Survey of Sources

uid: eb2220cb60bc09b0a9e06fc35a20d21e

2020-06-23 09:11:21

Mostly dealt with matters that did not concern with general public, socio-cultural lives
writers traced human knowledge and intellect to Quran and Prophet
Writings of Khusrau, Janamsakhis, religious discourses, biographical records of Bhakti reformers, tazkiras and malfuzat of Sufi saints etc have socio-cultural details

Info about caste ridden Sindh during Qasim’s invasion, rajput culture
Dahir died fighting wife Ranibai performed Jauhar, had been called usurper, brahmin, unpopular.
Kingdom consisted of Jats, Buddhists, medhs.
Mentions Indians lacked national consciousness because of caste prejudices, self-interest.
Buddhists entered into a pact with Hajjaj to help Qasim, Mokah the general of Dahir defected

Service under Qutubuddin Aibak 1191 - 1217
Military exploits of Ghori
Separates history of Sultanate from that of Ghazni, unique mixture of Arabic and Persian language
Mentions celebrations of functions and festivals, amusements of Turkish nobility, customs and manners etc

Nature, character of Muslim aristocracy, civil administration, organisation of court
Was a scholar of Islam under Qubacha, Iltutmish
KA Nizami has called his details of incidents truthful but is prejudiced in his causes and circumstances
Book 22 has biographical sketches of courtiers, military generals, governors from 1227 - 1259

Aristocrat, Turkish immigrant in Delhi under MBT, Associate of Amir Khusrau
Book Tarik I Firoz Shahi deals with Sultanate history from 1259-1359 from where Minhas had left.
His account of MBT is unfair, biased and deliberate distortion of facts.
Account of FST is flattery.
Most imp contribution is what he writes about preceding Sultans
Accounts are analytical and critical, biases are religious outlook, personal discomfiture, class consciousness, aristocratic complexion.
Fatwa I Jahandari is complementary to previous work
Deals with powers and functions of crown, privileges of nobility, doctrine of safety of state, law and order problem, crime, religion, politics.

Exclusively to FST, accurate, authentic contemporary account
Was written long after death on FST
Gives the impression that he was the forerunner of Sher Shah Suri and Akbar in utilising state resources and public good

Explains his kingly duties which was based on religious, humanitarian and moral obligations

Greatest literary-cum-intellectual achievement of Mughal era was replacement of religious bias by secular attitude among the men of letters and their patron
Babur wrote Baburnama : Socio-cultural history, political history
Mirza Haider Dughlat wrote Tarik I Rashidi : Social and cultural traits of people of Kashmir
Gulbadan Begum wrote Humayunama : in Persian accounts the household and character, marriages, social life etc.
Khondamir’s Khulasat ul Akbar, Habibus-Siyar and Dastur ul Wuzara, also wrote Qanun I Humayuni that describes buildings, administrative innovations etc.
Tarikh i Humayuni of Jauhar Aftabchi : Humayun’s personality and character, intimate reference to harem life, socio-cultural upbringing of Timurids
Abbas Khan Sarwani wrote Tarikh i Sher Shah autobiography, first-hand knowledge of Sher Shah, screens Indo-Muslim society
Ahmad Yadgar’s Tarikh i Salatin i Afghana or the Tarikh i Shahi under Daud Shah gives social background of Afghan princes and economic hardships faced by them
Abdullah of Koil/Aligarh wrote Tarikh i Daudi : under Jahangir has anecdotes of Afghan princes, social organisation, moral character etc
Niamatullah’s Tarik i Khan Jahan : genealogical records of various Aghan tribes esp Lodis, Suris, scholars and saints

1st volume accounts Akbar’s ancestors
2nd is Akbars reign in Chronological manner
3rd is the Ain I Akbari
- Interpreted history in terms of national advancement
- Descriptive and statistical survey of Mughal Empire
- Also gives light on administrative system, inner working of bureaucracy
Introduced intellectual element in historiography, rational, secular approach, often arguing against religious orthodoxy.
His letters Ruqat i Abul Fazl,
Official dispatches of Fazl
- One part deals with letters and firmans
- 2nd is petition made to the emperor, matters of state policy etc
- 3rd part deals with general and miscellaneous subjects

Appointed as Imam of royal court
Versed in Islamic theology, astronomy, history, Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit
Translated Ramayana into Persian, did not complete translation of Mahabharat
Disliked Akbars liberal state policy, secular religious views
Book deals from Ghaznavids to Akbar
A Tazkirah deals with religious leaders, scholars, philosophers etc it is a memoir

Nazamuddin Ahmad : Tabaqat i Akbari
Muhammad Arif Qandahari’s Tarik I Akbar Shahi : Administration, land revenue system of Todar Mal
Firishta’s Gulshan I Ibrahimi/Tarikh I Firishta
Bayazid Bayat : Tazkira I Humayun wa Akbar : public welfare
Autobiography of Jehangir : Tuzuk I Jahangiri
- Administrations, firmans, orders, regulation
- Economic condition
Various : Padshahnanama : Socio-cultural details of Shah Jahan’s reign
Amal I Salih by Md Salih : Shah Jahan’s achievements, biographical sketches of holy men.
Mirza Md Kazim : Alamgirnama stopped in Aurangzeb’s 21st year
Khafi Khan : Muntakhab ul Lubab
- Wrote secretly
- Aurangzeb’s all policies, its after effects
- Gave title of Shah i Bekhabhar to Bahadur Shah I (1709-Mar 1712)

Khazainul Futuh : Details of conquest by Allauddin Khalji
Tuti e Hind, represented Indo-Muslim culture
Hindavi/Urdu
Wrote Masnavis
Use of hyperbole poetry, literary compositions, does not distort facts like Barani
Does not follow chronology, factual mistakes
Nuh Sipir a masnavi shows his love for India

From Morocco under MBT appointed Qazi of Delhi, head of diplomatic mission to China

Visited Andaman, trade b/w India and Europe, life and condition of common people

[[gess101.pdf]] - Our Pasts II NCERT | Overview