DEPTT. OF HISTORY - DR PRATIBHA SHARMA

Sources on Medieval 

Indian History

Persian sources

 

Dr. Pratibha Sharma

Associate Professor, Deptt. of History


v  Hasan Nizami  -  Taj-ul Maasir

v  It was the first official document. It deals with Muizuddin Muhammad Gauri to Iltutmish (1191-1229 A.D.)

v  Minhajuddin Siraj   -   Tabqat-i-Nasiri --

v  It is considered to be the best source for the Turk dynasty. It deals with Prophet Muhammad to Nasiruddin Mahmood.     (1260 A.D.).

v  Amir khusrau -  a poet, prose writer, musician and scholar who basically wrote five historical masnavis ( a rhyming couplet in which any event, history or narration was described ).  These are-

v  Qiran-us-Saadain (Meeting of the two auspicious stars) - It deals with the meetings between Bughra Khan and his son Sultan Qaiqubad(1289 A.D.).

v  Miftah-ul-Futuh (Key to success) - It deals with the earlier success of Sultan Jalaluddin Khalji(1291 A.D.).

v  Ashiqa (Deval Devi Khizra Khan) - It is a romantic love story between Deval Devi, the daughter of Karan Singh (King of Gujarat) and Khizra Khan (the eldest son of Alauddin Khalji) (1316 A.D.).

v  Nuh-Sipihr (the nine skies) - It gives the account of the reign of Sultan Qutubuddin Mubarak Khalji and throws much light on contemporary social, religious and geographical conditions(1318 A.D.).

v  Tughluq Nama (the book of Tughluqs) - It gives the account of Ghiyasuddin Tughluq's accession(1320 A.D.)

Khusrau also wrote a book in prose which was of historical importance --

v  Khazain-ul-Futuh (the gems of triumph) - It  is a short but valuable account of Alauddin Khalji's reign (1311 A.D.).

v  Zia-uddin Barani - Tarikh-i-Firuzshahi --

v  It begins with the accession of Sultan Balban in 1266 A.D. and ends with the account of first six years of Sultan Firuzshah Tughluq's reign. (1357 A.D.)

v  Barani not only gives the poolitical history but also provides economic policies and measures and their impacts.

v  Sham Siraj Afif -  Tarikh-i-Firuzshahi --

v  It gives the account of Sultan Firuzshah Tughluq's reign. (1351 - 1388 A.D.)

v  Firushah Tughluq- Futuhat-i-Firuzshahi--

v  It was originally an inscription fixed on the wall of the Jama Mosque. Later it was copied in the form of book. It gives the account of Sultan Firuz's ideas, policies and projects regarding public welfare.

v  Isami-Futuh-us-Salatin --

v  It is also called “Shahnama-i-Hind”. This masnavi begins with the account of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna's reign (949-1030 A.D.) and then it comes to an end with the foundation of the Bahmani Sultanate (1349 - 50 A.D.). It is valuable source of information about the political history and social life of 14th century India.

v  Yahya bin Ahmad Sirhindi -- Tarikh-i-Mubarak --

v  It is a political history which begins with Sultan Muizuddin Mohammad bin Sam's conquest of India an dcomes to an end with Sayyid Sultan Mubarak shah (1434 A.D.).

v  Muhammad Bihamid Khani -  Tarikh-i-Muhammadi --

v  It gives the account from the rise of Islam in Arab to Sayyid Sultan Muhammad Shah (1438 A.D.).

Other sources --

v  Fakr-i- Mudabbir --

v  Shajra-i-Ansab - This is the first history of the Mohammad Gauri's conquest and the foundation of Sultanate in India.

v  Adab-ul-Harb - It gives Sultan Iltutmish's history.

v  Mutahar Kara --

v  Diwan -- It was a appraisal account which gives valuable information about the reign of Sultan Firuz Shah Tughluq and his Successor Sultan Tughluq Shah.

v  Ainuddin Abdullah Ain-i-Mahru --

v  Insha-i-Mahru --  He was the contemporary of Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq and Firuz Shah Tughluq. It was a collection 133 letters of these Sultans which gives information about important events, social, economic and administrative policies

v  Ziauddin Barani --

v  Fatwa-i-Jahandari - It gives the political ideals to be followed by a Muslim ruler.

v  Foreign Accounts --

v  Marco Polo -- An Italian traveller who visited during Pandya kingdom (1292-1294 A.D.)

v  Ibn-e - Battuta -- Rihla (Travels) -- A Moroccan Scholar who came to India during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq and gives us valuable information of his reign.(1333-1342 A.D.)

v  Nicolo Conti -- An Italian traveller who visited Vijay Nagar Empire.(1420-1421 A.D.)

v  Abdur Razzak -- An Iranian Ambassador who visited Vijay Nagar Empire.(1442-1443 A.D.)

v  Athnasius Niketin -- A Russian traveller who visited Bahmani  Empire.(1470-1474 A.D.)

v  Eduardo Barbosa-- A Portuguese traveller who visited Vijay Nagar Empire.(1500-1516 A.D.)

Domingo's Paes -- A portuguese traveller who also visited Vijay Nagar Empire.(1520-1522 A.D.)

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