DOCSLIB.ORG

Muntakhab-Ut Tawarikh Is One of the Most

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Muntakhab-Ut Tawarikh Is One of the Most •BB ABDUL QADIR BADAUNI AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES AND SOCIO-CULTURAL AND INTELLECTUAL MILIEU AS SEEN BY A CRITIC ABSTRACT ; OF THE 'THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF Boctor of $f)tIO!Bfopf)p IN •.. ,. .\ HISTORY 1 SYEO SALAHUDDIN UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF PROF. AFZAL HUSAIN CENTRE OF ADVANCED STUDY ^J?,"^ DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY Vr ALiGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY AUGARH (INDIA) k 2010 ABSTRACT Abdul Qadir Badauni's Muntakhab-ut Tawarikh is one of the most significant sources of Akbar's reign. But his adverse comments on Aicbar and his poHcies especially on his religious policy have been strongly criticized by a number of modem historians. However without a close study of Badauni's works, no balanced history of Akbar"s reign could be written. As a matter of fact Akbar's religious policy and its resultant unrest and social tension might have remained buried under the blandishment of master stylish Abul Fazl. Unfortunately, the historians have their assessments only restricted to Muntakhab-ut Tawarikh. His other works have either been completely ignored or only referred casually. Beside that Badauni had been portrayed as a fanatic MuUa whose views were extremely orthodox and irrational. Badauni was also a great scholar of Persian. Arabic poetry, Mathematics, astronomy and music besides being an accomplished scholar of traditional sciences. It was indeed in recognition of his literary attainments that Akbar entrusted him with the translation of Indian classics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Atharveda and Rajtarangni. Badauni was also associated with the translation of a number of other books, in to Persian. Above all he was an eyewitness of almost all the important events and developments at the Akbar"s court. He was also in touch with people of different shades and opinion at the court. However, in almost all the important studies, his point of view about the social, cultural and religious condition of Akbar's court have not been generally accepted. Indeed, Badauni was a man of orthodox religious views, which he expresses in a very harsh and sometimes in irresponsible manner, in Muntakhab-ut Tawarikh, while in Najat-ur Rashid he follows a very polished and scholarly style of writing. Keeping this view into consideration, an attempt has been made to present socio-religious and intellectual atmosphere of Akbar's court as depicted by Badauni in the present study. The first chapter deals with Badauni's personal life. He was bom in a middle class family at Basawar in eastern Rajasthan. His father was in imperial service at a very low rank and died when Badauni was still a child. He was brought up by his grandfather. He received early education under the tutelage of his grandfather. For further studies he went to Sambhal and Amroha. He studied under a number of learned and spiritual men such as Hatim Sambhali and Shaikh Mubarak. He joined to the Akbar's court in 1573-74. This chapter greatly helps us in understanding his bent of mind and his views. Chapter second examines Badauni's views and attitude about Shias, Mehdvis, Nuqtavis and Raushania. In Muntakhab-iit Tawarikh. he was very critical towards Shias and used very harsh language for them. He believes that Shias were responsible in diverting Akbar from traditional Islam. But in Najat-ur- Rashid, his criticism of Shias is in a polished manner. His views about Mehdvis were very lenient, and he showed his reverence for Mehdvi divines. But he is extremely critical towards Raushanias and Nuqtavis and uses very harsh language for them. The third chapter devoted to the Iranian intellectuals, who were admitted in large numbers in Mughal services during Akbar's time and played an important role in changing Akbar's religious views and social and cultural atmosphere of the court. The Iranian intellectuals who came to Akbar's court comprised of