Sind under the Mughuls : an introduction to, translation of and commentary on the Maẓhar-i Shāhjahānī of Yūsuf Mīrak (1044/1634)

Abstract

Started as a simple translation of the second half of the Mazhar-i Shahjahani a matchless compendium on the working of the Mughul administration in Sind, the present thesis has developed into an exhaustive history of relations between the Arghuns and Tarkhans of Sind and the Great Mughul of India from the days of Timur down to the reign of Jahangir. The thesis comprises three parts: Introduction, Translation of the second half of the Mazhar-i. Shahjahani, and the Commentary. The Introduction consists of three Sections. Section I traces the origin of the Arghuns, their rise to power in Qandahar, their conflicts with Babur and in doing so sheds significant light on the number, nature and duration of the latter's campaigns against that important Arghun stronghold prior to his triumphant advent into Hindustan. The later part of this Section deals with the Arghun rule in Sind, Humáyün's wanderings in this region, the mutual rivalries of the successors of Mirza Shah Hasan Arghün, division of Sind into two independent principalities of Bhakkar and Thatta and their subsequent absorption into the Mughul Empire. Section II of the Introduction deals at length with the details about the author and his family, while Section III seeks to evaluate the importance of the Mazhar-i. Shahjahani among the histories of Sind and the 'Mirrors for Princes' written in India, particularly for or under the Great Mughuls. To facilitate the finding of answers to the questions arising from the study of the Translation and to compensate for the absence of an elaborate index, the Introduction has been divided into convenient sub-sections. The Translation is based upon the only surviving (author's autograph) MS. 7743 of the Mazhar-i Shahjahani preserved in the Library of the Punjab University, Lahore. While the commonly known administrative terms, & c., have been retained in their original form, the unfamiliar technical terms, words and phrases have been rendered into English, but their Persian versions have been placed alongside in brackets. Those of the abstruse terms and expressions which could not be found in standard lexicographical works, they were resolved on the analogy of their usage by other writers of Persian historical works in India. The Commentary treats of all types of important points pertaining to the Translation. The number on the left hand side of the colon at the beginning of each explanation refers to the page of the Translation, while the one on the right hand side indicates the line where that particular point occurs. The biographies of the historical personages, & c., have been written very painstakingly and could be of immense value in the compilation of a comprehensive history of Sind, whenever that comes to he written. The Introduction and Commentary also have the merit of being a comparative study of the contemporary and secondary sources on the history of Sind, and even a cursory glance through the foot-notes is enough to show their thoroughness. They underline the importance of critical edition of the original historical texts before they are translated into any other language. They also bring out the necessity of fusion between the knowledge of Persian and a certain degree of training as historian before one can undertake the edition or translation of a historical text on scientific grounds. In the execution of this enterprise, the present writer has not infrequently disagreed with his precursors. In criticising their works, to which he himself owes tremendously, he was inspired by the same lofty ideals which prompted Hodivala to undertake the writing of the Studies in Indo-Muslim History and the idea of discrediting or disparaging them never crossed his mind because he was more than anybody else conscious of the fact that Hama chlz kamagán ddnand oca kamagán kanüz az madaA na záda and ('It is the whole of mankind that knows everything, and the whole of mankind has not yet been born'). Nevertheless, the pursuit of the truth transcended all considerations and no pain was considered too great to reach to the facts.