Traikh/Twarikh

It is a Arabic word. They are court chronicles, general history which follows a chronological narrative
style. It focus on statecraft, personalities, nobles, warfare and events, court culture and maintain its
event.

By 622 – 623 A.D. Islamic Calendar starts here onwards because Prophet Muhammad moved from
mecca to medina. This marks the beginning if Hijri calendar . The words Hijri is derived from the
word Hijra. So consequently Islamic Chronicles from this point. The words Sahaba means record of
prophet’s golden words and the word Sunat means Pattern of behaving. Hadith means Collection of
tradition containing spoken things of prophet Muhammad with accounts of his daily practice (the
sunna). Hafiz Muslim title for someone who has completely memorized the entire quran. The
Literary style which followed is Mawazahi in Arab. The term Mawazia means having different answer
to different situation and not universal. It tells about place, state, matter of event. Ashad/ ishad
means Reference to written history. So its listening and writing. Universal History is about others and
local history is written with self experiencing.

Shift in nature of Twarikh

Arab have democratic nature but after the abbasid decline and other local sultanate arose, wrote
their achievements but what makes the next as influencing is Persian dominance as it shifts the
nature from biography of nation to biography of sultans. So the core content is about royal life, Ruler
achievement, Fatiah, Administration , and Nobility. Biography of sultans, customs, events. So Arab
tradition didn’t wrote about ruler political benefit but Persian did.

Persian became language of state / language of power. Arabic language of religion and Arab twarikh.

There was counter Relation between Persian and Arabic. The mother language of Persian was
Arabic. Regionalism and expansionism and used these central Asian tribal warrior groups and
blocked them to a region so they moved toward Indian subcontinent. Subsequently Turks
established themselves. They ignored Arabic people but not Arabic language based religious books
because they don’t have problem with Islam/religion.

To draw their own genealogy and history they used Persian as language since they wanted to show
that they had nothing to do with Arabic language because they can’t be included in Arabic because
Arabic genealogy was pre-existing so that is why they created their own history and genealogy.

Fakr-i-Muddabir

Fakr-Aldin Muhammad Ibn Masood Mubarakshah Al Qureshi wrote 2 books –

Shajarh –i- Ansab(means = The tree of genealogy)-1206 and Adab-al-Hurb-wa-al-shuja(Norms and

Universal History is not continuous and it discontinue overtime because there is no one to continue
him about knowledge of space.
He came to India with Ghurids dynasty. He was Royal Historian. He was also in the court of
qutbuddin. He wrote his 1st book showing history of sultan claiming his legetmacy. Starting from
Adam to Prophet to caliphs to Ghurids. 2nd book is advising state how it to be governed.

Hasan Nizami

He was there as Historian in Qutbuddin and Iltutmish court. Migrated fromnishapur iran to delhi. He
wrote book called Taj-ul-Massir. It means the crown of victories. Iltutmish had given title Nasir-ul-
Mominin to Hasan Nizami. Mominin means intellectual. Nasir means superior. He discussed 1 st
chapter about genealogies. He admits that really history should be written in Arabic. He emphasis
that caliph and prophet’s ideas expansion was because of turks so, turks were real expansionist. 2nd
chapter was about delhi sultanate and 2 ruler (1) Qutbuddin Aibak (2) Iltutmish.

Kol was the name for Aligarh city at that time.

Kada was the name used for Allahbad at that time.

Limitation of his book

He had not mentioned the date and chronology so well. For example it was written about what was
won but not written about when it was won.

He had not discussed the things in detail

He was mythological in terms of praising king that sultan has divine ray.

Minhaj-ur-Siraj

He wrote a book called Tabkat-e-Nasiri in which word Tabkat means layers. This work was dedicated
to Nasruddin Mahmud(1246-1266). 1253 –title sadr-e-jahan. The work discussed about destruction
of nalanda monastery. This was the 1st text to discuss about Nalanda destruction. He get to know
from public talks almost a decade ago. At that point of time Nalanda was brahmanical place and not
Buddhist. Along with that Nalanda was fortified so as result it looked like fort. So, Bakhtiyar khilji
think it as fort. Taranath also wrote that by 12th century Buddhism and monk came to an end in slave
dynasty called themselves as Mamluk Dynasty.

