ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>ZAFARN&#256MAH-I-RA&#7750J&#298T SI&#7748GH </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>ZAFARN&#256MAH-I-RA&#7750J&#298T SI&#7748GH</i> (A Chronicle of the Victories of Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh), by D&#299w&#257n Amar N&#257th, is a contemporary account in Persian of the events of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's reign from AD 1800 to AD 1837. Amar N&#257th, born in 1822, was the son of D&#299w&#257n D&#299n&#257 N&#257th, the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257's finance minister, and grandson of Ba<u>kh</u>t Mall, a noted scholar of Persian and Arabic and author of the <i><u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 N&#257mah</i>. Amar N&#257th held the position of Ba<u>kh</u>sh&#299 or paymaster of the irregular cavalry forces of the Sikh government of Lahore and was personally acquainted with most of the influential men at the Sikh court. The <i>Zafarn&#257mah-i-Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh</i>, as edited by Professor S&#299t&#257 R&#257m Kohl&#299, was published by the University of the Pañj&#257b, Lahore, in 1928. The work, three manuscripts of which were accessible to the editor, was given no specific title by the author, though the text was towards the end referred to as a <i>Zafarn&#257mah</i>. On the author's own family copy the copyist gives it the name of "<i>Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u>-i-<u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i>." This title is inappropriate inasmuch as the work is limited to Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's reign alone. The manuscript which was then in the possession of R&#257i S&#257hib Pa&#7751&#7693it Waz&#299r Chand of Jha&#7749g bore a pencil scrawl, "Zafarn&#257mah Akbar&#299." Akbar&#299 was the <i>nom de plume</i> of D&#299w&#257n Amar N&#257th. This name also bears no reference to the contents of the book. The current title was supplied by the editor.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The text is divisible into four parts. Part I, i.e. the first forty chapters, forms historically the most important section. It embraces events of Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's reign up to the close of the Bikram&#299 Sammat 1893/AD 1836-37. In most cases these are eye-witness accounts. For events of the period prior to his being asked to write the book by the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257, the author ascertained the facts from official sources or from persons directly involved. Part II contains descriptions of the principal gardens around Lahore. This section was, as the author tells us, included in the book at the express wish of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 himself. Part III is mainly a love poem and alludes to episodes in the lives of Mirz&#257 Akram Beg and Il&#257h&#299 Ba<u>kh</u>sh, the latter of whom rose to the rank of general in the Sikh artillery. Part IV is a long dedicatory poem in honour of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A Punjabi translation of the book was published by Punjabi University, Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, in 1983. A typical entry from the work is quoted below :</p> <blockquote class="C1"><p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Of the conquest of K&#257&#7749g&#7771&#257 in Sammat 1866 Bikram&#299 corresponding to 1225 Hijr&#299 (AD 1809)]</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The King [Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh] marshalled his army; taking an army of boundless force and numberless men, he advanced and encamped at Path&#257nko&#7789. Having received tribute from the chiefs of Jasro&#7789&#257 and N&#363rpur, he went to Amritsar and having performed offerings put his forehead at the doorstep of that house of prayer. Having received the wealth of holy glimpse and having made large offerings, he supplicated for [divine] assistance in overcoming those evil mischief makers, the Gorkh&#257s. They all fell upon the heads of [the Gorkh&#257s]. The Gorkh&#257s having known the resolve of that Jamshaid-like King trembled like a cane shoot. They dropped the shield of bravery and became desirous of fleeing with only their heads and two ears (i.e. empty handed).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote></p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Amar N&#257th, <i>Zafarn&#257m&#257-i-Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh</i> (Punjabi edition) Patiala, 1983<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>