poets, physicians, scientists, architects, experienced administrators and also men of heterodox religious views. We have briefly discussed the biographical account of some of these intellectuals also. An attempt has been made in this chapter to present Badauni's perception towards these Iranian intellectuals. The fourth chapter discusses about the Ulema at the court, with special reference to Maulana Abdullah Sultanpuri, Shaikh Abdun Nabi, Shaikh Mubarak, Abul Fazl Abdullah Sultanpuri and Shaikh Abdun Nabi who were prominent at the court of Akbar. But their mutual rivalries, their desire for power and wealth and their arrogant nature ultimately led to their downfall. On the other hand, Abul Fazl and Shaikh Mubarak were the real architects of Akbar's policies. Badauni accuses Abul Fazl for distancing Akbar from traditional Islam and also for emphasizing the concept of rationalism. Abul Fazl and Shaikh Mubarak were of philosophical bent of mind. They have their own ideas about religion and sovereignty. Therefore we have also discussed their ideas in some details, in this chapter. In the fifth chapter an attempt has been made to assess Akbar's reign in the light of the writings of Badauni, Shaikh Abdul Huq Muhaddis Dehlvi and Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi. The sixth chapter focuses on Najat-ur Rashid. It is a very important work of Abdul Qadir Badauni. Unfortunately this book has not received much attention from the historians that it rightly deserves. It is imperative to objectively analyze this work and try to find answers to the questions about socio-cultural milieu. Moreover its study will also help us to understand many of the postulates of Baduani in the Muntakhab-ut Tawarikh, for it not only supplements the information therein, but also provides the theoretical background of Badauni's stand on Akbar's religious and polifical views. Thus, the present work seeks to elaborate the social and intellectual milieu of Akbar's court, which will also present the views of Akbar's critics and attitude of different religious personalities towards Akbar. ABDUL QADIR BADAUNI AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES AND SOCIO-CULTURAL AND INTELLECTUAL MILIEU AS SEEN BY A CRITIC THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF Boctor of $t)tIofi(opfip IN HISTORY BY SYEDSALAHUDDIN UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF PROF. AFZAL HUSAIN CENTRE OF ADVANCED STUDY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) h. 2010 TT ^<^ ^ V^^Q^ 2 0 jLr iLvjl4 T8252 CENTRE OF ADVANCED STUDY Prof. Afzal Husain DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh- 202 002 Dated: July 14,2010 This is to certify that the thesis "Abdul Qadir Badauni and his Contemporaries and Socio-Cultural and Intellectual Milieu as Seen by a Critic" by Mr. Syed Salahuddin is the original research work of the candidate and is suitable for submission to the examiners and for the award of Ph. D. degree. ' \-. (AfzallHJisain) Supervisor ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I owe the idea, inspiration and guidance for this thesis to my supervisor Professor Afzal Husain. Despite his preoccupied engagements he paid full attention to the progress of my work. I am highly grateful to him for his constructive criticism and valuable suggestions during whole period of work. This acknowledgement would be incomplete without appreciating the help and guidance of Professor Ishtiyaq Ahmad Zilli, Professor Rafi Ahmad Alvi, Dr. Ishrat Alam, Dr. S. A. Nadeem Rezavi and late Dr. Iqbal Sabir. I am grateful to the Indian Council of Historical Research for awarding Junior Research Fellowship that helped me financially in completing my research thesis. I am also thankful to the library staff of the Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh for their support and cooperation especially to Mr. Moin, Salman, Bansi Dhar, Arshad, Zubair and others. I also received support and cooperation from Khuda Bakhs Library, Patna, Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh, Ibn e Sina library, Aligarh I thank all my friends and seniors for their endearing support