ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>RIS&#256L&#256-I-N&#256NAK SH&#256H</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>RIS&#256L&#256-I-N&#256NAK SH&#256H</i>, a Persian manuscript by Buddh Si&#7749gh Aro&#7771&#257 of Lahore, who was employed in the court of the Mu<u>gh</u>al Emperor Sh&#257h &#256lam II (1759-1806) at Delhi, written in 1783 in collaboration with L&#257l&#257 Aj&#257ib Si&#7749gh S&#363r&#299 of M&#257lerko&#7789l&#257 . The work deals with the history of the Sikhs from the time of Gur&#363 N&#257nak up to the establishment of Sikh rule in Punjab under the Sard&#257rs, and was written, as the author himself tells us, at the request of James Browne, British agent in Delhi who translated it into English and published it under the title <i>History of the Origin and Progress of the Sicks</i> (sic). It was also published in his <i>India Tracts</i> (1788). James Browne writes that he met two Hindus of considerable knowledge who were natives of Lahore and had in their possession account of the rise and progress of the Sikhs written in N&#257gar&#299 characters, one of which they translated into Persian at his request; but Browne does not mention their names. Manuscript copies of Ris&#257l&#257-i-N&#257nak Sh&#257h are available in the British Library, London; Muslim University Library, Al&#299ga&#7771h; <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College Library, Amritsar; and the Punjab Historical Studies Department at Punjabi University, Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The earlier part of the manuscript dealing with the lives of the Gur&#363s, evidently based on verbal information collected from inadequately informed sources is not very useful, for it contains several inexcusable errors of fact. For example, according to the author, Gur&#363 N&#257nak lived at Sodhar&#257, a town near the River Chen&#257b; Gur&#363 Arjan was suceeded by Gur&#363 Har R&#257i; Gur&#363 Hargobind's name is omitted from the series, although towards the end of the manuscript he is mentioned as having armed himself and fought a few battles against the Mu<u>gh</u>als; Mard&#257n&#257 was the companion of Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur; Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh was born after the execution of his father. All these are historically horrenous misstatements, and far wide of the mark. But the author appears better informed as he approaches near his own time. His account of the events at Chamkaur and Sirhind; Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's travels to the South; the exploits and end of Band&#257 (Si&#7749gh); N&#257dir Sh&#257h's invasion; Zakar&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n's rule in the Punjab; the invasions of Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299; Sikhs' alliance with &#256d&#299n&#257 Beg and the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s and its later dissolution; and the eventual consolidation of the Sikh power in cis-Sutlej and trans-Sutlej Punjab is fairly reliable.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>