolong his stay at Lakhnanti more than a day, and took refuge in the bills of Tirlmt. And the Mongols, ravaging the Kingdom of Bengal, spared no trace of fertility. And when Afrasiab planned an expedition towards the hills of Tirhut, Shangal begged forgiveness for his misbehaviour through wise envoys, and presented himself before Afrasiab with a sword and a winding-sheet, and prayed for leave to go to the country of Turan. Afrasiab, being pleased, bestowed the Kingdom of Bengal and the whole empire of HindQstan on Shangal’s son, and carried Shangal in his company, and in the battle of Hama- I 1 The capital of China used to be called iu those days “ Khanbaligh,” pr “ City of the Great Khan. 1 * 56 waran Shansi was killed at the hands of Rustam. 1 And in the reign of Rajah Jaicliand, 8 owing to whose neglect, decay had over¬ taken several provinces of Hindustan, and for years Hindustan did not see its normal state, ruin was visible over the whole empire of India. At that time, certain Rajahs of Bengal, finding an oppor¬ tunity, and grasping at domination, became independent. And when Fur (Porus), 3 who was a relation of the Rajah of Kumayun* emerged, lie first subjugated the province of Kumayun, and then capturing in battle Rajah Dahlu, brother of Jaichand, who had founded Dehli, 6 subjugated KanQj, and after this he marched with his force towards Bengal, and brought it to his subjection, up to the confines of the sea. And this Porus is he, who was killed at the * Rustam, the Persian Hercules. He was a successful general under the first kings of the Katanian dynasty, in their wars of defence against the in¬ cursions into Persia of the Turanian or Scythian inonarchs. For a graphic account of those stirring warfares between the Scythians or Turanians or Mongolians and Iranians or Persians, see “ Shahnutnah ” of Firdausi, the Homer of the East. It is worthy of note that Firdausi, in his immortal Persian epic, gives also the name of an Indian prince as Shangal, in connection with the adventures of Bahram Gaur, a Persian monarch of the Snssanian dynasty, who reigned in the middle of the fourth century. Perhaps, this later Slmngal was a descendant of the original Shangal taken captive by Afrisiab, the Scythian monarch. In this connection, it may also be noted for grasping chronological relations referred to in the text, that there were the following fofcr dynasties of old Persian kings : (I) Peshdadians, including the Kaimnras, the Jamshids, and the Fariduns; (2) the Katanians, founded by Kaikubad about 600 B.C. -including Khusrau or Kai Khusrau, Bahman, and Darah or Darius Ac. (3; AJrkanins, including Hormuz, Ac., Ac. (4) the Sassanians, founded in 202 A~C. by Ardisher Babegan, including Bahrain Ganr and Naushirvan, Ac. (See Namai-Khusruan, a short Persian History of Persia by Mirza Muhammad). 2 At the time when Sult/m Muizuddiu Muhammad Sam alias ShaliSb- udin Ghori, made incursions into Hindustan, Rnjnh Jaichand Rmhor ruled" at Kanauj and Benares, hju! Rijfih PetlmuraJEonwar ruled at Delhi. Tabaqat , P. 120. b But 1 it must be noted that there is in the text (probably owing to mistake of the copyist of the original manQBcript text) a confusion in the sequence of events related ♦ In the neighbourhood of the Panjab, Alexander gave battle to the Hindu prince, Porus, who had advanced from Kanauj, and put him to rout. 6 Abul Pa|l in the Ain says: “ A part of the northern mountains of the Subah of Dlbl is called Kumayun. Here are mines of gold, silver, lead, iron, copper, and borax. Here arc also found the musk-deer aud.the Kulns cow and silkworm* ” Ain-i*AkO\ri t Vol. 2, p. 280. hands of Alexander. After this, Rajah Modiw Rathor, 1 like whom there had been few such powerful Rajahs in Hindustan, marching with his forces, conquered the Kingdom of Lakhnauti, and allotted it to his nephews, and after introducing perfect methods of govern¬ ment, returned to Kananj with immense booty. And, in efflux of time, the Rajahs of Bengal again assorting independence, continued to rule peacefully. 8 Inasmuch as the object of the author is to chronicle the history of the Musalman sovereigns, therefore, not busying himself with the details of the affairs of the Hindu Rais, he reins back the graceful steed of the black pen of writing from striding this valley, and gives it permission to canter towards relating and reciting the details of the history of the Muhammadan rulers and sovereigns. AN ACCOUNT OF THE BEGINNING OF THE ILLUMI¬ NATION OF THE DARKNESS OF BENGAL BY THE RAYS OF THE WORLD-ILLUMINATING SUN OF THE RELIGION OF MUHAMMAD (PEACE BE ON HIM!) BY THE ADVENT OF MALIK IKHTIARU- D-DIN MUHAMMAD BAKHTIAR KHILJI, AND OF HIS SUBJUGATION OF THAT KINGDOM:- l In Ferishta, u Kamdeo Rathor.