Ziauddin Barani (1285-1357)

Born in U.P. Baran

He was contemporary to Firoz shah tughlaq. His father name was Muaiyad-Mulk(Naib under Arkali
khna). Barani was in the court of balban and companion to mohd. Bin tughlaq for 7 years.

He wrote 3 texts – (1) Tarikh-i-Firozshahi = History of Firozshah (2) Fatwa-i- jahadari = order of a
ruling world (3) Sana-e-Muhammadi = Praise of prophet.

Historian Muzzfar Alam consider his writing very crucial and resourceful and there was a debate
between historians (like Irfan Habib , Muzzafar Alam , Moreland, IH Qureshi, A Ather Ali).

He discussed about 3 class (i)Ashraf – elite class (ii)Ajlaf – Lower class (iii) Ajrat Converter class
{literally those who had converted their class from one to another}

He discussed about 2 concepts (i) Al-ulum-Nakaliya = Barani beleieves that this is not the way history
should be written that is by copying (Nakaliya - copy)the things whitout using reasoning and logic
and considering the dogmatically.

(ii) Al-ulum-Akaliya = Barani believes this as right way of writing history with (Akaliya=
reasoning/Akal) reasoning with crtical view and understanding rather than writing blindly with 1
view.

The term which is used for logic or reasoning – Manqulat.

Barani praised Alauddin khilji and Mahummad bin tughlaq for 2 things (a) laws made under
monarchy to govern = Zabawit (b) shariat = zabawit should be under shariat

According to Historian Alam Barani writing is centruc to aristocratic way and presented so it be
became important source.

According to Moreland – Taxation surplus + Abab had been discussed in detail, post like Chaudhary
and muqadar and their role.

Taqabil loan = agriculturala loan introduced by Muhammad bin Tughlaq for 1st time. He also
inmtroduced cash crops systemand loan for agricultural tools and stong water supply.

He suggested state to stop people who opened Taxal in houses and state also impose amount of tax
that people are able to pay otherwise they will revolt.

Amir khushrao (1253-1325)

He used to wtote in Masnavi style which is poetic style. It was developed in Persian region but in
indian subcontinent it was written for 1st time. He wrote 4 books –(a) Qiran-ul- Sadaein (means-
meeting of 2 auspicious star) (b) Milfa-ul-futuh (means – key of victory) (c) Nuh Siphir (d)
Tughlaqnama

1288–(a) Qiran-ul- Sadaein (means-meeting of 2 auspicious star) meeting between bughra khan and
son qaiqabad, biughra khan moved to delhi to advise son and meet both army at river saryu in
ayodhya.

(b) Milfa-ul-futuh (means – key of victory) 1291

Jalaluddin khilji – Amir title to khushrao . it mentioned praise of jalaluddin firoz shah victories.

King should wonpeople heart not just territory. Ranthambore, malawa.

He accept that he don’t know to write history. He just wrote poems and what ever he understood
like cosmology and festivals and society. He cannot advise because he is biased to ruler in favour.
History is very technical very hard to write. History writer is unbiased and wise. His father was
vakeeldar.
Nuh Siphir = Historian interpret as 9 heaven. It gave political information. It was written in1318. It
was written in praise of Qutbuddin shah. This text have absence of political chronology and absence
of historical sense.

Tughlaqnama = written in masnavi style. He discussed about Gyasuddin tughlaq. In 1320 he won
Bengal as 1st victory.

Hujur-e- dilli durustas = delhi abhi dur hai.

Cosmological – losing main character and comparing 2 altogether different things.

Shams Siraj Afif – (Tarikh-i-Firozshah=book)

Bengal capital at that time -lucknowti. 1323 won bengal by gyasuddin tughlaq. He shows bengal in
descriptive way. He discussed about strength, infantry,cavalry,administration, revenue taxation.
Firozshah tughlaq opposed sati for 1st time. Khanezaha- title used for minister or advisor. Sondhar
loan - agricultural loan.

Muhammad bin tughlaq

He failed not in ideas and execution. He built shifa khana-largest in empire. He built university. Rajgir
brahmans alloted land by him and called next to god. Timur attack on firozshah kotla.