and enthusiasm and I regret my inability to name all of them due to the limitation of space. Still, I would like to offer my gratitude to Kashif Raza, Ashraf Noor, Amir Ghaznavi, Naiyyer Azam, Abdullah Chishti, Dr. Shamsheed Mustaqim, Athar Hussain, Dr. Habib Manzar, Shams Imran, Dr. Mohammad Imran and Ayaz Khan. The acknowledgements can't be completed without offering my appreciation to Nasiruddin Khan, Mr. Aziz Faisal, Md. Naushad Ali, Dr. Salim Javed Akhtar, Dr. Arshia Shafqat, Mumtaz Alam, Suhaib Qaiyyum, Dr. Abdullah Faiz and Dr. Arshad Khan for their unforgettable and invaluable cooperation during the course of my Ph.D. They always stood behind me and extend their helping hands whenever I am in need. It is very emotional moment for me to remember my father; Late Syed Mohammad Jamil whom I wish would have been around to see this thesis and always inspired me for its accomplishment. It gives me immense pleasure to acknowledge my deep sense of gratitude to my mother, my maternal uncles (Mamu) Qamarul Hasan, Shahzad (fufajaan), my brother Ibrahim and my sister who always inspired me to complete my work. (Syed Salahuddin) CONTENTS Page No. Acknowledgements i Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Abul Qadir Badauni: Early Life Education and Career 6 1.1 Education 1.2 Badauni in the service of Husain Khan 1.3 Badauni at the Imperial Court 1.4 Literary Works of Badauni Chapter 2: Abdul Qadir Badauni's Views on Nuqtavis, Mehdvis, Shias and Raushanias 36 2.1 Nuqtavis 2.2 Mehdavis 2.3 Shias 2.4 Raushaniyas Chapter 3: Iranian Intellectuals at Akbar's Court 87 3.1 Physicians 3.2 Poets from Iran 3.3 Shah FathuUah Shirazi: An Intellectual Chapter 4: Native Ulema and Intellectuals at Akbar's Court 125 4.1 Shaikh Abdun Nabi and Makhdum-UI-Mulk Abdullah Sultanpuri 4.2 Abdun Nabi and Abdullah Suhanpuri in the Court 4.3 Role of Shaikh Mubarak and Abul Fazl 4.4 Shaikh Mubarak 4.5 Abul Fazl Chapter 5: Orthodox Sufis, Ulema and Akbar 175 5.1 Shaikh Ahmad Sirhind and Religio-Intellectual Atmosphere of Akbar's Court 5.2 Shaikh Abdul Huq Muhaddis Dehlvi and Atmosphere of Akbar's Court 5.3 Abdul Qader Badauni and Atmosphere of Akbar's Court Chapter 6: A Brief Survey of Najat-Ur Rashid 212 Conclusion 222 Bibliography 230 INTRODUCTION Abdul Qadir Badauni's Mimtakhab-ut Tawarikh is one of the most important sources of Akbar's reign.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Origin and Development of Urdu Language in the Sub- Continent: Contribution of Early Sufia and Mushaikh
    South Asian Studies A Research Journal of South Asian Studies Vol. 27, No. 1, January-June 2012, pp.141-169 Origin and Development of Urdu Language in the Sub- Continent: Contribution of Early Sufia and Mushaikh Muhammad Sohail University of the Punjab, Lahore ABSTRACT The arrival of the Muslims in the sub-continent of Indo-Pakistan was a remarkable incident of the History of sub-continent. It influenced almost all departments of the social life of the people. The Muslims had a marvelous contribution in their culture and civilization including architecture, painting and calligraphy, book-illustration, music and even dancing. The Hindus had no interest in history and biography and Muslims had always taken interest in life-history, biographical literature and political-history. Therefore they had an excellent contribution in this field also. However their most significant contribution is the bestowal of Urdu language. Although the Muslims came to the sub-continent in three capacities, as traders or business men, as commanders and soldiers or conquerors and as Sufis and masha’ikhs who performed the responsibilities of preaching, but the role of the Sufis and mash‘iskhs in the evolving and development of Urdu is the most significant. The objective of this paper is to briefly review their role in this connection. KEY WORDS: Urdu language, Sufia and Mashaikh, India, Culture and civilization, genres of literature Introduction The Muslim entered in India as conquerors with the conquests of Muhammad Bin Qasim in 94 AH / 712 AD. Their arrival caused revolutionary changes in culture, civilization and mode of life of India.
