Padumawati of Malik Muhammad Jaisi

This is possibly the most complete and authentic text and translation of the Padumawati, or Padmavati, of Malik Muhammad Jaisi of Awadh. He flourished under Sher Shah in the year 1540 A.D. Although there exists numerous versions of the translations, Griersons’ work, ably assisted by M. S. Dvivdi, has become a standard. The work has remained unavailable for a long time after its first publication under the Bibliotheca Indica series of Asiatic Society Bengal. The publishers are proud to make this rare edition available to the academic community.

Besides its interest as a key to a philological puzzle, the Padmavati also became famous for its contents. In itself it is a fine poetical work and one of the few original ones, it is remarkable for the vein of tolerance which runs through it, – a tolerance, as the editor puts it, worthy, in every way, of Kabir or of Tulsi Das.