The Rampur Raza Library is one of the important libraries of the World. Besides works relating to different religions, traditions, it is a treasure house of Indo-Islamic learning and arts. This library was founded by Nawab Faizullah Khan in 1774. The Nawabs of Rampur were great patrons of learning and the learned ulama, poets, painters, calligraphers and musicians enjoyed their patronage. After the independence of India and merger of the state in the union of India, the library was brought under the management of a trust, which was created on 6th April, 1951. Professor Saiyid Nurul Hasan, former Minister of Education, Government of India, brought this library under an Act of Parliament on 1st. July, 1975. The Chairman of the board is Honourable Governor of Uttar Pradesh. It is having around 17000 manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, Pashto, Sanskrit, Urdu, Hindi and Turkish languages. Moreover, it possesses a good collection of paintings and palm leaves in various Indian languages. A collection of around 60,000 printed books in various Indian and foreign languages are also available.
When I joined as Director of Raza Library on 3rd April, 2012, so I decided to pay special attention for the compilation and publication of the descriptive catalogues of manuscripts and publication of rare manuscripts available in Raza Library. I have published Hazrat Ali's Nahjul Balagha, Ziauddin Barani's Naat-i-Muhammadi, Ziauddin Barani's Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi, Saiyind Muhammad Kamal Wasti's Asrariya Kashf-i-Sufiya, Mughal Emperor Babur's Diwan, Diwan-i-Hafiz Shirazi, Jauhar Aftabchi's Tazkiratul Waqiat and Mohtashim Kashani's Dawazdeh Band. I have also published the Descriptive Catalogue of Arabic manuscripts, two volumes, Persian Manuscripts, three volumes, Sanskrit Manuscripts, two volumes, Turkish Manuscripts, one volume, Pashto Manuscripts, one volume, Urdu Manuscripts, one Volume. Proceedings of International seminar on "Sources of Indian History & Culture" held in 2012, is also published in two volumes, one in Urdu and other in English in 2014. It is a matter of great pleasure that on the instruction of Nawab Saiyid Raza Ali Khan, Saiyid Moinuddi Nadvi prepared the text of Muhammed Arif Qandhari's Tarikh-i-Akbari. Then Dr. Saiyid Azhar Ali worked on this text. Finally it was assigned to Maulana Imtiyaz Ali Khan Arshi, former Mudeer of Kitab Khana-i-Raza, who prepared the edited text of Tarikh-i-Akbari which was published in 1962 which is now out of print. It was in great demand by the scholars and I have arranged the reprint of Tarikh-i-Akbari, so that scholars can use the Persian text of Tarikh-i-Akbari.
This manuscript belongs to the collection of Kitab Khana-i-Riyasat-i-Loharu, now in Raza Library, Rampur. It is quite interesting to note that it was compiled by Mirza Husain Beg Hamedani, nephew of Nawab Muhammed Beg Khan Hamedani, for the Kitab Khana-i-Salar Dolat madar Nawab Aminuddin Ahmed Khan Bahadur and my ancestor Mir Saiyid Ali Hamedani, also hailed from Hamedan, a town of Iran. This relationship is quite amazing. That it was compiled by a scholar from Hamedan and being published during my tenure as director of library, whose ancestors also hailed from Hamedan.
I am highly grateful to Shri Ram Naik, Honourable Governor of Uttar Pradesh and Chairman, Rampur Raza Library for his patronage. I am extremely grateful to Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Honourable Minister of Culture, Government of India and Mr. Ravinder Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Culture for their financial support. I am thankful to Mrs. Juthika Patankar Principal Secretary to Honourable Governor of Uttar Pradesh for her kind help and support. I am equally indebted to Mrs. Sreya Guha, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, New Delhi for giving me all the help.
I am highly thankful to Ms. Sajida Sherwani for the editing of this source of history and culture. I am grateful to my colleagues Dr. Abusad Islahi, Library and Information Officer, Ms. Nazma Bi, Mr. Isbah Khan, Mr. A.K. Saxena, Ms. Mohini Rani, Ms. Bilqis Farooqi, Mr. Zafar Khan, Mr. Faisal Khan and Er. Shujauddin Khan also whose valuable help and hard work has made this work possible.
