Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 42.25
A Translation of the Seir Mutaqherin (Haji Mustafa) 42.25
- Language
- English
42.25.1
Seyd Morteza, proud of his eminent station, and still more so of his having been so instrumental in placing Abdool-hassen on the throne, had assumed an air of independence in all his discourses and actions, which the new King bore for some time, but which at last had become intolerable; and the fire of a civil war was going to blaze again, when Madina, the Brahman, who had now become the new King's confidant and Prime Minister, found means to gain over to his side all the Commanders and officers who had hitherto supported Seyd Morteza ; so that this General, finding himself at once deprived of both wings and feathers, thought proper to submit to controul. These important services made such an impression on the new King, that he bestowed the casket of the Vezirship on Madina, and entrusted his brother, Euganna, with the details and offices which his elder brother had left vacant by his promotion. And it is from thence that must be dated that Minister's influence, and his master's gratitude. And it is here that ends our history. Let us now pour our acknowledgments on God Almighty's threshold, for his having vouchsafed on us His divine assistance ;
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and let us praise His goodness endlessly, for his having condescended to make use of so humble and so inadequate an instrument, as this penman (who is the last of men), to array this third volume in the robes of style and arrangement, and to attire it with the ornament of completion and finishing, in such a manner as to promise these fragile leaves the permanency which was hoped for, and intended for them. Praise be to Him! that in the composition of this Work, exactitude and impartiality have been, to the best of my abilities, objects of scrupulous attention ; and that they afford the satisfaction to think that the labour attending such a performance, has been brought to a proper end. I rely so far on the goodness of that Omnipotent Being, as to hope that He shall vouchsafe to irradiate these humble leaves in such a manner, as shall render them capable of illuming the hearts, and of enlightening the understandings, of the ruling men of this age, by giving to the unadequate and feeble ink of this humblest of men all the qualities of a Collyrium, capable of deterging the eyes of men of knowledge. May His beneficence bestow such an efficacy, and such a currency, on the paradisical maxims, sprinkled on every part of this composition, as may render them wholesome and savoury, like those waters said to flow from Heaven, and equally salutary and palatable to the governing part of mankind !
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May they serve to cleanse their eyes of those immondices, so capable to cloud their lustre, and so proper to keep them closed with the pride of sloth, and slumbering with the intoxicating fumes of power and dominion ! For the utmost wish of my ambition, and the direct scope of my steering, have been to reclaim and to awaken those slothful men, who, forgetful of their ownselves, seem to slumber their lives away in the lap of inerty and the blindness of ignorance. Whenever that end is accomplished, I shall presume that this book, teeming with blemishes as it is, has been the means of attracting the Divine forgiveness upon my unworthy self. In one word, I firmly hope from the Supreme goodness, that in the verification of the holy oracle, "My mercy goes faster than my anger," and in compliance with that holy sentence, "He is truth itself," He shall vouchsafe to convert the fond hope of so sinful a being into completion and reality; for "He is truth itself, and the Supreme Goodness."
42.25.4
This has been written by the weak and decayed hand of the poorest of those that beg at the gate of the All-bountiful God, that is, by Gholam-hussein, the Husseinian, son to Seyd Hedaiet-aaly-qhan, grandson to Seyd Aalim-ollah, great-grandson to Seyd Faiz-ollah, the Tebateba, (on whom all may grace and mercy rest for ever!) through the merits of the Prince of Prophets, and the intercession of the last of Messengers, Mohammed, the seal of envoys, as well as through those of his pure and innocent offspring (on whom all may grace and mercy rest for ever till the day of the last Judgment!). And the work has been finished the third day of the second week of that blessed month of Ramazan, which comes the seventh in order, in the series that compose the ninety-fifth year of the twelfth century that has elapsed since the auspicious and prophetic flight of that noble being, — on whom be grace and praise for ever! Copied by the Rebellious, the sinful, Mohammed-bass'don, the Hossenian. FINIS. Verum dicere Quid vetat. . . ? Horace. Calcutta, this 14th May, 1790. To WILLIAM ARMSTRONG, Esquire. Sir,—
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The conversation of yesternight was too extraordinary and too interesting, not to deserve some observations on my part. However, as adding new observations would only swell a letter into the size of a pamphlet, I shall content myself with putting in order, such remarks as you have made yourself, and such answers as I then gave. That I am firmly resolved never to commence a polemic correspondence on the merits and demerits of the Seir-el-Mutaqherin, is certain these four years, and the resolution is unalterably fixed. If then I deviate in this single instance from such a resolution, it is not precisely to shew, that a defence might be set up, but barely to submit to the animadversion of a friend, who has observed this morning, that such a disregard to the opinion of the public (of which to-day you seem to be the organ) would be deemed disrespectful and supercilious. It is then out of a respectful regard to that same public, I now stand up to speak.
