Indian Antiquary Vol 18

SR No.: 032510
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 454
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 171

MAY, 1889.]
Kabul. Of the thirty dynasties among which these coins are distributed, the most largely represented is that of the Timaris. Of this there are 176 examples. Next come the Samant coins (78 examples), Khwarizmshahi (58), Saffari (48) Hulaqui (42) Khalifas (38) Persian (38) and Shaibani (26). Of the Tahiri (12) there are only three, but none of these appear to have been published; of the Zaidis and Ziaris there are no more than one apiece, but these two are very rare. Both were coined in Jurjan, one in A.H. 268, the other in A.H. 368. There are some examples which have not been successfully arranged either chronologically or dynastically.
(h.) Dakbid, by N. Veselovski.
MISCELLANEA.
The neighbourhood of Samarqand is very striking, and the palace of Timur, the Mosque of Khoja Ahrár, and the Mosque of Dahbid are especially to be noted. The last two are objects of reverence among the population as the burial places of two saints, the descendants of Muḥammad. Khoja Ahrar, who is buried about four versts from Samarqand was a philanthropist. Makhdam-i-Azam, as he is also called, is renowned in the chronicles of Islam for his conversion of the heathen of Eastern Turkistan.
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Sayyid Ahmad Kasani is buried in the kishlak Dahbid, twelve verats from Samarqand. He is better known as Makhdum-i'Asam, which signifies The Great Master.' Happening to be in Samarqand in 1885 the author visited his grave. He departed for Dahbid on the 31st August 1888, accompanied by a young native, the Mirza Akil. Having left Samarqand by the Paikobak Gate, they soon reached the kishlak Makhao, the most unpleasant place near Samarqand, where is a residence for lepers, who live upon alms. On básár-days they swarm along the roads leading to Samarqand: the women, frequently with children, stretch out wooden cups to passers-by, and, whatever be their age, are unveiled. Four versts from Samarqand are the ruins of an old town with a citadel (urda): about a verst from thence a ford passes the Zaravshan. The road from this point is planted with mulberry trees, extending to the mosque of Khoja Ahrår, and said to have been planted by him. Among the Turkistanis, planting mulberry trees on the road is considered a pious deed. When the mulberries are ripe, the travellers shake them from the trees and satisfy their hunger and thirst. The poor make flour out of the dried berries. This is probably the reason why they assign the planting of these trees to the Khoja Ahrår. There are many stories about his benevolence.
Dahbid signifies "ten willows." This kishlak is not healthy on account of the rice-fields
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surrounding it. Goftre is frequently met with. The mosque by the grave of Makhdâm-i-'Azam is large; the actual burial-place is separated by a brick wall. In the middle of the garden is built a dakhma, which is overgrown with tall grass, very much entangled. The writer goes on to describe how difficult it was to get there. His guide refused to follow him. The natives considered that whoever went into the dakhma would die, unless he were a Shekh and a descendant of Makhdom-i-'Azam. The mutawalli, as one of these, might have gone with the writer, but he hid himself, not wishing to assist an infidel to defile with his feet the grave of a holy man. The writer of the article accordingly went alone and came to a great monument of white marble, erected in the middle of the dakhma. He then gives the inscriptions on the graves, and a plan of the graveyard follows.
(i.) Musalman Books printed in Russia, by V. Smirnov.
The writer gives a list of the books printed in Russia in the Arabic, Persian and Turkish languages during the last three years. Lists of the kind were first published by Dorn. His bibliographical review appeared in Vol. V. Mélanges Asiatiques tirés du Bulletin de l'Acu démie Impériale des Sciences de St. Pétersbourg (1866) under the title of Chronologisches Verzeichniss der seit dem Jahre 1801, bis 1866, in Kasan Gedruckten arabischen, türkischen, tatarischen und persischen Werke, als Katalog der im asiatischen Museum befindlichen Schriften der Art. This attracted much attention in the foreign press (especially in England) as the Russians were not thought liberal enough to allow it. Originally most of these Oriental publications appeared at Kazan or St. Petersburg. More recently the printing press of Gasprinski was established at Bakhchisarai and that of Lakhtin at Tashkand. Besides single books and pamphlets, periodicals appeared in the Tatar language. Such were the Caucasus periodicals called the Agriculturist, the Scrip, and the Lights Some of these have come of the Caucasus. to an end, but the Interpreter has now existed for six years at Bakhchisarai. Besides these, in Tashkand there is a Government newspaper, which at first appeared in two languages, Sart and Kirghiz separately, but now appears only in Sart. The Musalman press has preserved its original character. Ten thousand copies of the Quran, the Heftiek, Sherdyatu-l-iman, Ustuvani, Bedevam, and prayer-books in Arabic, are printed under various titles, with a Tatar preface, representing the miraculous efficacy of these prayers. They are intended for poor people, and