Page:The Oriental Biographical Dictionary.djvu/274

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Siraj-Tiddin 262 Surdas called " Khilji-nama." When Sultan Jalal-uddin Firoz Khiljf, before his accession to the throne, was governor of Samana, the poet was ill-treated by some of his people, and as the Sultan took no notice of it then, he wrote the abovementioned book, in which he satirized the governor and the Khiljis. However the Sultan after his accession to the throne of Dehli in 1289 A. D. sent for the poet, and he having tied a rope round his own neck presented himself like a criminal before the king, who embraced him and made him one of his principal coniidants. The poet afterwards wrote several panegyrics in praise of the Sultan. Siraj-uddin, Shaikh, crd'^- ^Lr** a celebrated Muhammadan saint, whose relics are deposited in an island in the river Krishna near the town of Kursi, in the district of Eaebagh Bfjapur, in southern Hindustan. Siraj-uddin 'Ilmar, j*^ iifi'^^^ ^Lr*^ -who after the death of his brother Zain-ul-'Abidin Nujaim completed the work called " Bahr-ar-Eaek" about the year 1662 A. D., 970 A. H., and wrote another but inferior com- mentary on the Kanz-ul-Dakaek entitled the " Nahr-uU Faek." Siraj-uddaula Muhammad Ghaus Khan, n^'^ iyi i>^s^ ^y*, nawab of the Karnatic whose poetical name was 'Azim, is the author of the work called " Tazkira Subh Watan," being a biography of the poets of Karnatic, compiled in 1842 A. D., 1258 A. H. It is an abstract of the Tazkira of Eaek also called " Guldasta Karnatik." Siraj-U d d a U 1 a, ^Ir** vL>^ nawab of Bengal, formerly named Mirza Mahmud, was the eldest son of Zain-uddin Ahmad, styled Haibat Jang, the nephew and son-in-law of Alahwardi Khan Mahabat Jang governor of Bengal. On the death of his grandfather Mahabat Jang, which happened on the 10th of April, 1756 A. D., 9th Eajab, 1169 A. H., he succeeded him in the govern- ment of that province, and immediately taking offence at the English, for their protection to a native oflScer, said to have escaped from Dacca with treasure, he attacked Calcutta, carried it on the 20th June the same year, and allowed his officers to shut up 146 European prisoners in a small military prison room called the " Black Hole," in which 123 of the number, perished during the night. Mr. Drake the governor of Calcutta escaped on board a ship with a few Englishmen and retired to Madras. At that time Colonel Clive commanded the Company's forces in the province of Arkot. It was agreed by the government of Madras that he should repair with a force to Bengal and endeavour to regain the factory of Calcutta. Colonel Clive and Admiral "Watson left Madras with 900 Europeans and 1500 sepoys. He reached Falta on the 20th December and re-took Calcutta on the 2nd January, 1757 A. D., 1170 A. H., and forced Siraj-uddaula into a treaty, offensive and defensive, on the 9th of February following. Clive, subsequently made a secret treaty with Mir Jafar, an officer of the Nawab, and advanced in June towards Murshidabad, the nawab's capital. On the 23rd of June, 1757 A. D., Clive fought the battle of Plassey against 18,000 horse and 50,000 Infantry, and aided by the treachery of Mfr Jafar, routed the Nawab's troops. Siraj-uddaula fled, but in a few days was seized and cruelly assassinated on the 4th July, 15th Shawwal, 1170 A. H., by order of Mi'ran the son of Mfr Jafar. Thus perished Siraj-uddaula in the 20th year of his age and the 16th month of his reign. On the 29th June Mfr Jafar was raised to the masnad, and from that date, the influence of the British may be said to have become paramount in Bengal. His tomb is not far from that of Mahabat Jang. Suda, daughter of Zamaa, the second wife of Mu- hammad, He married her after the death of his first wife Khudyja and before his marriage with Ayesha the daughter of Abu Bakr. She died in 674 A. D., 54 A. H., forty-three years after the death of Muhammad. Sudi, iS^y*, a Turkish poet, who wrote a commentary on the Dfwan-i-Hafiz in the Turkish language. The names of Shorf, Sayyad ' Alf, Lamaf, Sururf and Shamaf occur also as commentators on Hafiz ; but Sudf excels all as an en- lightened and accurate critic, not only on account of his eminent success in correcting the exuberances of this fanciful and extravagant mode of interpretation, but of the singular happiness with which he has illustrated the ambiguous and more obsolete allusions of the Poet. Sufi, ij'^'^j a sect among the Muhammadans. Kazi Nur- ullah of Shustar, a Persian author of very high reputation for his piety and judgment, has given an excellent account of the Suffs and their doctrine in the Majalis-ul-Mominfn, a treatise on the Shia faith. " The Suffs" (he there says) " are of two classes : those who desire human knowledge, and pursue it in the accustomed way, observing the common ordinances of religion, are called Mutakallam (advocates or observers) : those who practise austerities and strive to purify their souls, are called Siiffs." This word literally means, pui-e, clean. The celebrated Moulwi Eumf has the following play upon it in one of his lines. Suff na Shawad Saff ta dar narasad jamf. The Suff will not be pure till he takes one cup. This is said to have a mystical meaning. Sufi, Mulla Muhammad Sufi of Amol, us^^* ■^■♦^ JV/o^ author of a " Sakf-nama," which he composed in the year 1592 A. D., 1000 A. H. Songsters, UV^"^^} celebrated Indian, vide Tansein. Surajmal Jat, ^'^iy*, raja of Bhartpur, was the son of Badan Singh Jat whom he succeeded to the raj a few years before 1750 A. D., 1163 A. H. His younger brother Partap Singh, built the fort of Kumbhfr or Kumeir. After the departure of Ahmad Shah Abdalf from India to Kandahar, Surajmal taking advantage of the weakness of the empire made himself master of all the countries that were dependant on Agrah and ulti- mately of the town itself, and many other important places, but fell in battle with the Eoheila chief Najfb- uddaula in December, 1763 A. D., 1177 A. H. His son Jawahir Singh succeeded him. Suraj Singh, Raja, ^^^-^ ^^'ji son of Udal Singh Eathor, the son of Eae Maldeo. After the death of his father, 1594 A. D., 1002 A. H., he was raised by Akbar to a suitable rank, and served under that emperor and his son Jahangfr, for several years. The mansab of 5,000 was conferred on him by the latter. He died in the Dakhin 1619 A. D., 1028 A. H,, and Eaja Gaj Singh his son succeeded him ; and as his father was uncle to the emperor Shah Jahan on the mother's side, he was in a short time raised to the rank of 5,000. Gaj Singh died on the 6th May, 1638 A. D., 2nd Muharram, 1048 A. H. His son Amar Singh killed Salabat Khan Mfr Bakhshi in 1624 A. D., 1054 A. H., and was himself cut to pieces at one of the gates of the Fort of Agrah, now caUed Amar Singh Gate. 9 Surdas, o*'*^ JL>*"^ son of Baba Eamdas, a Hindu poet and an excellent musician, who flourished about the 1 6th or l7th century. He is the author of the work called Siir Sagar," in Hindi, &c.