History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c11.266

c11.266

According to Firishta Hasan Kāngū assumed the royal dignity at morning time on Friday, the 24th Rabi‘-al-Sani, 748 A.H. and according to the *Burhān-i-Mā‘sir* in the 9th *ghari* i.e., about 9 or 10 in the morning on Friday, the 28th Sha‘ban 748 A.H. (December 3, 1347 A.D.). Firishta’s date is generally accepted, though we have no reason to wholly reject the latter date. But the duration of Hasan’s reign given by these two writers and others who wrote before and after them requires a word of explanation. Firishta says, Hasan’s reign lasted for 11 years 2 months and 7 days¹⁴⁵ and he is supported by the *Tabqāt-i-Akbari*146 and the *Burhān-i-Mā‘sir*.¹⁴⁷ Nizam-al-Din and Firishta both mention a work called the *Sirāj-al-Tawārīkh* which they consulted in preparing their histories, but which is no longer available. The Bankipore MS. of Amīn Ahmad Rāzī’s *Haft Iqlīm* assigns to Hasan’s reign a duration of 21 years which is obviously incorrect. The *Tazkirāt-al-Mulūk* which is a tertiary authority says that Hasan died in 761 A.H. after a reign of 13 years 10 months and 27 days which is again, entirely wrong.¹⁴⁸ The Arabic History of Gujarat assigns to Hasan’s reign a duration of 11 years 10 months and 7 days.¹⁴⁹ Now the duration of the reign given by all other writers except the author of the Arabic History is incorrect for the following reasons. According to Firishta, who dates the assumption of royalty by Hasan on the 24th Rabi-al-Sani 748 A.H., the end of Hasan’s reign will be on the 1st or 2nd of Rajab 759 A.H. This does not tally with the date of the termination of Hasan’s reign, i.e., the 1st of Rabi-al-awwal 759 A.H. given by him.¹⁵⁰ Besides, the date is in conflict with numismatic evidence, for we have a coin of Hasan bearing the date 760 A.H. According to the *Burhān-i-Ma’sir* the end of the reign will be sometime in the month of Zi-al-Q’adah 759 A.H., which is again in conflict with the evidence of coins. If we accept the duration of the reign given by Hājjī-ad-Dabīr, and the date of accession given by Firishta we arrive at Rabi-al-awwal I, 760 A.H. which is the same as given by Firishta but for the difference in the year which in Firishta’s work is 759. The coincidence between the day and month is not merely accidental but probably the result of calculation either by Firishta himself or by some one else whom he copied. Firishta writes یازدہ سال دو ماہ هفت روز and it is probable that the later scribes may have written دو ماہ instead of دہ ماہ by mistake. In any case it is clear that the duration of the reign was longer than that given by all these writers except Hājjī-ad-Dabīr. Firishta’s date of the termination of Hasan’s reign is found to be remarkably correct, if we accept the length of the reign given by Hājjī-ad-Dabīr and the date of assumption of royalty given by Firishta.¹⁵¹ This is also supported by numismatic evidence. On this ground Firishta’s date is preferable to that given by the *Burhān-i-Ma’sir*.