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You have asked me several times, Sir, whether in printing that History of India, I had not in view my own emolument, either in point of credit, or in point of pecuniary profit ? (such was, at least, the purport of several of your questions). And my answer has been yesternight, what it is to-day, what it has been in print about eighteen months ago, and what it was so early as four years ago. And it is as follows : — "I never have had in view either personal credit, or pecuniary benefit. Had I had the last, I should not have commenced printing the work in December, 1788, with only eight subscribers; nor would I to-day persist in forcing all obstacles, with no more than fifty-two ; out of which number some will not pay, and some are gone to Europe ; in all twelve persons. Now even the fifty-two Subscribers, or the two hundred Mohurs, would not repay so much as one-third of the expense of printing ; "for my personal labour is out of the question." This, Sir, is my answer as to pecuniary views; nor will it be less short and less peremptory with regard to personal credit. My only real aim, at first, was to bring up a great deal of information, which I conceived might greatly conduce to clear Governor Hastings's character. I had a notion of selecting and translating only such parts as concerned him directly, or indirectly, But as such a selection was liable to cavils, and still more to envy and detraction, I thought it better to translate and publish the whole.
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And although I rightly conjectured that such a publication even in England, would cost me no less than two thousand rupees, and in India, no less than three or four, I thought it incumbent upon my gratitude to overlook the expense of three or four hundred pounds, for supporting the character of a man whom I highly respected, and who, moreover, had put ten or twelve thousand in my pocket. This resolution once taken firmly, the printing it in India, that is, the adding some more money to the intended sum of four thousand, became a consideration that did not stop me a moment. These pecuniary matters naturally bring to mind your proposal of putting a stop to the printing of the remainder of my History, and of recommending it to another person for dressing it in better language. Sir, the first part of your proposal is impossible, at least it is out of my power. The second is totally repugnant to the natural sincerity of my heart, say, to the natural pride of my mind. Please to attend to the following detail: —
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Rs. Ans. The third Volume has cost me full, as paid to Mr. Upjohn ... 1,600 4 For the second, actually printing by Mr. Cooper, and two other Printers, I have already paid ... ... ... ... 1,700 0 And the first, which is now finishing, has already cost me two thousand Rupees, advanced to Mr. White, and will take up a thousand more ... ... ... ... ... 3,000 0 Add 200 Rs. paid to Book-binders, and 200 more to Transcribers ... ... ... ... ... ... 400 0 Add 2,000 Rupees more for 2700 folio pages copied in India at 4 Annas each, but sent to England by triplicate, 7400 pages, besides the freight ... ... ... ... 2,000 0 8,700 4 Add paper, &c., &c., with an infinity of small articles, which cannot be enumerated here, but which form a considerable item; and this recapitulation will put it in your power to determine whether I can at this period of time recall the books already distributed, or suspend the printing of the two others. But you, or some other person, shall assist me in the wording of the text, and also in procuring subscriptions; and you adduce in proof of the possibility of your obliging scheme, the extreme easiness with which other works (for instance, Mr. Gladwin's Vocabulary,) have produced a deal of money. I have split, Sir, yesterday that proposal of yours in three parts, and made a distinct answer to each part; nevertheless, I shall with pleasure refresh your memory on the three articles.