metadata [IO Islamic 3205] تحفۀ تازه

Tuḥfa-i-Tâza, History of the Zamîndârs of Banâras.

This manuscript is now IO Islamic 3205 in the India Office collections.

[metadata: Hermann Ethé, Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, 2 vols. (Oxford: India Office, 1903): volume 1, number 483 here with notations and hyperlinks].

Banâras.

483

Tuḥfa-i-tâza (تحفۀ تازه).

Tuḥfa-i-tâza, also called Balwandnâma, a history of the Zamîndârs of Banâras, from Râjah Mansârâm and his relatives to the deposition of Râjah Ćait Singh in A.H. 1195 (A.D. 1781), by Khair-aldînkhân Muḥammad (see fol. 1b, I.6), who died about A.H. 1242 (A.D. 1827, comp. Rieu iii., p. 946). He wrote besides the Gwâliyârnâma (A.D. 1206=A.D. 1792, see Rieu iii., p. 1028), a history of Jaunpûr (A.H. 1211=A.D. 1796, 1797, see Rieu i., p. 311), and the ‘Ibratnâma or History of Shâh ‘Âlam (A.H. 1221=A.D. 1806, see Rieu iii., p. 946). The present work is described in Rieu iii., p. 964. It was originally divided into five bâbs, but our copy, like those in the British Museum, only contains the first three, viz.: 1. History of Râjah Mansârâm and his relatives, on fol. 2a. 2. History of Râjah Balwand Singh, A.H, 1162-1184 (A.D. 1749-1771), on fol. 17a. 3. History of Râjah Ćait Singh, A.H. 1185-1195 (A.D. 1771-1781), on fol. 48a. The other two bâbs, the histories of Râjah Mahîpat Narâ’in and Râjah Ûdît Narâ’in, which are enumerated in the index on fol. 2a, were to form a second volume, beginning with A.H. 1196=A.D. 1782 (see fol. 137b, II. 13-15). But that second volume seems to have remained unwritten.

Beginning: سپاس خداوندی که دیوان ذاتش دربان (بزبان sic! Rieu reads ) دانش بسراج فکرت نتواند رسید الخ.

Copied from a MS. dated A.H. 1253 (A.D.1837), by Muḥammad Amjad, for the late Principal and Professor of the Calcutta Madrasah and Secretary of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, H. Blochman (died 1879 [ed note: sic! he died 13 July 1878]). Received Nov. 6, 1877.

No. 3205, ff. 138, II. 21; very clear and distinct Nasta’lîḳ; size, 121/8 in. by 71/2 in.

[ed note: Quick link to other copies of the same work]