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238
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[NOVEMBER, 1915
The following statement will make clear the discrepancy in dates.
Dates connected with Akbar's birth.
AKBARNAMAH DATE.
JAUHAR'S DATE.
Event.
A. H. 949
A. D. 1542
A. H. 949
A. D.
1642
Arrival of Humâvân at 'Umarkôt. Jumada'l-aw. Aug. 2313.
wal 10
(p. 375). Humâyên quitted 'Umarkôt ... Rajab 1 Oct. 11
(p. 376). Birth of Akbar ... ...
Rajab 5. Oct. 15. Arrival of Humâyên at Jan Not stated
(p. 380). Akbar left 'Umarkot ...
Shâbân 11. Nov. 20.
......
Shâbân 14, | Nov. 23. full moon.
About Nov. 30 (6 or 7 marches). About Dec. 18 (6 or 7 marches) (75 miles but travelling
slowly). 35 Days after Dec. 28.
birth Ramzan 20. 950.
1543.
Akbar arrived at Jan camp
.. Shâbân 29.
Dec. 8
950.
1643. Arrival of Bairâm Khån at Jan... Muharram 7. April 13. Humayîn left Jan...
Rabiu'-1- July 1114
akhir 7.
Which of these contradietoky sets of dates is correct? Both cannot be true. Abu-l-Fazl, who takes the date of birth as Rajab 5, accommodates to guit that day three other days, namely, one antecedent and two subsequent. Jauhar, who takes the full moon of Shâbân (14th) as the birth day, has no antecedent dates to fit in, but is quite clear as to the subsequent date, Ramazan 20, being the 35th day of Akbar's age.
These facta preclude the possibility of mere inadvertence on the part of either Jauhar or Abu-l-Fazl. It is useless to urge that Janhar was old and possibly weak-minded when he finally faired out his memoirs nearly fifty years after Akbar's birth. It is obvious that he did not trust to his unaided memory. His tract is full of minute details which necessarily imply the preservation of contemporary private notes. If he had not possessed guch notes he would not have been asked to write his memoir, nor could be possibly hate performed the vask. Everybody admits that he wrote as a simple, honest man of slight education. There is no rhetoric or nonsense in his book. Mere inadvertence being inadmissible as an explanation of his lates, he must have lied deliberately if his statements are false. Why should he lie! What conceivable object could ne have in inventing thu statements that Akhar was born on the night of the full moon of Shaban and reached his father on Ramazan 20 ? It he was wither inadvertent or
13 This date may be accepted, as being in accordance with eithe birthday 14 The two dates in A. H. 950 may be accepted.
