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August, 1876.]
ON THE NOUBAT.
251
the understanding of it, or to solve the problems to which it gives rise, must be received by all scholars with gratitude. But we ought never to forget that little will be gained by con- jecture, or by a perusal of the bare text of
Patanjali's work, and that no attempt at understanding the true nature of the Mahdbháshya is likely to be successful unless it be based on a careful study of what the Hindu commentators themselves have written about it.l
ON THE NOUBAT.
BY SIR WALTER ELLIOT, K.C.S.I., OF WOLFLEE. In translating old inscriptions, terms denot- certain what these were, * * * probably to ing ancient titles or honorific distinctions are five words or titles beginning with maha, as sometimes found which have either become ob- mahárdja, mahamandalesvara, &c." (Ind. Ant. solete, or which are expressed by words that do vol. I. p. 81.) not convoy the same meaning as formerly.
Mr. Fleet's opinion is to the same effect with One of these is páncha-mahdsabda. It oc- reference to its occurrence in certain inscripcurs occasionally in the string of titles describ- tions of the Kadamba lords of Banawasi. (Ind. ing donors of land or other benefactions. The Ant. vol. IV. pp. 180, 204.) prince or noble conferring the grant is said to A passage in Ferishtah's History of the Rise be samadhigata-páficha-mahasabda, literally he of the Muhammadan Power in India has sugwho has obtained five great sounds or words.' gested a more probable and, I think, a more Unable to find an intelligible meaning, I con- satisfactory explanation. Describing the splentented myself with rendering it Lord of the did ceremonial introduced into the court of Pånch-Mahababdas' in a grant made by a chief Kalburga by the second prince of the Bahmani of the Kalachuri family at Ingaleávara, in the dynasty, Muhammad Shah I., who succeeded Solapur district, observing in a note that it was his father in A.D. 1358, he says, "the noubat or a title conjoined with that of Mahamandalesvara, band of music played five times daily at stated the ordinary designation of subordinate nobles, hours," and one of the great officers of the housebut not usually assumed by a sovereign prince, hold was styled the Mîr Noubat, and held the although it does occur among those of Pu! - command of the bodyguard, which consisted of kesi I., one of the earliest Chalukya kings of 4,000 men, (Briggs's Ferishtah, vol. II. p. 299.) Kalyan, in & copper sásana dated A.D. 489. In a later part of his history he again alludes (Jour. R. As. Soc. vol. IV. p. 33, 1836.) . to the custom, and records that Sultan Quli
Mr. Shankar Pandurang Pandit, translating Qutb Shah of Golkondâ, who threw off the
Nagari grant of a chief of the Sinda family Bahmani yoke in A.D. 1512, "contrary to the in the Kalådgi district, makes it one who ! practice of India, introduced the customs of has obtained the five great words,' adding that Persia at his court, among which was that of " it had been usual to render it as meaning beating the noubat or imperial band five times
who has obtained the five great sounds,' viz. daily:" ibid. vol. III. p. 323. Ferishtah forgets, of certain musical instruments; but it seems however, when he derives the noubat as a novelty more probable," he continues, "that mahdsabda from Persia, that he had stated it to have been a refers to certain five titles, though I am not well-known usage nearly two centuries before.
| May I venture to request Professor Bhandarkar to latter character is given in Knight's Old England, taken reprint his articles on Goldstücker's Panini which were pub- from a MS. in the Cottonian Library (Cleopatra), where it lished in Native Opinion, so as to make them more has the form of a huge trombone. See, too, Notes and Que. generally accessible ? Some of Prof. Goldstücker's views ries, 5th Series, vol. 1. p. 128. are being repeated and used as arguments although they have been refuted many years ago. I allude particularly to
The barbuţ ( Bapßitov) was certainly a kind of
lyre, but ita etymon is equally obscure. his explanation of Patanjali's remarks on P. I. 2.63.
The meaning of noubat acoording to Meninski is a large • Briggs derived the word noubat from bat, a musical kettledrum (ahneotympanum), which, he adds, "in the instrument, and states" the noubat was originally a band time of Alexander was beaten three times a day"-a tradicomposed of nine different instrumenta." But this is tion derived from Persian authorities, for the Búrháni mere conjecture. Neither by Meninski nor Johnson is such Otti, sub voce, after stating that the roubat was played
meaning given. It is true, as he says, that the syllable is three times during the reign of Sikandar z'ul Qarnain, wbo found in such words as barbut, sackbut, but the derivation afterwards added a fourth time, goes on to relate that when of these names does not appear to be known. The Sultan Sanjar was fleeing before his enemies he fell ill, sackbut is said by some to be a stringed, by others and being unable to proceed, he ordered the noubat to be a wind instrument, and a representation of it in the beaten fifth time, in the hope that his persecutors might
