Indian Antiquary Vol 03

SR No.: 032495
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 420
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 408

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1874.
ANECDOTE OF NADIR SHAH.
BY H. BLOCHMANN, M.A., CALCUTTA MADRASAH. In my last paper on Muhammadan Chro The unique one (nadir) of the land of Iran, and the nograms' I said that chrunograms on coins were world taking sovereign, stamped upon gold the name of rare, and at the time of writing the essay I could
his rule in the world. only remember one instance. I have since found
On the roverse the above chronogram will be another in the early coinage of Nadir Shah
found, the letters of which when added give 1148, When Tahmâsp Quli, in A.1. 1148 (A.D. 1735),
the year of Nadir Shah's accession. usurped the throne under the name of Nadir But some years later the people at court Shah, the customary chronograms woro presented
advised Nadir Shah to omit the chronogram and to him. Among them was an Arabic one
change the reverse of the coins, because somo wit had said that by transposing the first two
letters, and writing al-khairu fi ma waqa's
good lies in what has happened, and Nadir Shah was so pleased with the good
1A khaira fi ma waqa's omen which the chronogram, in his opinion,
no good lies in what has happened, conveyed, that he ordered it to be put on the reverse of his coins. Marsden gives a figure in
people obtained a most inauspicious chronogram. his Numismata, and I saw also lately a few
Nadir Shah was very angry, especially as he could specimens brought by Capt. H. C. Marsh from
not trace the perpetrator of the joke, bat hoordered Hirat. The legend of the obverse of Nadir Shah's
the chronogram on his coinage to be discontinued. coinage is (metre, long ramal)
Hence all later coins of Nadir Shah have other reverses.-From Ghulam Al Ardd's History of Persian Literature, entitled “Khizanah i 'Amirah," sub voce Faiz.
الخير في ما وقع
لا خير في ما وقع
مکه بر زر کرد نام سلطنت را در جهان نادر ایران زمین و خسرو گيتي ستان
BENGALI FOLKLORE-LEGENDS FROM DINAJPUR.
BY G. H. DAMANT, B.C.S. RANGPUR.
(Continued from p. 321.) The Tolls of Goäil Hát.
for toll; and I built a shop, which they have A very poor man named Sadu used to live taken for rent and seized me and brought me near Goäil Hât; he had a wife and seven child- here : now I ask for justice.” As soon as they ren whom he was obliged to feed and clothe, but heard that, they said to & peon, "Why do you as he was a common cooly and received only two not obey your orders ? take his cloth and drive annas a day the result was that they were in him away." This was done and Sadu returned great distress, and never had more than half home in a sad plight and told his wife what had enough to eat. One day his wifo said to him, happened. She was very sorry, but after think"Husband, I have sown a pumpkin-plant and ing some time she said, "As all these tolls are by good luck it has borne twelve pampkins; taken in the market, why should not we take tolls take them to Goñil Hât and sell them and bay too P" Sådo replied, “Quite right, you have said food, and we will have enough to eat to-day." well; from to-morrow I will take tolls." So the Sadu was very much pleased to hear it, and put next market-day he tied a pagri on his head the twelve pumpkins in a bangy on his shoulder and put on a dhati ten cubits long, and took & and went to market.
stick five oubits long in his hand, and taking Now the market dnes at Gokil Hát were two servants with him went to the Hât. There very exorbitant, and in consequence his twelve he planted his stick before every shop and pumpkins were all taken away for toll, and ordered his servants to take food from each, when he built a shop in the market one of the and if any of the shopkeepers asked what new Rani Máyi's peons came and took it all away toll this was, he would reply angrily, "Do you for rent, so he went to the chief men of the market not know that I am Rani Mayi's wife's brother?" and said, “I brought twelve pumpkins to market They all thought that he must really be her and your servants have taken them all away wife's brother, for if he were not he would not