Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t77.2

v2.c12.s2.t77.2

Jayasimha was a king in Rajputana. He ascended the throne at Ambher in Vikram Saṃvat 1750 (Śaka 1615, i.e. 1693 A.D.). Later on, he built the present city of Jaipur and made it his capital. In his work, Siddhāntasamrāt, he has been styled “ Matsya deśādhipati ”. He set himself the task of compiling a work, after taking observations wih newly built instruments, set up in newly built observatories, because no existing Hindu, Muslim, or European works could give results agreeing with observation ; and accordingly he accomplished his task with success. He established observatories at Jaipur, Indraprastha (Delhi), ujjayinī, Vārānasī and Mathurā. He got built* very big, immovable instruments, made of mortar and stone, huge in size and very useful for observation, because, he found that metallic instruments are very small in size and wear out easily. Of these, the Jaiprakāśa, Yantrasamrāt, Bhittiyantra, Vṛttaṣṭhāṃśa etc. were newly devised by him ; and after engaging a staff of competent astronomers as observers for seven or eight years, he compiled a work entitled viz. ‘ Muhammad ’ in Arabic and Siddhānta Samrāt in Sanskrit, on the basis of the records of observations taken. At that time, Muhammad Śāh was the Emperor of Delhi and the first work was ramed after him. It appears that it was also called ‘ Mijasti ’. This work belongs to the year 1141 of Hijrī era (i.e. Śaka 1650). He got the Siddhāntasamrāt compiled by a scholar, Jagannātha, about Śaka 1653 (i.e. 1731 A.D.). It is mainly a translation of the work, Mijasti. It consists of 13 chapters, contaning 141 articles and a study of 196 propositions (Kṣetras). The work records the observations taken in the year 1650-51-52 ; and the elements such as planteary motions have been determined, after comparing his own observations with those of Ulugh Beg and other ancient observers.