Indian Antiquary Vol 46

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 70

64
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
NOTES AND QUERIES.
NOTES FROM OLD FACTORY RECORDS. 2. Interpreter as Shipping Clerk. 26 August 1662, Consultation in Surat. A Proposition was made by the President [Matthew
Andrews] in the Behalfe of Ranchore Metta [Ranch Mehta), a person Employed on the Marine for freighting of shipps, and receiving in the Money, being very useful also in the lading and unlading of Goods, and Writing our Persian
BOOK HISTORY OF AURANGZIB, Vol. III. By Professor JADU NATH SARKAR, M. A. Published by M. C. Sarkar and Sons, 75-1-1, Harrison Road, Calcutta, 1916.
[MARCH, 1917
NOTICE.
"With every generous instinct of the soul crushed out of them, with intellectual culture merely adding a keen edge to their sense of humiliation, the Hindus could not be expected to produce the ut. most of which they were capable; their lot was to be hewers of wood and drawers of water to their masters, to bring grist to the fiscal mill, to develop a low cunning and flattery as the only means of saving what they could of the fruits of their own
THE third volume of Professor Sarkar's History of Aurangzib deals with the first half (1658-81) of that monarch's reign. Among the new sources of
labour
information utilised for this volume (beside those quoted at the end of volume II) the most impor. The barrenness tant are:-Mir'at-i-Aḥmadi (History of Gujrat), of the Hindu intellect and the meanness of spirit of Muhammad A'zam's Tarikh-i-Kashmir, Salimu'llah's the Hindu upper classes are the greatest condemTawarikh-i-Bangala, Muhammad Salih's Bahar.i. Sakhun, Izad Bakhsh Rasa's Riyaḍu-l. Widad, Nigar this is harsh judgment, especially when one renations of Muhammadan rule in India". Surely
Namah-i-Munshi, Chandar Bhan's Chhar Chaman.i. Brahman, Chatar Man's Chhar Gulshan, Dawabit-i'Alamgiri, and Dastiru-l'Amal.
members the liberal policy of Akbar, and of Jahangir and Shahjahân.
Again, when Professor Sarkar undertakes to pronounce against the tenets of Islam, a task for which he is by no means competent, he places himself at the point of ridicule. "It is not necessary" he says, "that he (Muslim) should tame his own passions or mortify his flesh; it is not necessary for him to grow a rich growth of spirituality. He has to slay a certain class of his fellow beings or plunder their lands and wealth and this act in itself would raise his soul to heaven". It is very evident here that Professor Sarkar has just arrived at 'fresh fields and pastures new'. An author who knows his limi tations no better than that cannot expect to receive serious attention from his readers.
There are several mistakes in spelling Arabic and Persian tarms, e. g. Jizva has been spelt Jaziya, etc. G YAZDANI.
The author has succeeded in gathering an epochmaking collection of material for his subject, and he has taken great pains to collate the evidence of writers of different creeds and nationalities; but the result in some cases is disappointing and, speaking critically, there is a lack of balanced judgment and correct historical perspective in the work. So far as the narration of undisputed facts is concerned Professor Sarkar may be followed implicitly: but in his discussions of subtle questions of state policy and religious dogma it is clear that he does not weigh the various aspects of the problem, and so the picture of events, as we get it in the book, is distorted. For instance, when speaking of Aurangzeb's bigotry, Professor Sarkar freely condemns the policy of the previous rulers also. He says:
Letters, whose great care and diligence, with his Constant Attendance on the Companys Affaires for these 3 yeares past being well knowne to this Council, The President mooved, that hee might
have a salary of 300 Mamoodoes [mahmudis Rs. 150] Yearly allowed him, to commence from the 1st of September 1659, which was joyntly Concluded. (Factory Records, Surat, Vol. 2)
R. C. T.