S R A E V ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA EPIGRAPHIAINDICA ARABIC AND PERSIAN SUPPLEMENT (In continuation of the series Epigraphia Indo-Moslemica) 2011 EDITED BY Dr. G. S. KHWAJA Director Incharge (Epigraphy) PUBLISHED BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA NEW DELHI 2011 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA EPIGRAPHIAINDICA ARABIC AND PERSIAN SUPPLEMENT (In continuation of the series Epigraphia Indo-Moslemica) 2011 EDITED BY Dr. G. S. KHWAJA Director Incharge (Epigraphy) PUBLISHED BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA NEW DELHI 2011 Published on the occasion of 150th Year celebration of Archaeological Survey of India’s foundation © 2011 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA GOVERNMENT OF INDIA Price - ^ 270 Printed at: India Offset Press A-1, Mayapuri Ind. Area, Phase-I, New Delhi - 110 064 Ph : +91-11-28116494, 9811526314 CONTENTS PAGE Inscriptions of Shah Jahan from Rajasthan 01 By Dr. Z.A. Desai Inscriptions of Shah Jahan from Different States 62 By A.A. Kadri Inscriptions of Aurangzeb from Kanchipuram 73 By Dr. G.S. Khwaja Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Public.Resource.Org https://archive.org/details/epigraphiaindicaOOnewd PREFACE It is an occasion of great pleasure for the historians and linguists interested in Perso-Arabic Epigraphy in particular and academic circles in general that a special issue of Epigraphia Indica-Arabic and Persian Supplement is being published this year to mark the 150 year celebration of Archaeological Survey of India. In other words this departmental research journal devoted to critical examination and editing of Arabic and Persian inscriptions, the publication of which could not be maintained with its set periodicity for some genuine reasons, is being revived as is being done in case of Epigraphia Indica and Ancient India. There was a constant pressure on the Office of the Director Epigraphy for Arabic and Persian Inscriptions, Nagpur, to bring out the journal which has a backlog of many issues. In fact when Dr. Z.A.Desai retired from the post of the Director Epigraphy in 1983 he had left a backlog of nearly 10 issues; as he edited the number of 1975 in 1984. Mr. N.M. Ganam, Superintending Epigraphist, edited two issues that of 1976 and 1977 which were published after his retirement in late nineties. After that a real dearth of Perso-Arabic epigraphist was felt in this field and as a result a backlog of many issues came to fore. This Supplement was wholly depending upon the epigraphists working in the Epigraphy Branch or out side scholars from universities, museums, state department of archaeology etc. The Epigraphy Branch of ASI at Nagpur has meticulously gathered estampages/photographs of nearly 15000 stone inscriptions out of which only about 2000 odd are published on the pages of EIM or EIAPS. Rest of the lot is though deciphered and noticed in the respective Annual Reports on Indian Epigraphy- these all may not be worth editing- but still there is a great number of historically important epigraphs which need to be given a chance to see the day of light in a published form because many young scholars may make use of the data stored in it. The question remains that where those contributors will come from for critically examining and editing these epigraphs. It will be the priority of this branch after the publication of this issue that henceforth the periodicity of the journal is maintained. In my view there is no option except the training or capacity building among the available souls irrespective of their meagre number or experience. In near past the discipline of Perso-Arabic epigraphy has lost Dr. Z.A.Desai, N.M.Ganam, Dr. M.I.Quddusi and Mr. S.S.Hussain. With the profound memories, sincere tributes to the departed souls and caprice of a new beginning this special issue of Epigraphia Indica-Arabic and Persian Supplement 2011 is being put before the scholarly world. It contains articles on 32 historically important Persian epigraphs from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, West Bengal, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu which, I am sure, will add some important pieces of information in the medieval history of India. I hope publication of this issue will be a good omen for the development of Epigraphy. -Editor