ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>MUNTAKHAB UL-LUB&#256B</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>MUNTA<u>KH</u>AB UL-LUB&#256B</i>, lit. selected (records) of the wise and pure, is a history of India written in Persian with an Arabic title by Muhammad H&#257shim or H&#257shim 'Al&#299 <u>Kh</u>&#257n, better known as <u>Kh</u>&#257f&#299 <u>Kh</u>&#257n. Completed in 1722, the work was edited and printed by Maulaw&#299 Kab&#299r ud-D&#299n in Calcutta sometime during 1768-74. Extensive extracts translated into English are included in H.M. Elliot and J. Dowson, <i>The History of India as Told by Its Own Historians</i>, vol. VII, as also in William Erskine, <i>History of India under Babar and Humayun</i>.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The author was the son of <u>Kh</u>w&#257j&#257 M&#299r, also historian, who had held a high station under Prince Mur&#257d, younger brother of Aura&#7749gz&#299b, and who continued service under the latter after the murder of his master. Muhammad H&#257shim, as he came of age, was put on various civil and military assignments by Emperor Aura&#7749gz&#299b (1658-1707). He continued to serve until the reign of Farru<u>kh</u>-S&#299yar (1716-19) and was later a <i>d&#299w&#257n</i> or minister under Naw&#257b Chin Qilich <u>Kh</u>&#257n Niz&#257m ul-Mulk, the founder Niz&#257m of Hyder&#257b&#257d. The family is believed to have originally immigrated from <u>Kh</u>w&#257, a country town near Nish&#257pur in <u>Kh</u>ur&#257s&#257n, whence H&#257shim adopted his title <u>Kh</u>&#257f&#299 (or more correctly <u>Kh</u>w&#257f&#299) <u>Kh</u>&#257n.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The contents of <i>Munta<u>kh</u>ab ul-Lub&#257b</i> may be divided into three parts : the first deals with local dynasties up to the Lodh&#299s; the second comprises a brief chronicle of the house of Taim&#363r the Lame (d. 1405) up to Emperor Akbar including the S&#363r interlude; and the third and the most important part of the work covers almost a century and a quarter following the death of Akbar in 1605. The author claims that the account of the last 53 years (1669-1722) was based on his personal observations or on the verbal testimony of people who had been witnesses to the events.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The book is a valuable contemporary source of information about the period of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh and Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur. Upon <u>Kh</u>af&#299 <u>Kh</u>&#257n's evidence, Aura&#7749gz&#299b had ordered that the Gur&#363's deputies, i.e. <i>masands</i>, be removed and the Sikh temples razed to the ground; when Emperor Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h (1707-12) marched towards the Deccan, Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh accompanied him with two or three hundred horsemen bearing spears; the death of the Gur&#363 was caused by a dagger-stab. About Band&#257 Si&#7749gh, <u>Kh</u>af&#299 <u>Kh</u>&#257n uses very harsh and abusive language, but admits that the government forces were unable to stand the onslaughts of the Sikhs in several parts of the Punjab. He also alludes to Band&#257 Si&#7749gh's practice of writing to Mu<u>gh</u>al <i>faujd&#257rs</i> to surrender before actually attacking them, to a code of conduct strictly followed by Sikh warriors, and to a proper; though short-lived, civil administration set up by Band&#257 Si&#7749gh in territories he had conquered. His contumelious tone notwithstanding, <u>Kh</u>&#257f&#299 <u>Kh</u>&#257n pays tribute to the Sikhs' determination and daring, especially during their nocturnal attacks on the imperial forces and their deadly sallies when besieged. He has also recorded the heroic story of a young Sikh captive who refused to be spared the fate his comrades had met with despite the fact that his mother had obtained a royal decree for his release.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"><u>Kh</u>&#257f&#299 <u>Kh</u>&#257n, Muhammad H&#257shim, <i> Munta<u>kh</u>ab ul-Lub&#257b </i>. Calcutta, 1874<BR> <li class="C1"> John Dowson, J. and Elliot, Sir Henry M., <i> History of India as told by its own Historians </i>. London, 1877<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>