The Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh c1: Front matter
The Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh c1
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- English
Front matter
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Sundar Sharma, Tehsildar, Ujjain; to Pandit Gokal Chand of Jaipur for his assistance at Benares and Pandit Mahadeva Śāstri Ghatri who, with the kind permission of Her Highness the Maharani of Darbhanga, placed himself at my disposal at Benares; and to Mr. Sohan Lal of the Archæological Department who accompanied me on my tour. To Mr. Fazl Elahi, B.A., and Professor Abd-ur-Rahman of St. Stephen's College, Delhi, my thanks are due for assistance in translating some Persian works on the Astrolabe and in the interpretation of obscure Arabic terms. To the Superintendents of the Museums at Calcutta and Lahore I am indebted for the loan of certain instruments. The Public Works Staff of the Imperial City, Delhi, and particularly Mr. Glen, Executive Engineer, rendered most valuable assistance; and to the care and skill of the Superintendent of Government Printing and the Surveyor General and their staffs I am obviously greatly indebted. It is impossible to repay in words my debt to Sir John Marshall and Mr. W. E. Jardine, C.I.E., the Resident of Gwalior, for advice, encouragement and help.
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G. R. KAYE.
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January 30th, 1918.
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CONTENTS.
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | *Page* |
| PREFACE . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | i |
| TABLE OF CONTENTS . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | iii |
| LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | vii |
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CHAPTER I.—JAI SINGH'S PREPARATION FOR ASTRONOMICAL WORK.
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| 1. Jai Singh's career | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 |
| 2. Astronomical works consulted by Jai Singh | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 2 |
| (i) The *Almagest* . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 2 |
| (ii) Treatises on the astrolabe | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 3 |
| (iv) La Hire's *Tabulae Astronomicae* . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 4 |
| (v) Flamsteed's *Historia Cœlestis Britannica* | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 4 |
| (vi) Works by Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī and Jamshīd Kāshī | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 4 |
| (vii) Other works | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 5 |
| 3. Personal assistance rendered to Jai Singh | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 5 |
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CHAPTER II.—JAI SINGH'S TABLES.
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| 4. The *Zīj Muhammad Shāhī* | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 8 |
| 5. The Jaipur manuscript | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 8 |
| 6. The British Museum manuscript | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 10 |
| 7. The preface to the Zīj Muhammad Shāhī | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 10 |
| (i) Introduction | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 10 |
| (ii) Jai Singh's reasons for preparing new tables | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 11 |
| (iii) He approaches the Emperor in the matter . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 11 |
| (iv) Follows Ulugh Beg and copies the Samarqand instruments | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 12 |
| (v) Brass instruments are a failure and he constructed stone instruments at Delhi | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 13 |
| (vi) Observatories at Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathurā and Benares . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 13 |
| (vii) Prepares a new table after seven years of observation | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 14 |
| (viii) For this purpose he sent skilful persons to Europe | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 14 |
| (ix) Errors in European tables | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 14 |
| (x) Perfection of his own observations and tables | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 15 |
| (xi) Conclusion | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 15 |
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CHAPTER III.—THE METAL INSTRUMENTS
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| 8. List of instruments examined | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 16 |
| 9. The astrolabe | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 17 |
| 10. Astrolabium planisphaerum | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 17 |
| 11. Astrolabe tablets | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 18 |
| (i) Almucantarats | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 19 |
| (ii) Azimuths | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 19 |
| (iii) Temporal hour lines | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 19 |
| (iv) Equal hour lines | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 19 |
| (v) 'Houses' | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 19 |
| (vi) Latitudes and longest days | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 20 |
| (vii) Tablet of horizons | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 20 |
| (viii) Tablet of celestial latitudes and longitudes | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 20 |
| (ix) Other tablets | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 20 |
| 12. The 'ankabūt' or *aranea* | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 21 |
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA, NEW IMPERIAL SERIES, VOL. XL.
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THE ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES OF JAI SINGH
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BY
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G. R. KAYE, *Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society* *Honorary Correspondent of the Archaeological Department of India*
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Royal Coat of Arms
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D160
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R 913.012 I.D.A/Kay
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