A Code of Gentoo laws, or, Ordinations of the pundits : from a Persian translation, made from the original, written in the Shanscrit language

21.3 MB·English

by  Halhed, Nathaniel Brassey, 1751-1830

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
AT LOS ANGELES

Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2008 with funding from
Microsoft Corporation
http://www.archive.org/details/codeofgentoolawsOOhalh

O D
E
O F
GENTOO
LAWS,
ORDINAO TIONS
R,
O F T H E
U N D ITS,
P
FROM
A
PersianTranslation,
ORIGINAL,
MADE FROM THE
WRITTEN THE
IN
SHANSCRIT LANGUAGE.
L O N D O N:
Printed in the Year m dcc lxxvj,

\
X2-C6
LETTER
FRO
M.
WARREN
HASTINGS,
Efq.
Governor-General of Fort-WUBam^ in Bengal
TO THE
COURT DIRECTORS
of
OF THE
United Company of Merchants of Kfigland^ Trading to the
E A T N D E
S - I I S.
Honourable Sirs,
HAVE
now the Satisfaction to tranfmit to you a complete
I and corrected Copy ofa Translation ofthe Gen too Code,
executed with great Ability, Diligence and Fidelity, by Mr.
Halted, from a Perfian Verfion of the original Shanfcrit,. which
was undertaken under the immediate Infpection of the Pundits or
Compilers of this Work*
HAVE
I
iv
( )
I have not Time to ofFer any Obfervations upon thefe Produc-
tions; indeed they will beft fpeak for themfelves : I could have
v.iihed to have obtained an Omiflion or Amendment of fome PafT-
sges, to have rendered them more fit for the Public Eye; but the
Pundits, when defired to revife them, could not be prevailed upon
to make any Alterations, as they declared, they had the Sanction of
their Shatter, and were therefore incapable of Amendment; potfibly
thefe may be coniidered as eilential Parts of the Work, fince they
mark the Principles on which many of the Laws were formed, and
bear the Stamp of a very remote Antiquity, in which the Refine-
ments ofSociety were lefs known, and the Manners more influenced
ly the natural Impulie of the Paflions.
I n ave the Honour to be, with the greateit Refpecl,
Honourable
Sirs,
Your moil obedient,
And mofl faithful humble Servant,
Warren Haftings.
Fort-WiHiam,
. , 1775.