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NOVEMBER, 1915)
THE DATE OF AKBAR'S BIRTH
243
(1) That the statements of Jauhar concerning both the date of birth and the naming of Akbar are true;
(2) That the statements of the court chroniclers concerning the same matters are false;
(3) That Akbar was born on Shâbân 14, at the time of full moon, A. H. 949 - Thursday morning, November 23, A.D. 1542, old style ;
(4) That the child was originally named Badru-d-din, the full moon of religion';
(5) That during his childhood, at some date, probably prior to 1562, the official birthday was substituted for the real one, and, in consequence, the name or title Badru-d-din, which was no longer suitable, was replaced by Jalâlu-d-din;
(6) That three motives determined the changes in the birthday and name. The first and principal one was the desire to preserve the child from the perils of witchcraft by concealing the true date of his birth. Secondary motives were the preference for Sunday over Thursday, and tho wish to associate the birthday with the assumed date of the conception of Muhammad.
Inferences probable, but not certain, are -
(1) that the name Akbar was suggested by the name of the child's grandfather, 'Ali Akbar;
(2) that the changes of birth day and name took place in 1545 or 1546 when Akbar was restored to his father and circumcised with much ceremony 122
The authorities, as usual, differ concerning the date of Akbar's death.
Some years ago the late Mr. William Irvine kindly examined the Persian histories on my behalf, and arrived at the conclusion that the most probable date was October 15, old style (O. S.), or October 25 new style (N. S.)23.
"Inayatu-llâh, author of the Takmila-i-Akbarnáma (E. &. D. VI, 115) 24 gives the date as 9th Åzur [Persian month), the night of Wednesday, 12 Jumada II, A. H. 1014.
Muhammad Amin, author of the Anfáu-l-Akhbar (ibid., p. 248) gives the same date, Wednesday, 12 Jumada II, 1014. Mr. G. P. Taylor accepts 12 Jumada II, but makes it equivalent to 10 Abån [Persian month] of 50 Ildbi (J. & Proc. A. S. B. 1911, p. 710). Abdu-l-Bâkî, author of the Ma'asir-s-Rahimi (ibid., p. 243), dates the event on the 23rd Jumada I of same year, without mentioning the weekday.
The weekday undoubtedly is correct, it being understood that a Muhammadan “ Day extends from sunset to sunset. Consequently, hours after midnight on Wednesday-Thursday night, which we should reckon as Thursday a.m., count as Wednesday for Mussalmans. Some corroborative evidence that the day of the week by Muslim reckoning was Wednesday is supplied by Jahangir, who regarded that day as unlucky, calling it kam-shamba (R. & D., Memoirs. I, 9 n.),25 distinguishing it from Thursday mubarak-shumba, his lucky day and birthday (ibid, II, 10, 74). It is extremely unlikely, in any case, that a mistake should be made about the week day.
Authoritios differ w to the date of the circumcision ceremony. Mrs. Bovoridge inolines to nocept March, 1548 (Gulbadans p. 179, n.)
» That date, accordingly, was adopted in The Oxford Student's History of India, 5th ed., 1915, p. 180 n. 24 E. & D. means Elliot and Douson, History of India as told by its own Historians.
* Rogers and Beveridge, tr, of Jahangir's authentic Memoirs, publ. by R. Asiatic Society, Vol. L, 1909, Vol. II, 1914.
