Questions about Razmnama

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When did Mughal Emperor Akbar order the translation of the Mahabharata into Persian?

Mughal Emperor Akbar ordered the translation of the Mahabharata into Persian in the year 1574. This decision established the Maktab Khana or House of Translation in the capital of Fatehpur Sikri to facilitate the project.

Who translated the Mahabharata into Persian for the Razmnama project?

Hindu scholars including Deva Miśra, Śatāvadhāna, Madhusūdana Miśra, Caturbhuja, and Shaykh Bhāvan read the Sanskrit text and explained its meaning in Hindī to the Muslim translator Naqīb Khān. Naqīb Khān then wrote the Persian translation over a period of one and a half years.

How many illustrated manuscripts of the Razmnama exist and where are they located?

Four illustrated Mughal manuscripts of the Razmnama are known to exist. The most complete Jaipur copy is housed in the City Palace Museum, the Birla manuscript dates from 1605 and is held in the Birla Academy of Art and Culture in Kolkata, and the British Library holds a second copy that was split up in 1921.

What was the purpose of the preface written by Abul Fazl for the Razmnama?

The preface written by court historian Abul Fazl articulated Emperor Akbar's vision of religious tolerance and cultural synthesis. It served to legitimize the translation project in the eyes of the Muslim elite and explained the work as a pious act intended to bring Hindu and Muslim communities closer together.

Why was Sultan Haji Thanesari ́Munfarid dismissed from the Razmnama translation project?

Sultan Haji Thanesari ́Munfarid was dismissed and sent back to his native city of Bhakkar after failing to meet Emperor Akbar's standards for accuracy. His inability to produce the required quality led to his removal from the team of translators working on the text.