ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>TAZKIRAH (lit. memoir)</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>TAZKIRAH</i> (lit. memoir) by &#256nand R&#257m Mu<u>kh</u>lis, a manuscript of much historical value containing an account of events that took place in North-West India during the second quarter of the eighteenth century. The manuscript deals mainly with the Punjab,. N&#257dir Sh&#257h's invasion (1739), Zakar&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n's governorship of Punjab (1726-45), condition of the Punjab under his sons and successors, Yah&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n (1745-47) and Sh&#257h Naw&#257z <u>Kh</u>&#257n (1747-48), and Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299's first invasion (1748). The manuscript is still unpublished as a whole; an English translation of only a part of it relating to N&#257dir Sh&#257h's invasion is found in Elliot and Dowson, <i>The History of India as Told by Its Own Historians, Vol. VIII</i>. A brief account of the life of &#256nand R&#257m Mu<u>kh</u>lis is contained in Dr. Syad 'Abdullah, <i>Adab&#299&#257t-i-F&#257ras&#299 me&#7749 Hind&#363o&#7749 k&#257 Hiss&#257</i> published by Añjuman-i-Taraqq&#299-i-Urd&#363 (Hind), Delhi, 1942. Copies of the manuscript are preserved in Sir Jadunath Sark&#257r's Library, Calcutta ; libraries of <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College, Amritsar and Muslim University, 'Al&#299ga&#7771h ; and in the Department of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University, Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257. &#256nand R&#257m, the son of Hridai R&#257m Khatr&#299 of Sodhr&#257 in Si&#257lko&#7789 district of Pakistan, was a highly learned man and author of several works in Persian besides the <i>Tazkirah</i>. Mu<u>kh</u>lis was his pen name. He served as <i>vak&#299l</i> or secretary of Waz&#299r Qamar ud-D&#299n "I'tim&#257d ul-Daulah, prime minister of the Mu<u>gh</u>al Emperor Muhammad Sh&#257h from 1724 to 1748. "Earlier he had also worked as <i>vak&#299l</i> of 'Abd us-Samad <u>Kh</u>&#257n, the governor of Punjab from 1713 to 1726. He had thus access to first-hand information about the events he recorded and to most of which he was an eye-witness.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The <i>Tazkirah</i> is divided into three parts : (i) N&#257dir Sh&#257h's invasion, (ii) expedition to B&#257nga&#7771h, and (iii) the first invasion of Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299. N&#257dir Sh&#257h's progress towards Delhi and general massacre in Delhi, and his return to Iran are described in detail. There is, however, no reference to the Sikhs who according to some other sources are said to have attacked the invader's baggage train. In the third part, the author, while giving an account of the struggle between Yah&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n and Sh&#257h Naw&#257z, records that there were revolts everywhere in the province. While <i>zam&#299nd&#257rs</i> (feudal farmers) of Jamm&#363 deviated from the path of obedience and loyalty, the Sikhs created conditions of lawlessness and chaos, and rebellions were rampant all over the Punjab. During the invasion of Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299 and his battle with the Mu<u>gh</u>als at M&#257n&#363pur near Sirhind, the Sikhs remained neutral watching the situation with keen interest, but during Ahmad Sh&#257h's retreat homewards after his defeat, they fell upon the Af<u>gh</u>&#257n rearguard at many places and kept harassing him right up to Attock, acquiring considerable booty of stores, arms, camels and horses. Even during his incoming journey, Ahmad Sh&#257h's camp had been attacked by the Sikhs at Sar&#257i N&#363rd&#299n between Lahore and Amritsar.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&#256nand R&#257m is very objective in the treatment of his subject. Though he was very intimately associated with the royal house of Delhi as a responsible courtier, he was not unduly biased in favour of his patrons or hostile towards the opponents of the imperial government nor was he hostile to foreign invaders nor to the Sikhs who were emerging as a new power. His vivid account of several towns, the climate, flora and fauna of different parts of north India, and of bridges and boats is very interesting and useful to historians.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Kirpal Singh, <i>A Catalogue of Persian and Sanskrit Manuscripts</i>. Amritsar, 1962<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>