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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ DECEMBER, 1918
Mr. Kincaid has nicely summarized the work of one of the greatest Indian scholars, Sir Ramkrishna Bhandarkar, and for the Muhammadan period he has depended mainly on Ferichts. His charming style makes the volume extremely readable, and we have no doubt that Messrs. Kin. caid and Parasnis will have a hearty reception from those who have no leisure to enter into the intricacies of the history of the Marathas.
For the materials of Shivaji's biography, our authors have depended on four Bakhars. The earliest of these is the Sabhasad, and written only a few years after Shivaji's death, it is to our estimate, the most trustworthy. It is to be noted that Shivaji had been deified even in his life-time, and although Sabhâsad's credulity was not much above the average, his Bakhar wants many of the wonderful anecdtes to be found in the later chronicles. The next important Bakhar is that of Chitnis and it is twice as large as the Sabhasad. Captain Grant Duff mainly relied on Chitnis. The Shivadigvijaya Bakhar is the biggest of the three and abounds in many improbable stories. It is on this Bakhar that our authors have mainly relied. Yet its authorship and date of composi. tion are very uncertain, and for all we know it may be a spurious work. In spite of all that
purious work. In spite of all that Messrs. Nandurbarkar and Dandekar, the joint editors of the Shivadigvijaya, have to say, it is very difficult to believe that Khando Ballal Chitnis could have been its author. The question, however, has been already discussed by Mr. Rajwade, and for further discussion we should refer the reader to a volume of selections from the Bakhare to be shortly published by the Calcutta University. Yet it may be incidentally mentioned here, that a few years ago Prof. Jadu Nath Sarkar obtained from the India Office Library a copy of a dated Persian manuscript work-Tarikh-i-Shivaji. Its style loads Prof. Sarkar to think, that it is not an original work but a translation of some Marathi Bakhar, and its curious agreement with the Shiradigvijaya, both in subjoot matter and in general arrangement, further leads him to believe that the latter work is nothing but a new edition of the original Bakhar of which Tarikh-i-Shivaji is a translation. The Shivadigvijaya therefore, in its present form could not have been writton sarlier than the last decade of the 18th century, and it is extremely
unsafe to rely on the traditions and legends oompiled by the unknown chronicler. Without any comment, our authors mention that incident of the Bijapur butcher, although Sabhasad, who as a contemporary ought to have known better, is silent about it. Mr. Kincaid says that Bhawani of Tuljapur was hidden and saved from sacrileges of Afzal Khan, although Sabh&sad clearly states that she was pounded in a mill श्रीभवानी कल
HERTH , E 177, wrforata gre
off . We do not know whence the authors gather that Tanaji Malsure and other companions of the great hero were introduced to him by his guar. dian Dalaji. Messrs. Kincaid and Parasnis simply quote letters after letters from the Shivadigvijaya. But in onso Rao Bahadur Parasnis has not dis. covered them in original, they should be rejected as altogether untrustworthy. Credulous as our authors seem to be, the extravagance of the Bakhar of their preference is at times too much for them. For instance, they have not been able to accept the Shivadigvijaya version of the Shaista Khan incident, although shorn of its exaggeration it has the support of Sabhâsad and Chitnis.
Again, in this history of the Maratha people, we look in vain for a good description of Shivaji's administrative system or any account of his navy. The chapter devoted to the Pandhar. pur movement might have been much enlarged and the fabricated geneology of Shivaji discarded on the strength of the temple inscription of Math (800 Rajwado). The transliteration of some Per. sian names is incorrect, as in the case of Fulad Khan Kotwal. Mr. Kincaid misled by the error of the Bakhara, calls him Polad Khan. He is, however, to be congratulated for his appreciation of the national aims of Shivaji. And inspite of ita few defects this volume will be an excellent guide for the uninitiated readers of the Bakhara, who lack the necessary geographical knowledge. Here they will find an excellent compilation of the aneodotes of Shivaji and the story of his life chronologionlly arranged. Messrs. Kincaid and Parasia's work will enable them to master these initial difficulties that beset the study of the
Bakhars.
S. N. Sax.
