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OCTOBER, 1887.]
ZAFARNAMA-I-RANJIT SINGH.
303
Kuni, son of Bâmi, son of Habib, son of Pôpal, Shah left the following six sons : -ShAhzâda son of Zirak, son of Aishi, son of Razar, son of Timûr, Shahzada Dåråb, Shabzada Sulaiman, Af'al, son of Tarin, son of Shêr Khân, son of Shahzada Shahab, Shahzada Sikandar and Sara, son of 'Abdu'rrashid Pathân, a detailed Shahzada Parviz, all of whom passed away account of whose ancestors is to be found in without leaving a name, except Timur Shah the genealogy of the AbdAli tribe." Ahmad and Sulaiman.
A NOTICE OF THE ZAFARNAMA-I-RANJIT SINGH OF KANHAYYA LAL.
BY E. REHATSEK. The style of this poetical work, written in
INDEX TO CHAPTERS. rhyming hemistiche, appears to be in several 1. Praise of God. 2. Prayer to the Fulrespects a feeble imitation of Firdûsi's immortal filler of desires. 3. Praise of the Maharaja epic, the Shahnáma, with the difference, how-Râm Chand [Râma Chandra) Avatar. 4. Praise ever, that it sings the praises and narrates the of Kishņ [Kțishņa] Avatar. 5. Eulogy of exploits chiefly of one hero. Its title is the Muhammad, to whom be benediction and same as Sharfü’ddin 'Ali Yazdi's Zafarnama... peace. 6. Praise of Guru Nanak, the founder Tímúr, written in the earlier portion of the of the Sikh religion. 7. Praise of the reign15th century of our era. The general prolixity ing monarch, Queen Victoria, Shahanshah of of the work, and the redundancy of praise England and of India. 8. Occasion of comla vished upon the Maharaja Ranjit Singh' posing the Book. 9. Summary of the reign and others, as well as the long devotional of Ranjit Singh, 10. The ten chiefs of the preambles to almost every chapter, must always Sikh religion ; Guru Nanak being the first, remain a bar to the full translation of the book; and Guru Gobind the last. 11. Beginning of but, by omitting all these superfluities, and Sikh supremacy in the Pañjáb, with the family retaining only the historical information con- of Sardár Chart Singh and Mahan Singh. veyed therein, a detailed account of it can be Birth of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and death rendered ; and this I have attempted to do. It of Sirdar Mahan Singh. 12. The Mahârája is, however, to be regretted that the events Ranjit Singh succeeds to the masnad after his preceding the disruption of Ranjit Singh's father. The coming of Shah Zaman, the ruler domains and the annexation of the Pañjab to the of Kabul, and other events. 13. The Maharaja British dominions, are not as extensively dealt Ranjit Singh enters Lahôr, conquers the forces with as other matters by the author, who was of the Bhangis, and his son Kharak Singh also sparing in his dates, and used throughout is born. 14. The Maharaja Ranjit Singh the work the years of the era of Vikramaditya.' marches twice in the direction of Gujrat to This "Book of the Conquests of Ranjit punish the Sardar Şahib Singh Bhangi, and Singh ” was composed in Persian, and was enters the qasba of Akalgadh after the death lithographed at Lähôr in A.D. 1876; but, as of Sardâr Dal Singh without hostilities dnring the author devotes a short chapter specially to Samvat 1858 and 1859 (A.D. 1801 and 1802). the occasion of composing the book," in 15. The Maharaja invades Chiniót and Kasûr which he mentions his descent and name, they (Qasar] whose governots he subjects to his will be notioud farther on in the proper place, sway, and then attacks the Raja Sansar Chand, when each chapter is reviewed in detail, with ruler of Kangra, thus obtaining entrance to only its number prefixed. Before doing so, Sujanpûr, to Bhagward, to Bijwark and to however, an index to all the chapters with Hoshiếrpûr. 16. The Maharaja goes to Hardwår their titles is here subjoined, so that the whole and marches with his army to kasur after contents of the book, which consists of more killing Nixâmu'ddin Khån; he also subdues than 600 pages and contains more than 100,000 Qatbaddin Khân, attacks Multấn, receives distichs, may be taken in at a glance :
tribute and enters Amritsar. 17. Letter of (None of the above is worth much. The genealogy • They are quoted as "the Samvat year (80-and-so)." gives only 23 generations to 'Abdu'rrashid, the founder To convert these dates into dates of the Christian ers, of the Pathan nation -ED.]
deduct 57-58. Thus, the Samyat year 1858 is equivalent . Herefter in this paper this word will be always to A.D. 1801-1802. printed Singh,