    [Show full text]
  • One Odd Day PDF Book
    ONE ODD DAY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Doris Fisher,Dani Sneed,Karen Lee | 32 pages | 10 Sep 2007 | Arbordale Publishing | 9781934359334 | English | United States One Odd Day PDF Book Extinction Extinction event Holocene extinction Human extinction List of extinction events Genetic erosion Genetic pollution. At the death of 20th Imam Amir, one branch of the Mustaali faith claimed that he had transferred the Imamate to his son At-Tayyib Abu'l-Qasim, who was then two years old. One need not wait for any other Mahdi now. Li Hong. End times Apocalypticism. A hadith from [Ali] adds in this regard, "Mahdi will not appear unless one-third of the people are killed; another one-third die, and the remaining one-third survive. Guess which number of the following sequence is the odd one out. His name will be my name, and his father's name my father's name [9]. Get our free widgets. Since Sunnism has no established doctrine of Mahdi, compositions of Mahdi varies among Sunni scholars. November Learn how and when to remove this template message. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Word of the Day vindicate. Home Maintenance. The term Mahdi does not occur in the Quran. Within a few years, the collection—including works by Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Marc Chagall —had outgrown the small space. Follow us. Gog and Magog Messianic Age. This article relies too much on references to primary sources. It is argued that one was to be born and rise within the dispensation of Muhammad, who by virtue of his similarity and affinity with Jesus, and the similarity in nature, temperament and disposition of the people of Jesus' time and the people of the time of the promised one the Mahdi is called by the same name.
    [Show full text]
  • Reconsidering Islam in a South Asian Context Social Sciences in Asia
    Reconsidering Islam in a South Asian Context Social Sciences in Asia Edited by Vineeta Sinha Syed Farid Alatas Chan Kwok-bun VOLUME 25 Reconsidering Islam in a South Asian Context By M. Reza Pirbhai LEIDEN • BOSTON 2009 Cover illustration: Mughal Tomb in Makli Necropolis, Pakistan (Pirbhai, 2000). Th is book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Pirbhai, M. Reza. Reconsidering Islam in a South Asian context / by M. Reza Pirbhai. p. cm. — (Social sciences in Asia ; v. 25) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-17758-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Islam—South Asia—History. 2. Islamic renewal—South Asia—History. 3. Muslims—South Asia—History. I. Title. II. Series. BP63.A37P57 2009 297.0954—dc22 2009022847 ISSN 1567-2794 ISBN 978 90 04 17758 1 Copyright 2009 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, Th e Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to Th e Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands Dedicated to Qamar Iqbal Pirbhai (1944–2005) CONTENTS Acknowledgements ............................................................................ ix Translation and Transliteration Note ...........................................
    [Show full text]
  • Review of Research Issn: 2249-894X Impact Factor : 5.7631(Uif) Ugc Approved Journal No
    Review of ReseaRch issN: 2249-894X impact factoR : 5.7631(Uif) UGc appRoved JoURNal No. 48514 volUme - 8 | issUe - 9 | JUNe - 2019 POET-LAUREATE OF MUGHAL COURT OF EMPEROR AKBAR SHAIKH ABUL FAIZ FAIZI Prof. Wasif Ahmad Professor of Persian , Department of Arabic & Persian, Bhasha-Bhavan, Visva-Bharati University, Shanti Niketan, West Bengal, India. ABSTRACT: As the title suggests the present paper entitled “Poet- laureate of Mughal court of Emperor Akbar: Shaikh Abul Faiz Faizi” primarily deals with the literary personality of Shaikh Abul Faiz Faizi, a literary giant and Poet-laureate at the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar. This paper will unravel the various facets of the features and characteristics of his valuable literary productions which contributed a lot to the development of Indo- Persian literature in the sixteenth century medieval Indian subcontinent. Moreover it sheds light on the importance and relevance of Indo-Persian literature produced by the great scholar even today in the twenty first century modern world of science and technology. Abul Faiz Faizi, the Poet-laureate (Malek ush Sho’ara), was not only a poet but also a great thinker and a brilliant intellectual of sixteenth century medieval Indian subcontinent. Some of his important literary contributions include “Sawati-ul-Ilham” “Tabashir-us-Subah” “Nal- o-Daman” (Nala and Damayanti), “Markaz-e- Adwar” (The centre of circle) “Sulaiman-o-Bilqis” (Solomon and Bilkis) “Haft Kishwar” (The seven zones of the earth) and a voluminous Divan of verses which contains Ghazals qasidas, masnavis and Rubais. The aim of the present paper is to bring into sharper focus on the variety and dimension available in the literary productions of Faizi.
