Akbarnama
Emperor Akbar ordered the creation of his official chronicle in the early 1590s. Court historian Abul Fazl accepted this task with a clear mandate to document the reign. The project required seven years of dedicated work from the scribe and his team. Persian served as the literary language for the entire text, reflecting the Mughal court's cultural standards. This massive undertaking followed the personal memoir style of Baburnama written by Akbar's grandfather. Abul Fazl described himself as one of the Nine Jewels serving within the royal court. His role extended beyond simple recording to shaping the historical narrative of the dynasty.
The manuscript contained over forty-nine miniature paintings created between 1590 and 1594. Artists from Akbar's imperial workshop worked on these images under tight deadlines. Master painter Basawan introduced innovations in portraiture that changed Indian art forever. These illustrations supported the text with vivid visual details of life at court. The Victoria and Albert Museum now holds a version containing 116 such paintings today. Curators removed the original paintings and frontispiece from the volume to frame them separately after 1896. Mrs Frances Clarke acquired the book upon her husband's retirement from Oudh in 1862. The South Kensington Museum purchased it shortly before its transfer to the V&A collection.
Volume One covers the birth of Akbar and the history of Timur's family line. It details the reigns of Babur and Humayun alongside the Suri sultans of Delhi. A specific scene describes Humayun praying to the Ka'ba for a successor to his empire. Maryam Makani then displays signs of pregnancy including a shining forehead others mistook for a mirror. Nine months later she gives birth to Akbar while Humayun is away during an auspicious star alignment. Volume Two records events up to 1602 including the battle of Panipat against Hemu. Bairam Khan and Akbar won this conflict against the Indian warrior who threatened their rule.
The third volume known as Ain-i-Akbari contains statistical records on crop yields and wages. Abu'l Fazl recorded revenues, geography, and the structure of the army under Akbar. He attempted to explain Hindu philosophy using terms Muslims could understand despite not knowing Sanskrit himself. Intermediaries likely Jains favored at court provided him with information from Sanskrit texts. The text lists sixteen subclasses resulting from intermarriage among the four main castes. It also discusses Karma as a system where actions determine future life outcomes or physical conditions. This section remains housed in the Hazarduari Palace in West Bengal today.
After Akbar's death in 1605 the manuscript stayed within the library of his son Jahangir. Later it passed into the possession of Shah Jahan before leaving imperial hands entirely. A surviving copy now resides at the Victoria and Albert Museum after being bought in 1896. Mrs Frances Clarke obtained the book when her husband retired as Commissioner of Oudh between 1858 and 1862. The paintings were removed from the original binding soon after purchase for display purposes. This specific journey from Mughal libraries to London museums spans over four centuries of ownership changes.
Shaikh Illahdad Faiz Sirhindi wrote another biography titled Akbarnama around the same period. His work mostly compiled material from Tabaqat-i-Akbari by Khwaja Nizam-ud-Din Ahmad rather than creating new history. Only a few verses and interesting stories represented original content within his text. He began writing this account at age thirty-six while living in Sirhind sarkar of Delhi Subah. His father Mulla Ali Sher Sirhindi was a scholar who held a madad-i-ma´ash village grant. The work ends in 1602 like Abul Fazl's version but provides extra details on Shaikh Farid Bokhari.
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Common questions
Who wrote the Akbarnama and when was it created?
Abu'l-Fazl wrote the Akbarnama after Emperor Akbar ordered its creation in the early 1590s. The project required seven years of dedicated work from the scribe and his team to document the reign.
Where is the original Akbarnama manuscript located today?
A surviving copy now resides at the Victoria and Albert Museum after being bought in 1896. Mrs Frances Clarke obtained the book when her husband retired as Commissioner of Oudh between 1858 and 1862 before the South Kensington Museum purchased it.
What does Volume One of the Akbarnama cover regarding Akbar's birth?
Volume One covers the birth of Akbar and the history of Timur's family line including the reigns of Babur and Humayun. Maryam Makani displays signs of pregnancy with a shining forehead others mistook for a mirror nine months before she gives birth to Akbar while Humayun is away during an auspicious star alignment.
What statistical information is included in the third volume known as Ain-i-Akbari?
The third volume contains statistical records on crop yields, wages, revenues, geography, and the structure of the army under Akbar. This section remains housed in the Hazarduari Palace in West Bengal today.
Who wrote another biography titled Akbarnama around the same period as Abu'l-Fazl?
Shaikh Illahdad Faiz Sirhindi wrote another biography titled Akbarnama around the same period which mostly compiled material from Tabaqat-i-Akbari by Khwaja Nizam-ud-Din Ahmad rather than creating new history. He began writing this account at age thirty-six while living in Sirhind sarkar of Delhi Subah.