Page:The Oriental Biographical Dictionary.djvu/9



author of this Dictionary was formerly a Clerk in the office of the Board of Revenue, N. W. P. at a time when the-Secretary was Henry Myers Elliot, afterwards well known as Sir H. M. Elliot, K. C. B. It is probable that, in preparing his extracts from the Mohamadan Histories of India, Elliot availed himself of the aid of Mr. Beale, of whose scholarship Prof. Dowson makes justly deserved mention in the eighth volume of his valuable edition of the work. Mr. Beale died at a very advanced age in the summer of 1875, having before his death expressed a wish that I would see his MS. through the press, and reduce the transliteration into conformity with the system then recently adopted by the Government of India, and founded (as I need hardly observe) upon the system of Sir W. Jones.

Accordingly, on the 5th October of that year I laid the MS. before Sir John Strachey, the then Lieut.-Governor, in the name of the Archæological Society of Agra, of which he was a Vice-Patron, in a letter from which the following is an extract:—

"This is no ordinary book. I have used it as a work of reference, for years: and have lately had an opportunity of showing it to the eminent scholar Mr. E. B. Eastwick, C. B. who, I am authorised to say, concurs with me in thinking that the Dictionary will be of unique value to oriental students."

Sir J. Strachey took up the subject with that enlightened energy which always actuated him in dealing with the past history of the country over whose administration he then presided. The MS. and copyright were acquired at the expense of Government; and it was ultimately resolved—in view of the importance of the work and my own official occupations—that the editing should be entrusted to the Asiatic Society of Bengal. The Society confided the labour of seeing the Dictionary though the press to their Philological Secretary, Principal Blochmann, of whose qualifications it would be presumptuous to say more than that they have an œcumenical reputation. That distinguished man (of whom it has been observed by Count v. Noer that he united the enthusiasm of an artist to the most patient accuracy of research ) undertook the task with his characteristic earnestness and ability. But unhappily for oriental scholarship Mr. Blochmann's lamented death occurred before he had completed the preparation of more than a few sheets; and the duty ultimately reverted to the local Archæeological Society of Agra.

Being soon after transferred from Agra, and being besides prevented by my public duties from giving to the Dictionary the full attention which its importance required, I have availed to a great degree of the aid of my colleagues, Mr. Sáyad Mahmood, Prof. A. Thomson, and Lála Bahál Rai. I have also (in the latter sheets particularly) had valuable help from Dr. Hoernle, Philological Secretary of the Society. To these gentlemen, and to the Superintendent of the Baptist Mission Press the work is indebted for its handsome and practical appearance and character.

The substance is almost entirely Mr. Beale's; and I cannot close this notice more fitly than by giving the following extracts from the preface originally drafted by himself:—

"In preparing a work of this nature, intended to be used as a work of reference on matters connected with Oriental History, it is proper to state that the greatest care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the narrative, as also in the dates of births, deaths, and other events recorded.... Various MSS. have been collated whenever discrepancy was observed....To remove all doubt, chronograms indicating the dates with a certainty not to be found by any other method and written when the events were fresh in the minds of men, have been inserted, when available."