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Introduction
[ 5
would have served little purpose, if the author had satisfied himself with a bare naming of the Kacchawāhā rulers. On the other hand, he has exhaustively dealt with the Jaipur of the times of Sawai Jai Singh as an eye-witness (also noticeable from the remarkable case in which he has done it). In every case this portion is his own contribution to the text.
One may raise the question, whether Bakhata Rāma Śāha was an eye-witness to that portion of the text where he has described the prosperity and other aspects of the new city of Jaipur founded by Sawai Jai Singh. His MKN was completed twent y-ore ycars after the death of Jai Singh in 1743 A.D. The grave nature of both the works is a clear index to his having attained maturity as a grown up man. Besides, his works cven as translations are not mcre mechanical reproductions of old texts, as is usually the case with professional scribes. Bakhata Rāma Säha had regularly exercised his own intellect and this also exposes the sedate in him. If one were to judge this work as a source of contemporary history it stands in gain in comparison with whatever little information we have on the medieval period of Indian History based mainly on the writings of the Persian Courtchroniclers. The Non-Persian sources have not yet been studied properly and historians are very much unaware of such works as the BV, where historical passages appear and re-appear in works of the like natur. Possibly, all such writings may no more change our conclusions towards the common trend of medieval Historical writings i.e. a mere record of simply what happened and when, and that too within the rigid framework of a predominantly Political History. Medieval schclarship had certain serious limitations. They were all battle loving historians bare to the bone.
Even in the BV there is the too common a deification of the Kings and their faultless deeds, but at the same time we come across a useful account of the new city of Jaipur, v.hich considering its extent is not accidental, but motivated with a desire to give a contemporary account of great interest. It is most useful to pick up all such passages, even if they occur in manuscripts on subjects other than History. Besides, in such works as the BV, the author enjoys a certain degree of freedom in telling the truth, which was rarely enjoyed by official historians. This way, we can raise volumes of such 'relavent to history' passages. While describing the city of Jaipur, the author has not viewed events, exclusively from the angle of small social units, and both the king ard his subjects have played their role in making the Kacchawāha Capital, tiuly an Eastern metropolis. Founded by the famous astronomer, Sawai Jai Singh, it takes its name from that illustrious prince to whom the essence of history lay in change. He began to build with a passion, with an insatiable curiosity and energy. The "Pink-city" rose with fantastic speed. He never cared to be surroun
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