ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>ASR&#256R-I-SAMAD&#298</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279<i>ASR&#256R-I-SAMAD&#298</i>, a Persian chronicle by an anonymous writer who is now identified as Munsh&#299 Jot Prak&#257sh attached to the court of Naw&#257b 'Abd us-Samad <u>Kh</u>&#257n, the governor of Lahore from 1713 to 1726. Written around 1728, the work, which the author claims to be an eye-witness account of the events described, deals with the military expeditions of the Naw&#257b. The only two extant manuscripts of the work, written in <i>nast&#257'l&#299q</i> hand, are lying at the Pañj&#257b University Library, Lahore. The author describes himself as a <i>munsh&#299</i> at the court of Naw&#257b 'Abd us-Samad <u>Kh</u>&#257n, and states that he belonged to Kal&#257naur, now in Gurd&#257spur district of the Punjab, the beauty of the landscape of which he sketches in ecstatic terms. The work was edited by Muhammad Shuj&#257' ud-D&#299n and Dr Mohammad Bash&#299r Husain and published at Lahore in 1965.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Besides the preface, wherein the author sings glory of the Lord Almighty in elegant and florid Persian, the work has seven short chapters describing the Naw&#257b's victories in a series of battles. In the first chapter occurs an account of the stubborn resistance offered by Band&#257 Si&#7749gh and his Sikhs from inside the fortress of Gurd&#257s-Na&#7749gal. The author showers unreserved praise on the Sikhs for the exemplary courage they displayed in battle and during the fierce siege they faced. He records how they thwarted capture of the fortress either by assault or by rash entry. The Naw&#257b promised safe conduct to the besieged Sikhs on condition that they evacuate, but he broke his word and Band&#257 Si&#7749gh and his companions were seized and despatched to Delhi where they were put to death with the harshest torments. The remaining chapters deal with the rebellion of &#298s&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n Mañjh of Chakl&#257 Sirhind, the revolt of the Af<u>gh</u>&#257ns of Kas&#363r, the Naw&#257b's Kashm&#299r campaign, his transfer to Mult&#257n and his expeditions to Jamm&#363 and K&#257&#7749g&#7771&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The work throws light on the policy of Naw&#257b 'Abd us-Samad <u>Kh</u>&#257n and his son Zakar&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n and is singularly free from any personal prejudice on the part of the author. It castigates the erring and tyrannical <i>faujd&#257rs</i> who persecuted the people and rack-rented the peasantry. The author's appreciation of the Sikhs' spirit of heroic courage and fortitude is expressed equally strongly. A Punjabi translation of the book was brought out by Punjabi University, Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, in 1972.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Janak Si&#7749gh, trans. , <i>Asr&#257r-i-Samad&#299</i>. Patiala, 1972<BR> <li class="C1"> M. Shuj&#257' ud-Din, ed. , <i> Asr&#257r-i-Samad&#299</i>. Lahore, 1965<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Gurbax Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>