    [Show full text]
  • First Edition Dec 2009 I
    First Edition Dec 2009 i Purpose To ensure that U.S. Army personnel have a relevant, comprehensive guide to use in capacity building and counterinsurgency operations while deployed in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ii TABLE OF CONTENTS History ....................................................................................................................... 1 Political ..................................................................................................................... 9 Flag of Afghanistan ............................................................................................ 11 Political Map ....................................................................................................... 12 Political Structure .............................................................................................. 13 Relevant Country Data .......................................................................................... 15 Location and Bordering Countries ................................................................... 16 Comparative Area .............................................................................................. 17 Social Statistics .................................................................................................. 18 Economy ............................................................................................................. 19 Land Use and Economic Activity ..................................................................... 20 Military Operational Environment
    [Show full text]
  • Shahadat and the Evidence of the Sindhi Marthiya
    285 PART III Relations between Shiʿism and Sufism in other Literary Sufi Traditions 285 286 7 Sufism and Shiʿism in South Asia: Shahādat and the Evidence of the Sindhi marṡiya Michel Boivin In one of the first Sindhi-English dictionaries published in 1879, the word marṡiyo615is translated as follows: ‘An elegy or dirge, particularly one sung during the Muhorrum’.616 In Arabic, the marṡiya is an elegy composed to lament the passing of a beloved person and to celebrate his merits. When did the word enter the Sindhi language? Unfortunately, it is not possible to answer but the spread of the marṡiya in Sindhi literature didn’t start before the 18th century. This paper addresses a double issue. On the one hand, it wishes to introduce the marṡiyas from the countryside. What does that mean? In South Asia, the marṡiya is associated with the court culture of the main states that have flourished in the ruins of the Mughal empire. The leading school of marṡiyas growth in Lucknow, the then capital of the state of Awadh in North India. As a matter of fact, the marṡiyas composed by poets such as Mīr Babar ʿAlī Ānīs (1216–1290/1802–1874) were considered as the ultimate reference for the writing of these elegies in the whole Indian subcontinent. Another centre for the production of marṡiya literature was the State of Hyderabad, in Dekkan. The marṡiyas schools of Hyderabad and Awadh both used Urdu, which was then 615 Although the right word in Sindhi is the masculine marṡiyo, I shall use the Persian and Urdu form marṡiya (Arabic, marthiyya) which is increasingly predominant even in Sindhi literature.
    [Show full text]
  • Concept for Integrating Sharia Law Into Secular Law Systems وَجَاهِدُوا فِي َّللاهِ
    Concept for integrating Sharia law into secular law systems Presentation by Dr. Abdel Rahman Mihalffy REMARKS When we say the word Muslim I don’t think we comprehend the real and classical meaning of the word. Does anyone of you know who Muslim is? In English the one who bow to God with full submission. I collected here some of those Ayas from the Holy Quran where the word “Muslim” occurs. It will surprise you: 22. Surah: Al-Hajj, Pilgrimage ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِه َوَجاهُدوا في هَّللا َح هق جَهاده ُهَو ا ْجتََبا ُكْم َوَما َجَع َل َعَلْيُكْم في ال دي ِن م ْن َحَرٍج مل َة ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ن ِ أَبيُكْم إْبَارهيَم ُهَو َسهما ُكُم اْل ُم ْسلمي َن من َقْب ُل َوفي َهَذا لَيُكوَ الهرُسوُل َشهيًدا َعَلْيُكْم ِ ِ ه ِ ِ ِ َوتَُكوُنوا ُشَهَداء َعَلى الهناس َفأَقي ُموا ال هصََلةَ َوآتُوا الزَكاةَ َوا ْعتَص ُموا با هَّلل ُهَو َمْوََل ُكْم َفِنعم اْلموَلى وِنعم الهن ِصير ﴿٧٨﴾ ْ َ َْ َ ْ َ ُ 78. And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discipline). He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation); that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protector - the Best to protect and the Best to help! 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Cherian on Sharma, 'Mughal Arcadia: Persian Literature in an Indian Court'
