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 MUSLIM HISTORIOGRAPHY IN INDIA
• Establishment of Delhi Sultanate – beginning of a
new era in Indian historiography

• Were far superior to the English chronicles of the

medieval period

• Feature of this historiography – unlike the Christian

chronicles which – written by monks – it – written by
men of affairs
 From the mythological, theological and legendary
phase of ancient India - it emerged into more
rational, secular and authoritative phase under the
Muslim

 Muslim historians regarded Persian historiography as

their model to follow in India

 Aim of Muslim Historiography of this period – to

present the past as a succession of events, deeds and
episodes, wars, battles, campaigns and court with
inquiring into the causes, conditions and processes
 Main histories of the Sultanate period fall into four
categories
General Histories
Prose eulogies (praises / Homages)
Didactic history and
Artistic history

First great historian of the period is Ziaud-din-Barani

Famous work was Tarikh-e-Feroz Shahi – in 1358 AD
He had – high conception of history – considered it –
essential duty to record honestly the whole truth
 Began his history from Balban to Md.-Bin-Tughlaq –
with six years of Feroz Shah

 Barani freely criticizes the action and character of

kings and great men

 He was the only authority for the history of the period

 His work – useful for the agrarian, economic and

administrative history of the period

 Barani lists seven benefits in the study of history

 It introduces us to the lives of great men, prophets, saints,
thinks and Sultans
  It opens us to the wisdom of the past
 It excites in us reason and judgment by the study of the experience of the past
 It comforts us in our misfortune and adversity
 It encourages patience and resignation
 It provokes in our heart respect for the righteous and contempt for the
wicked
 It is the strongest foundation of truth

Thus Barani – didactic (moral) and fearless historian who writes as

if he had a mission in life
• Shamshuddin Siraj Afif born – 1356 – another
Muslim Historiography

• His work – Tarikh-e-Firuz Shahi – written after the

sake of Delhi by Timur in 1399

• He opens – history – manner of a biography of a my

mystic and uses all the terminologies of mysticism –
explaining the conduct of – rulers

• This kind – known as Manaquib (stages) OR Fazail

(blessed) history
 Numerous other chronicles - which – full of
information and very helpful for reconstructing –
political history

 Ibn-e-Battuta (1304-1378) – native of Tangiers, Egypt

 Arrived Indian in 1333 – appointed – Qazi of Delhi by

Md.-Bin-Tughlaq - remained 8 years

 Alberuni, Firdausi and Isami – contributed –

reconstruct the Medieval Indian History
 MUGHAL HISTORIOGRAPHY
 A through transformation in outlook, in treatment, in
technique and in theme appears – taken place

 Literature – divided into eight categories

Official Histories
Government Records
Biographies and Memoirs
Non-Official Histories
Local or Provincial Histories
Collection of Letters
Gazetteers and Official Manuals and
Literary Works