Nuh sipihr 3: The Third Sphere. · Praises of Hindustan. — Its Climate. — Animals. — Learning and Languages.
Nuh Sipihr (extracts) 3
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The Third Sphere. · Praises of Hindustan. — Its Climate. — Animals. — Learning and Languages.
3.1
"This is a well-known fact, that the language spoken by conquerors who have established themselves, when it has been disseminated amongst people, great and small, has become the common language of the country. Just as in Baghdad, where originally but little Persian was spoken, when the Khalifa's dynasty was overthrown, the Parsis established themselves in it. Thenceforward, everything that was Arab, became subject to Parsi rules, and the herd acquired respect for the language of the shepherds. The city, which was called Baghdad in Arabic, became converted in its first syllable into Baghchadad. Turki became just as prevalent, when the Turks conquered the country, and the language of the chiefs bore fruit in a new soil."
3.2
"Hind has observed the same rule in respect to language. In olden time it was Hindui. When the tribes, great and small, became intermixed, every one, bad and good, learnt Parsi, and all the other languages which existed never moved from their bounds. As God had taught them all, it is not proper to call them all bad. With the exception of Arabic, which, in consequence of the Kuran being written in it, is the most excellent and eloquent of languages, all the tongues differ from one another, and each one has some peculiar merit of its own. This one exclaims, 'My wine is better than all others.' Every one loses himself in his own cup, and no one admits that his own wine is vinegar. In short, it would be useless to enter into further discussion respecting Parsi, Turki, and Arabic." "As I was born in Hind, I may be allowed to say a word respecting its languages. There is at this time in every province a language peculiar to itself, and not borrowed from any other — Sindi, Lahori, Kashmiri, the language of Dugar, Dhur Samundar, Tilang, Gujarat, Ma'bar, Gaur, Bengal, Oudh, Dehli and its environs. These are all languages of Hind, which from ancient times have been applied in every way to the common purposes of life.
3.3
"But there is another language more select than the others, which all the Brahmans use. Its name from of old is Sahaskrit, and the common people know nothing of it. A Brahman knows it, but Brahmani women do not understand a word of it. It bears a resemblance to Arabic in some respects, in its permutations of letters, its grammar, its conjugations, and polish. They have four books in that language, which they are constantly in the habit of repeating. Their name is Bed. They contain stories of their gods, but little advantage can be derived from their perusal. Whatever other stories and fables they have, is contained in kabits, parwânas, and nâmahs. The language possesses rules for composition and eloquence. The language is very precious, inferior to Arabic, but superior to Dari; and though the latter is certainly sweet and melodious, yet even in that respect this language does not yield to it." Mention of some of the powers of sorcery and enchantment possessed by the inhabitants of India. "First of all, they can bring a dead man to life. If a man has been bitten by a snake and is rendered speechless, they can resuscitate him after even six months. They put him on a river which flows towards the East, and he speeds on his voyage as swift as lightning. When he arrives on the borders of Kâmru, an experienced witch instils life into him."
3.4
"Another mode is this, and the power is possessed by the Brahmans as a secret; namely, that they can bring a man to life after his head has been cut off. I will tell you another story, if you will not be alarmed at it, that a demon gets into one's head and drinks as much wine as satisfies him, and whatever he utters in this state, is sure to become true. Another is, that through their art they can procure longevity by diminishing the daily number of their expirations of breath. A Jogi who could restrain his breath in this way lived in an idol to an age of more than three hundred and fifty years." "Another process is, that they can tell future events by the breath of their nostrils, according as the right or left orifice is more or less open. They can also inflate another's body by their own breath. In the hills on the borders of Kashmir there are many such people. Another is, that they know how to convert themselves into wolves, dogs, and cats. They can also extract by their power the blood from one's body and infuse it again. They can also, even while moving, affect a man, whether old or young, with bodily disease. They can also make a body float from shore to shore. They can also fly like fowls in the air, however improbable it may seem. They can also, by putting antimony on their eyes, make themselves invisible at pleasure. Those only can believe all this who have seen it with their own eyes."
3.5
"Though this be all sorcery and incantation, yet there is one marvel which you must acknowledge to be fact, that is, that a woman in her senses will burn herself on the funeral pile of her husband, and that a man will burn himself for his idol or for his master. Though this be not legitimate in Islam, yet see what a great achievement it is! If this practice were lawful amongst us, pious devotees might surrender their lives to the air." When Khusru Khan was returning to the king after the defeat of Raghi, he received intelligence on the road that Rana Harpal had rebelled, and taken up a position in the hills at the head of a powerful army. The Khan went in pursuit of him, and was vigorously attacked two or three times by the rebel, who, in the end being desperately wounded, was taken captive, and his army put to flight. He was brought, bound hand and foot, before the king, who gave orders that he should be put to death; after which his body was delivered to his attendants to be burnt. "When his way had been taken towards hell by the sword, the king gave his body to the other hellites, that this great infidel and little Satan might become one of its chief ornaments of their kingdom. The hellites who had accompanied him out of regard and had fought by his side, also afforded food to the flames of the infernal regions. Those hellites did not desire that he should be burnt by himself alone, so they accompanied him into the flames, and hell was gratified by that sacrifice."
3.6
In the beginning of the month of Rajab, 718 H., the king, on his return towards Dehli from Deogir, crossed the Nerbadda in a boat. "Nerbadda is a river which flows very rapidly, and is so deep that it cannot be fathomed. Swifter than an arrow, and about two bow-shots broad from shore to shore, even an expert swimmer dare not attempt to cross it." On the day of the passage of the river, the captured elephants arrived in the royal camp from Telingana.