Survey-of-Sources

Survey of Sources

2020-06-23 09:11:21

Sources up until the Mughals

  • 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

Chachnama :

  • 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

Alberuni - Tarikh Ul Hind

  • Accompanied Ghazni in 1018-19
  • Studied language, religion, philosophy
  • Accounts the socio-religious condition, institutions
  • Shortcomings of their socio-political order that led to defeat

Hasan Nizami - Taj Ul Maasir/crown of Exploits

  • 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

Minhas Us Siraj - Tabaqat I Nasiri (starting from 2nd Battle of Tarain onwards)

  • 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

Ziauddin Barani - Tarik I Firoz Shahi and Fatwa I Jahandari

  • 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.

Shamsi Siraj Afif - Tarik I Feroz Shahi

  • 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

Feroz Shah Tughlaq - Futuhat I Firoz Shahi

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

Amir Timur - Tuzuk I Timuri or Malfuzat I Timuri

  • Facts of his destructive activities

Ahmad Sirhindi - Tarik I Mubarak Shahi

  • Only contemporary source of Sayyid Dynasty
  • Starts from Ghori dynasty to Sayyad Muhammads reign in 1434-35
  • Visualises divine will in shaping the fortunes of Islam in India

Abdullah Malik Isami (b. 1311) - Futuhus Salatin

  • From Ghaznavids to MBT
  • Explains the foundation of Bahmani kingdom
  • Calls MBT the wisest fool of the Islamic world
  • Social, religious, cultural life

Sources for Mughal Period

  • 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

3 School of Thoughts Can Be Discerned for the History of Akbar

  • Abul Fazl and Faizi were court historians who eulogised everything about him
  • Badaoni : held personal grudge against him
  • Nazamuddin Ahmad wrote Tabaqat I Akbari followed a middle path

Akbarnama of Abul Fazl Has 3 Volumes

  • 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

Badaoni : Muntakhab Ut Tawarikh

  • 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

Other Sources

  • 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)

Writers

Amir Khusrau -

  • 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

Ibn Battuta (c.1304-78) : Kitab I Rehla/ Rihla

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

Abdur Razzak :

  • Ambassador to Vijayanagara empire
  • Timurs Invasion, his descendants

Marco Polo from Venice

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

Nicolo Conti from Venice

  • Socio-economic conditions of south India, Vijayanagara Court

Domingo Paes and Duarte Barbosa Are other Visitors

gess101.pdf - Our Pasts II NCERT | Overview