Indian Antiquary Vol 50

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

Page 74

64
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
people, and, of course, when Raja Jagdêo was in the city it was lighted up as usual, and this made him ask about it, and he learnt that it was an artificial moon made by Raja Jai Singh. As soon as he learnt this, he determined to play a practical joke, and found out where the moon-makers lived, and sent his servant to fetch them in order to make him a moon like Raja Jai Singh's. The moon. makers had heard of what happened to the oilman for refusing oil [Raja Jagdéo had stabbed him], so they were afraid to refuse also, and accompanied the servant to Raja Jagdéo's house. When they arrived he asked them how much they wanted for a moon. They replied, whatever he wished to pay, so he gave them 500 golden pieces, and ordered a moon like Jai Singh's. Calling them quickly, spoke Raja Jagdêô to the moon-makers, and had a moon put up in the heavens (that burnt) without oil; all the city cried out at it, and Jai Singh said to his minister, The sun hath risen!" As soon as the moon-makers had raised up a second moon, Raja Jai Singh heard of it and asked who had done such a thing. His officials told him that it was by order of the man who had killed the oilman."
The whole is an instructive instance of the rapi. dity with which a story can arise that is entirely legendary.
In real life Jai Singh was an Indian prince, in many ways typical of his time and mixed up in most of the troubles thereof, distinguished espe cially as an astute statesman with something more than a turn for science and astronomy. Being a prince of high position and great authority and wealth, he was able to pursue his hobby on a very large scale, and India greatly benefited by the lav. ish manner in which he carried out his schemes. He commanded the best literary authorities avail
NOTES FROM OLD FACTORY RECORDS. 18. Mogta Silk.
17 April 1882. Letter from Mathias Vincent and Council at Higit to William Gyfford, Governor of Fort St. George, etc. .... We have a Sort called Moga [mogta] Silk which wee cannot so well describe but it is known to some of you very well ard possibly you may obtain some Musters [ samples] it having been a comodity formerly
in your parts. It is made in the Osham [Assam]
[ FEB., 1921
able in his day and made the best use of them. The translations he had prepared from European works into the Indian languages were of unsurpassed value to the people he sought to enlighten. He spared no expense at all in the construction of instruments in metal, and in bricks and mortar on a large scale. He procured the active assistance of skilled astronomers, Oriental and European. In fact, he left nothing undone to attain his end-the rectification of the calendar, the calculation of eclipses and the like. Not arresting work, perhaps, but none the less valuable for its practical purpose.
It may also be said that nothing seems to have been left unexplored by Mr. Kaye in his careful and illuminating account of the tables, instruments of metal and masonry-the huge size of the latter being due to a desire for accuracy of observationand the observatories themselves. The remarks on Ujjain, the Greenwich of India,' are specially interesting (p. 55). The book is continued with a short and telling review of the history of Hindu Astronomy, a subject on which Mr. Kaye is an authority. This will repay reading by all interested in such things. Still briefer accounts are next given of Muslim and European Astronomy, and a remark is made in the course of Mr. Kaye's comments which is worth reproducing :
"The Hindus, Arabs and Europeans all derived the fundamentals of their astronomical sciences from the Greeks. It was the Hindus who first profited by Greek experience, then the Arabs and lastly the Europeans (through the Arabs)."
NOTES AND QUERIES.
Mr. Kaye's book is much more than a guide book; it is a valuable vade mecum to all who would know something of the great Indian observatories of the early 18th Century and of their remarkable builder. R. C. TEMPLE.
countrey and very good worke is made of it. If you please wee shall send some home thereof; it hath been sold generally from 4 to 8 and sometimes Rups: 12 the Seer tho lately some having had quantities on their hands it hath been bought cheaper here to our knowledge then the prime costs, but if demanded, if will come out as before noted or from 4 to 6 rups. (Records of Fort St. George, Letters to Fort St. George, 1882, vol. II, p. 62.)
R C. T.