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182
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JULY, 1879.
strip of country called Någ hor, stretching, roughly speaking, from Chorwad, to the vicinity of Jafarâbâd.
My own impression is, that Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, besides converting a number of Hindus, left a governor and force of Musalmans, in Patan Somanath, on his departure to Ghazni, and that though, in progress of time, this element was reduced to insignificance, it was never completely effaced. If this were not so, what is the meaning of the celebrated inscription at Verwal, dated Samvat 1320, in which Mubammadans are distinctly mentioned, together with the local Châvadâ rulers, as great authorities at that place. For this is previous to Ulagh Khan's conquest. Ulugh Khan's expedition appears to have been directed against this belt (Nagher), and not against Junagadh ; probably
because the one was rich and populous; while the other presented numerous difficulties with no corresponding advantages. I hold this conquest to have been much more thorough than is usually supposed; though even after this, the Hindu element again seems to have got the upper hand at Somanath Patan, but not I think in the remaining portion of the Nagher belt, where Muhammadan' rule was now becoming more or less settled. This is, I think, clear from the inscription below, which occurs in the shrine of Hazrat Sayyi Shah Kadari at Una, and which is dated so far back as A. H. 760 (A.D. 1358) during the reign of Firuz Tughlik. The shrine occupies a prominent place in the citadel of Una, which was clearly at that time in the possession of the Muhammadans. The inscription is as follows:
منزلت سليمان جار
جلا ء كان فلى فرخند و شهيد عصر دولت بعهد
ظل الر
بارگاه
جهان پناة دخل ابوالمظفر فیروز شاي جملہ مکین
دین بدو راه تا غیر اہل
ملک بهلک او ديش بعافيت خیر شد مامور بجهاد زمری روز سال هفت صد و شصت بدان بهشت زیارت کے بند و در کا
خطاب بند ظفر خان ظفر حضرت شاه محمد اسم لقب تا مثبت آن عهد
مهد شاه
این کرد بتوفیق
بنا مدام درگاه
بند 4 امیدوارم
امین رب العالمین
Kazi Ahmad of Delwara considers that there are mistakes in this inscription, though he admits that it is thus in the original, and has given me a copy corrected according to his views. But though he may very possibly be correct, I have preferred the original, which may be roughly rendered thus :
He is all-knowing. In the happy time of the martyr of the age, who made the heaven resplendent and was of rank as exalted as Solomon.
Aba'i Muzaffar Firoz Shậh being firmly established everywhere (as king).
A protector of the world and admitted to the court of the shadow of God.
His country was always prosperously ruled and populous.
His mode of rnle lasted till other times, and religious people followed in his path.
(One of the band who fell in the religions war on the date A. H. 760.
* A.D. 1868.
With those (martyrs), this slave of God also accomplished the pilgrimage to Paradise.
Muhammad was his name and his appellation, while his time lasted.
Zafar Khân gave him the title of Zafar Hazrat Shih.
I am always expecting a blessing as a servant of this shrine.
This shrine of the Shah, he built by the grace of God in this time.
Amen oh Lord of the Worlds ! This inscription shows clearly that in A. D. 1358, not only was the Muhammadan power established in Unî, but that this belt of country was subject to the Emperor Firoz Taghlik The Zafar Khân mentioned in the inscription, was the viceroy of that name, specially appointed by this emperor.'
The next inscription is perhaps even more interesting, as being bilingual, though the dates are very pazzling. It seems to have had originally
See Elliot and Dowson'. Hist. of India, vol. iii. pp. 808, 810, 829.-ED.
