The Mulfuzāt Timūry = $b or, Autobiographical memoirs of the Moghul emperor TimūrTimur
History
The Mulfuzāt Timūry = $b or, Autobiographical memoirs of the Moghul emperor Timūr
Timur
Asia, Central -- History; Asia, Central -- Kings and rulers -- Biography; Timur, 1336-1405 -- Early works to 1800
“In the year 1047 of the Hejira, and tenth of his Majesty Shāh Jehān’s
reign, (A. D. 1637) the royal orders were issued to me, the meanest of
the servants of the Imperial Court, (Muhammed Afzel Bukhāry) to read and
revise this book from beginning to end, and to assimilate it with the
_Zuffer Nameh_,[120] of the correctness of which no intelligent person
can have a doubt, and compare it with some other trust-worthy histories,
to omit some things which the translator had inserted, and to insert
some occurrences which he had omitted; also to translate the Tūrky and
Arabic sentences into Persian, and to correct several of the dates,
which do not agree with the _Zuffer Nameh_.”
“In submission to the royal order, the least of the servants of his
Majesty, having bound round him the girdle of obedience, has exerted
himself as much as possible in revising and correcting the said
translation, and has thrown out all the unauthenticated passages which
Abū Talib had inserted. He has inserted several passages that have been
omitted by that translator, and he has thereby made the book conform
with the Zuffer Nameh. Thus under the happy auspices of his Imperial
Majesty, equal in dignity to Solomon, the Defender of the Faith, and the
Protector of Princes, this work has been brought to a conclusion, and
now only waits the stamp of approval of his Majesty (the King of the
world).”
* * * * *
It appears in Dow’s History of Hindostan, that Muhammed Afzel was the
name of the Emperor, Shāh Jehān’s preceptor; he was probably the person
employed to revise this work, but he has not complied with his promise
of translating all the Tūrky passages, although a native of Bokhārā,
where that language was well understood.
The conclusion of the work states the arrival of the Emperor Timūr at
_Atrar_,[121] on his route to China; of his last illness; of his having
assembled all his family, his ministers, and other principal personages,
and of his having in their presence made his will, consisting of four
clauses.
The two first clauses are to recommend union among his descendants, and
loyalty to his nobles; the third clause appoints his grandson Pyr
Muhammed Jehāngyr to be his successor and possessor of the kingdom of
Samerkund, and that all his descendants should consider Jehāngyr as
their superior.[122] The fourth clause entreats his posterity to observe
the rules and regulations that he had written during his reign, and to
insert them as an Appendix to his Memoirs; he further desires that they
will continue his Memoirs to the last moment of his existence as if
written or spoken by himself;
“I desire that this my Testament, and whatever I shall say to the last
moment of my existence, shall be written in my Memoirs as if proceeding
from my own mouth.” (Appendix 11.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account