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JUNE, 1928)
BOOK-NOTICES
115
he has drawn to illustrate it. A visitor to the precincts of the Qutb Minar who has not been there for fifteen or twenty years will be astonished to | observe the improvements effected by the excavation and conservation work carried out by the department.
C.E.A.W.O.
STRESS-ACCENT IN INDO-ARYAN, by BANARSI DAs
JAIN, Oriental College, Lahore, 1927.
I would draw attention to this thoughtful little brochure reprinted from the Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, vol. IV, pt. 3, on an abstruse and difficult question in the phonology of languages descended from the Indian Prakrits. The desire has arisen froin the fact that it seemed to me, when I sat at the feet of bhasáiris and other rough bards in the Panjab about half & century ago, to collect the Legends of the Panjab as they were actually sung, that stress-accent had much more to do with the language of the people than was admitted by those who read the highly sophisticated language effected by the Orthodox Hindu poets and followed their ideas. I have often thought that in "scientific" transli. teration it was a pity that accent was left unmarked when long vowels were specially noted in writing. However, the impressions I acquired were then too heterodox for general adoption, but they seem now to have been more or less right, and hence the interest of Mr. Banarsi Das Jain's remarks.
R. C. TEMPLE.
A GUIDE TO THE QUTA, DELHI, by J. A. PAGE,
Superintendent, A.S.I. 81 x 55, with 12 Plates ; Calcutta, 1927.
The Archeological Department is supplying a real want in issuing authoritative guides, in a handy size like this, to sites of archaeological and historical intarest. Thonch nowhere a stated this little volume is but a reprint of most of Chapter II and the whole of Appendix IV (a) of Memoir No. 22 of the A.S.I. The excellent drawings and photographs are also reproductions of some of those appended to the Memoir. It is a pity that the opportunity was not taken to correct some clerical errors that appeared in the original. For example, on page 2 we find Narain, instead of Tarain, as the name of the battlefield where Prithiraj was defeated in 1192. More than fifty years ago Raverty exposed Briggs' misspelling of this name. On the same page the azán, or call to prayer, is called "the azam." The Asoka lat (p. 8) should read lath; and Inam Zamin (passim) should be Imam Zamin. "Mutakha", on pages 10 and 12, is possibly meant for muttaka. The terms liwan, mihráb, jali, kungura, etc., should at least be italicised, if not explained for the benefit of the average reader, who would also doubt legs have welcomed a sketch map of the surrounding area, such as Sir John Marshall has provided in his delightful guides to Taxila and Sanchi. The chief interest attaching to Mr. Page's work, which is obviously not intended for the mere "globe-trotter," liee perhaps in the plans and sketches indicatingof necessity conjecturally-the original mosque of Qutbu'd-din and the extensions carried out, or projected, by " Altamish " and Alau'd-din. Mr. Page is to be congratulated on his careful exami. nation of this subject, and on the admirable sketches
THE EMBASSY OF SIR THOMAS,ROB TO INDIA, 1615.
19, as nanated in his Journal,and Correspondence. Edited by SIR WILLIAN FOSTER, C.I.E. New and revised edition, with illustrations and two maps. Oxford University Press, 1926.
Roe's journal and letters were first critically edi. ted, with an introduction and notes by Sir W. Foster for the Hakluyt Society in 1899, appearing as vols. 1 and 2, second series, of that society's valuable publications. These volumes have been out of print for some time, and the University Press is to be congratulated on its enterprise in bringing out this revised edition and in having secured for the task the services of Sir William, than whom no more competent editor could have been found.
The chief value of Roe's narrative to the historian undoubtedly lies in his descriptions of lite at the Mughal's court while et provincial capitals and in camp, and in the light thrown upon the charac. ters of Jahangir, Asaf Khan and Khurram and of the noble but ill-fated Khusrau. In estimating the value of Roe's work for the Company we are handicapped by the want of the final text of the "articles " accepted by Khurram, after protracted discussion and bickering, as well as of the agree ment and contract granted by Jehängir that is referred to in Roo's endorsement on the emperor's letter of the 8th August, 1618, to King James (p. 506, note). Sir W. Foster has stated fairly all that can be said in Roe's favour. There is a good deal to be said on the other side, which need not be discussed here. Living for more than three years at court in close relations with Jahangir and his officials, Roe wrote from first-hand knowledge ; and although his independent spirit and his failure to master the Persian language seem to have prevented him from getting into touch with the inner mind of his associates, and seeing things from the Oriental outlook, his frankly-stated views must carry weight. Not to mention other matters to which the editor has drawn attention in his intra duction, Roe's account is important from the light it sheds upon the difficulties that beset the English traders as a result of the jealousy and competition of the Portuguese, who had been established in the country for more than a century. We see, how. ever, how the prestige of that nation was rapidly declining, and that of the Dutch; who had already achieved ascendancy farther east, was growing apace. In Roe's time the English' were but commencing to acquire a position of some importance on the shores of India.