    H-Asia Cherian on Sharma, 'Mughal Arcadia: Persian Literature in an Indian Court' Review published on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 Sunil Sharma. Mughal Arcadia: Persian Literature in an Indian Court. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2017. 280 pp. $39.95 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-674-97585-9. Reviewed by Divya Cherian (Princeton University)Published on H-Asia (January, 2019) Commissioned by Sumit Guha (The University of Texas at Austin) Printable Version: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showpdf.php?id=51825 Cultivating Paradise: Persian Literature and Mughal Kingship in the Seventeenth Century Mughal Arcadia is a groundbreaking contribution to early modern South Asian history and to the history of Persian literature. Sharma argues that for most of the seventeenth century, particularly in the reigns of Jahangir (r. 1605-27) and Shahjahan (r. 1628-58), the Mughal court fueled the production of a new type of literature in Persian that engaged with place—that is, with the actual locales in which the Mughal court was situated and not just the abstract, idealized ones of inherited Persian literary genres. In Shahjahan’s reign, as Mughal courtly elites and the poets they patronized traveled beyond urban centers, this topographical literature shifted from a focus on cities to an appreciation of the bucolic charms of the countryside. In the seventeenth century, Kashmir, which Akbar incorporated into the Mughal Empire in 1586, was the pastoral locale that came to hold a preeminent place both in the affective ties that bound the Mughal royal family to India, the unfamiliar land that had become their home and territory, and in their representation of their empire to a transregional Persophone audience.
    [Show full text]
  • Ittaister of Hibrarp Anb Information Science
    USER SATISFACTION IN MAULANA AZAD LIBRARY, ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY, ALIGARH DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF ittaiSter of Hibrarp anb information Science MOHD. SHIKOH Roll. No. 09 LSM - 05 En No. GB - 4785 UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF DR. M. MASOOM RAZA Associate Professor DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) 2009-2010 :f33-i>#j '''^^^st^^^ DS3878 zDeaicaied Q/fl^ ^^eCMtd ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY, ALIGARH DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY EF'BX 2700916 10 2^ 26 • Direct 0571-270f 1039 - • 70i '9 Phone AND Fax 0571-2700039 INFORMATION SCIENCE [;Re s 0571-2501525 Mob 09719303275 Email masspmi ^;ar. •1., V . massoni W^/ar • iC .': Dr. M.Masoom Razii Daiec S. (Associate Professor) Certificate This is to certify that Mr. Mohd Shikoh has completed his disseriaiioii entitled * I str Satisfaction in Maulana Azad Librar\. Aligitrl! Xnivif » I niversitv. Aligarh" in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree (>i Master of Library and iBformation Science (2009-2010). Fie had condu the work under my supervision and guidance. deem it tit for submission. Dr. M. Maso0|n Raza (Associate Prole- (i AcknowCedgement Tirst and foremost I wisk to express my endless tHanks to A^'^JW. The a[migfity, Because of whose deCp onfy, my emSrvonu ideas aSout the subject of study have come to fruition. It gives me immense pCeasure to express my deep seme o; gratitude and sincere than^ to my respected teachers and supenisor <Dr. M Masoom ^Rflza, (dissociate (professor), (Department of Lib ran and Information Science, JL.^M.V., J[Cigarh,for his exceCknt guidance sympathetic and motivating attitude throughout the course of thv study.
