________________
OCTOBER, 1879.)
GRANT OF NANDIVARMA-PALLAVAMALLA.
273
records of local traditions, with his personal confirmation of their credibility and virtual authenticity, are here reproduced from the new English version of the Arabic text.
“Kutaiba bin Muslim had extinguished and " ruined in every possible way all those who "knew how to write and to read the Khwa. "rizmt writing," who knew the history of the "country, and who had studied their sciences. “In consequence these things are involved in " so much obscurity, that it is impossible to " obtain an accurate knowledge of the history " of the country since the time of Islâm (not "to speak of pre-Muhammadan times)." Albirůni Sachau's Translation p. 42. And again at p. 58 we are told—" For after Kutaiba bin " Muslim Albá hili had killed their learned men "and priests, and had burned their books and "writings, they became entirely illiterate (forgot "writing and reading), and relied in every "knowledge or science which they required " solely upon memory."
The determination of the circumstances under which the several names of Muhammad, Al Mah di and the word or orthodox" appear in the order stated on these coins, is sufficiently illustrated and explained in the following extracts from the Chronicle of the historian Tabari:--
"Aprùs l'affaire des Ráwendiens, Mançour (envoya dans le Khorásán) son fils Mo’hammed, à qui il donna le-surnom de Mahdí, en le désignant comme son successeur au trône ....
“Mo'hammed, fils d' 'Abdallah, avait pris le surnom de Mahdi; il disait à ses adhérents qu'il était le Mahdi de la famille de Mohammed, et que son frère Ibrábím était le Hádí. Or, lorsque Mançour fit reconnaitre son fils comme son successeur au trône, il lui donna
également le surnom do Mahdi, disant: C'est mon fils et non le fils d' 'Abdallah bin Hassan, [fils d''Alí, Sls d'Abu Tálib), qui est le Mahdi de la famille de Mohammed. Tabari, Orient. Transl. Fund Zotenberg IV. 378. Depuis que Mançour était monté sur le trône, il cherchait à découvrir le séjour de Mo'hammed et d'Ibrahim fils d' 'Abdallah, fils de 'Hasan." .....
“Or ceux-ci se cachaient tantôt à la Mecque, tantôt en Egypte ou dans l'Iraq, en faisant de la propagande en vue des droits de leur famille, et its avaient des missionnaires dans le Khorásán". . . . . p. 382.
"Abû-'Aoun, governeur du Khorásán, annonça à Mançour que les partisans de Mo'hammed fils d' 'Abdallah, devenaient de plus en plus nombreux dans sa province et qu'un soulèvement était à craindre," p. 392. [Muhammad was killed in 145 A.H., and Ibrahim fell in action shortly afterwards.]
See also Masandi (French Edition vi., 209 and viii. 293.)
I conclude the references to Mahdi's Bokhårå coins by appending a specimen of his earliest Kufic coins, struck in that locality, on which will be found a full enumeration of his names and titles.
No. 4. Coin of Muhammad, Al Mahdi. Struck at Bokhará 4.H. 143 (4.D. 760-1).
Obverse. Area. Bua, ali i all y
بسم الله ضرب ببغارا سنة ثلث و اربعین Margin
ومية
Reverse. Area. all! Jyong des
امر به الأشعث في ولية المهدي الأمير Margin
محمد بن امیر المومنین
(Frohn. Recensio p.21, No. 22; Tiesenhausen, Monnais des Khalifs Orient. (in Russian), St. Peterburgh, 1873, p. 71, No. 724.)
GRANT OF NANDIVARMÂ-PALLAVAMALLA. BY RE. THOMAS FOULKES, F.L:S., CHAPLAIN OF SAINT JOHN'S, BANGALORE. Description. This is an inscription on five rod. The seal is 2 inches in diameter, and has thin plates of copper, 9 inches long, 34 inches an almost entirely obliterated recumbent bull, wide, and Yo to to inch thick. The plates are facing to the proper right. The inscription on numbered with old Grantha or antique Tamil the seal is completely effaced by rust. numerals on the margin of the second side of the inscription is written on the inner side each plate. They are united by a seal-ring about of the first plate, and on both sides of the four four inches in diameter, made of inch copper- following plates. The language is Sanskrit :
" At p. 57 Albirdni describes the Khwarizmians as "a branch of the great tree of tho Persian nation."
