DATE OF HAIDAR'S DEATH
105
letter has a numerical value, it is customary to record in India the
decease of celebrated men by such a combination of letters as will give their name, or character, or the manner of their death, while showing at the same time the date of the occurrence. The most felicitous of these compositions which I have met with are the following, in Persian :-
'Hamáyún az bám uftád,' i. e. 'Hamáyún fell from the roof,' the numerical value of these letters, when added up, being Hijri 962/63, the year of his death, which was caused by a fall from his palace.
'Jahángir az jahán raft,' i.e. "Jahángir left the world,' making Hijri 1036 the year of his decease.
In the case of Haidar, a very singular result was obtained, as shown below.
| (Arabic letter) | H | = | 8 |
| ai | = | 10 | |
| da | = | 4 | |
| r | = | 200 | |
| (Arabic ain) | A | = | 70 |
| I | = | 30 | |
| í | = | 10 | |
| (Arabic guttural) | Kh | = | 600 |
| á | = | 1 | |
| n | = | 50 | |
| ba | = | 2 | |
| h | = | 5 | |
| á | = | 1 | |
| du | = | 4 | |
| r | = | 200 | |
| Total | 1195 | being the Hijri year of Haidar's death. | |
The following verse on his tomb brings in this remarkable combination of letters:—
'Kih ín Sháh ásúdah rá chíst nám?
Chih táríkh rahalat namúdah ast ú?
Yaki z'án miyán guft táríkh wa nám
Kih "Haidar Alí Khán Bahádur" bigú.'
'What is the name of this lamented sovereign?
What is the date shown of his departure (decease)?
One from among them (the bystanders) told the date and name
Say "Haidar Alí Khán Bahádur."'