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OCTOBER, 1882.]
with one accord, “ Fatteh Khâu, Fatteh Khân, to the rescue!" So the king ordered Fatteh Khân to destroy the invading army, promising him half the kingdom as a reward.
Now Fatteh Khân with all his boasting was not a fool, and he said to himself "This is altogether a different affair. A man may kill a musquito, an elephant, and a tiger, and yet be killed by another man. What is one against a thousand? Under the circumstances I'd rather be Fattu the weaver than Fatteh Khân the hero."
So in the night he bid his wife rise, pack up her golden dishes, and follow him. "I've plenty of golden dishes at home," said he, "but these you have we'll want for the journey." Then he crept outside the city followed by his wife with the bundle, and began to steal through the enemy's camp.
Just as they were in the middle a cockchafer flew into Fattu's face. "Run, run," cried he to his wife in a terrible fright, and set off as hard as he could, never stopping till he had reached his room and bolted the door. The poor woman set off to run too, dropping her bundle of golden dishes with a clang. This roused the enemy, who, fancying they were attacked, flew to arms, but being half asleep and the night being pitch-dark, they
FOLKLORE FROM KASHMIR.
1 I give the name as it came to me; it should, however, probably be Bahram Gor, in which case the tale should be referred to the celebrated Sasanian monarch Bahråmgor, the hunter of the wild-ass (gor). Bahram is the Greek Varanes. The name Bahrâm-i-Ghor would, however, point to an Indian, or, rather Pathan origin. In India there have been three prominent Bahrams. First and greatest Akbar's uncle and general Bahram Khân Turkman, the Khan. Khânân, who spent part of his time in the Himalayas after his defeat by Akbar at MachiwArA in 1559, and before the reconciliation in 1560. He would hardly, however, ever have been called "Bahram of Ghor." Next there was the Ghaznavide Bahram of Lahor, (A.D. 1118-1152) set up by the Seljuks in opposition to Arslan and finally defeated, in revenge for his murder of Saifu'd-din Ghort, by Alau'ddin Ghorl, who then finally destroyed Ghazni. He died of a broken heart en roule to India in 1152. His pedigree is as follows:
Mahmûd of Ghazni, ob. 1030.
Muhammad
rex. 1030-31
Masa'ûd I rex. 1031-42
Maudud Abu'l-hassan Farukhzåd rex. 1043-9 rex. 1049-51 rex. 1052-58 Masa'ad II. rex. 1049
Arslân
rex. 1118-1121
'Abdu'r-rashid rex. 1051
Ibrahim rex. 1058-98 Masa'úd III. rex. 1098-1118
Bahram
rex. 1118-1152
could not distinguish friend from foe, and fell on each other with such fierceness that before morning there was not one left alive.
Great were the rejoicings at Fatteh Khan's victory, as the reward of which he received half the kingdom.
After this he refused to fight any more, saying truly "that kings did not fight for themselves, but paid others to fight for them." So he lived in peace, and when he died every one said that he was the greatest hero that had ever lived. No. 6. FOLKTALE.
Prince Bahram-i-Ghor and the Fairy Skápasand
Once on a time there lived a king, who had one son, the Prince Bahrâm-i-Ghor,' as beautiful as the sun. One day the Prince went out shooting, and hunted to the north and the south and the east, but found no game. Then he hunted towards the west, and suddenly out of a thicket flashed a golden deer. Gold were its hoofs and horns and legs, and gold its body. The Prince, astonished at the sight, bade his retainers form a large circle, and so gradually enclose the beautiful strange creature, saying "Remember, I hold him accountable for its escape or capture towards whom the beast may run."
Closer and closer drew the circle, when
His son Khusrû succeeded him and reigned 8 years, and in 1160 was succeeded by Khusrú Malik, the last Ghaznavide king, who was, in 1185, deposed and driven from his throne by Muhammad Ghori for Ghyâsu'd-din Ghori. This Bahram may possibly have gone down to popular legend as Bahram of Ghor. Thirdly, there was in almost the next generation Mu'izu'd-din Bahrâm, slave-king of Dehli from A.D. 1239 to 1241. He was connected with Ghor thus by descent.
Kutbu'd-din Aibak, first slave-king A.D. 1206-10, slave to Muhammad Ghort, and established by his successor Mahmûd Ghori at Lihor.
Kutbu'd-din
'Aram Shah, rex. 1210
285
Buknu'd-din Firoz
Shamsu'd-din Altmish, rex. 1210-35
Razia Begam Mu'izu'd-din Sultana Bahram rex. 1235 reg. 1235-6 rex. 1239-41 There was nothing in this last prince's history to make him a popular figure. I fancy Bahrâmgor the Sasanian is meant, but local tales do not always fasten on the most prominent popular heroes and perhaps one of the other Bahrams is meant. Bairam is a common false spelling of this name. Lastly, this tale may be a folklore version of the tale of Bahramgor and the Fairy Hassan Bino, of which I find that two versions in Panjabi verse were published at Lâhor in 1880 under the title of Qissa-i-Bahramgor. Panj. Gazette. Supplt. pp. 532-3. Aug. 10th, 1882.-R. C. T.