Jauhar Aftabchi was the personal servant of Mughal Emperor Humayun (1530-1555). He was holding the post of Ewer bearer. He was a sincere and faithful servant of Humayun who also served when Humayun was dethroned and left for Persia. Humayun remained in Iran from 15431545. Jauhar was with Humayun in Persia. As Jauhar himself writes in the preface of his work - Tazkiratul Waqiat, "Thus saith the humble servant of the court, the asylum of mankind, Jauhar, having had the good fortune, while still a youth, to be admitted into the service of His Majesty Humayun, and having continued in it till his death, I was at all times, and in all situations, in constant attendance on the royal person." 1 When Akbar (1556-1605) ascended the throne in 1556, there was no proper account of Humayun's reign, so he asked Gulbadan Begum, Jauhar Aftabchi, Khwand Mir to record events of Humayun's reign, with the result Humayun Nama, Tazkiratul Waqiat and Qanoon-i-Humayuni were written. Jauhar himself writes, "It, therefore, occurred to me as desirable that I should write a narrative of all the events to which I had been an eye witness, that it may remain as a record of the past interesting occurrences; I have been an eye witness, that it may remain as a record of the past interesting occurrences; I have endeavored to explain them to the best of my humble ability, although in a style very inferior to the dignity of the subject. I commenced this work in the year 995 (1587), and have named it the Tazkiratul Waqiat."
2 What type of information is given by Jauhar, he himself explains, "It is not my intention however to narrate all the occurrences which have taken place during the later period, but shall confine myself to those operations in which His Majesty was personally concerned; I shall, therefore, commence this work with Humayun's ascending the throne, and shall nearly conclude with his return from Persia and his reigning the sovereignty." 3 We are lucky that Jauhar has given a detailed account of Humayun's visit to Persia. It provides lot of information about Humayun's visit to Persia and his relations with Shah Tehmasp Safavi (1524-1576) of Persia and also other details about Persia such as role of Persian nobility and some reflections of society and culture of Persia. Since this description of Safavid Persia is from the pen of a non-Persian person so it becomes very important. Jauhar's observations about Persia are of great significance.
After the establishment of British Raj in India, British scholars paid full attention for the study of Indian history and especially of their predecessor rulers, that is, the Mughals. But the sources of Mughal period were in Persian. So they planned the translation of Persian chronicles into English. For this purpose "Oriental Translation Committee", was formed to take up this task. On the recommendation of Major William Yule, Major Charles Stewart taken up the project of the translation of Tazkiratul Waqiat of Jauhar Aftabchi. Stewart writes, "In compliance with my friend's recommendation, and at the request of the 'Oriental Translation Committee, I have under taken the task."4 Translation of Persian chronicles into English was not an easy task for British scholars, as Stewart Comments, "It affords me great pleasure to have an opportunity of dedicating these pages to a Personage who, from his own knowledge of the oriental language, can duly appreciate the difficulties of clothing in European language the ideas and idioms of native of Persia and Hindustan." 5 It reflects the hard work and the dedication of Britishers. It is amazing that the person who suggested the English translation of Tazkiratul Waqiat and who did it, were not historians but army officers.
Stewart holds opinion about Jauhar that, "As the author of this work was not a learned person, it has no claims to erudition; I have therefore not thought it requisite to give any part of the original text." 6 As is the case of historians like Ziauddin Barani that they are silent on their own biographical details. Jauhar who gives a detailed account of Humayun, is silent on his own biographical details. Stewart holds views relating to the contents of the work, "This book being written with the greatest sincerity and naivete, sometimes to the disparagement of his hero, I have no doubt of its authenticity."
Stewart writes details about the manuscript copy of Tazkiratul Waqiat consulted by him, "During the period I was engaged in translating the memoirs of Timur, I received, from my friend Major William Yule, a Persian manuscript which was purchased at Lucknow, the capital of Oude, and is, I believe, the only copy now in England: it is a large octocno volume, written in the common hand, and is about a century old." 8 But this is not the right way of translation of a text.
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