    [Show full text]
  • Time in Early Modern Islam
    Time in Early Modern Islam The prophet Muhammad and the early Islamic community radically redefined the concept of time that they had inherited from earlier religions’ beliefs and practices. This new temporal system, based on a lunar calendar and era, was complex and required sophistication and accuracy. From the ninth to the sixteenth centuries, it was the Muslim astronomers of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires, and not those of Europe, who were responsible for the major advances in mathematics, astronomy, and astrology. Stephen P. Blake’s fascinating study compares the Islamic concept of time, and its historical and cultural significance, across these three great empires. Each empire, while mindful of earlier models, created a new temporal system, fashioning a new solar calendar and era and a new round of rituals and ceremonies from the cultural resources at hand. The hysteria that accompanied the end of the first Islamic millennium in 1591 also created a unique collection of apocalyptic prophets and movements in each empire. This book contributes not only to our understanding of the Muslim temporal system, but also to our appreciation of the influence of Islamic science on the Western world. Dr. Stephen P. Blake is Professor Emeritus at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, and Senior Research Fellow, Center for Early Modern History, University of Minnesota. His books include Shahjahanabad: The Sovereign City in Mughal India, 1639–1739 (Cambridge University Press 2002), and Half the World: The Social Architecture of Safavid Isfahan, 1590–1722 (1999). To Meg, with love as always To my children – Andrew, Edward, John, Paul, and Rachel Time in Early Modern Islam Calendar, Ceremony, and Chronology in the Safavid, Mughal, and Ottoman Empires STEPHEN P.
    [Show full text]
  • Humayun Badshah
    HUMAYUN ON THE THRONE HUMAYUN BADSHAH BY S. K. BANERJI, M.A., PH.D. (LOND.) READER IN INDIAN HISTORY, LUCKNOW UNIVERSITY WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY SIR E. DENISON ROSS FORMERLY DIRECTOR, SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL STUDIES, LONDON HUMPHREY MILFORD OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1938 OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS AMEN HOUSE, LONDON, B.C. 4 EDINBURGH GLASGOW NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE CAPETOWN BOMBAY CALCUTTA MADRAS HUMPHREY MILFORD PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY PRINTED IN INDIA AT THE MODERN ART PRESS, CALCUTTA INTRODUCTION It was with great pleasure that I accepted Dr S. K. Banerji's invitation to write a few words by way of intro1 duction to his Life of the Emperor Humayun, seeing that it was under my supervision, at the School of Oriental Studies, London, that he prepared his PH.D. thesis on the early years of Humayun 's reign. During the two years that he spent here I had ample opportunity of seeing his work and formed a high opinion of his capacity and enthusiasm. Since his return to India he has become Reader in Indian History at the Lucknow University, and he has devoted such leisure as his duties permitted him to the expansion of his thesis and a continuation of the life of Humayun, with a view to producing a full and definite history of that gifted but unfortunate monarch. The present volume brings the story down to the defeat of Humayun at the hands of Sher Shah in 1540 and his consequent abandonment of his Empire : the rest of the story will be told in a second volume which is under preparation.
    [Show full text]
  • Islam, Ritual and the Ethical Life
    ISLAM, RITUAL AND THE ETHICAL LIFE DAWAT IN THE TABLIGHI JAMAAT IN PAKISTAN Arsalan Khalid Khan Charlottesville, Virginia M.A. Anthropology, University of Virginia 2011 B.A. International Relations, Beloit College 2005 A Dissertation Presented to The Graduate Faculty of the University of Virginia in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Anthropology December, 2014 Table of Contents 1. Introduction 4 2. Islam and the Colonial Configuration of Religion 46 3. Ritual Ideology: Dawat, Personhood, Purity 74 4. Piety as Ethical Relatedness 110 5. From Precarious to Certain Faith: The Making of a Spiritual Home 156 6. Dawat and Transcendence in an Islamic Nation 195 7. Conclusion: Dawat as Islamic Modernity 240 1 Acknowledgements The research for this dissertation was funded by the Wenner-Gren Foundation, The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia, and the Department of Anthropology at the University of Virginia. The faculty in the Department of Anthropology at UVa provided me with a warm and nurturing space to develop as a scholar. I am most indebted to my dissertation chair and adviser, Richard Handler, for his unwavering support and encouragement without which I may never have been able to see this task to completion. I consider my work mostly a dialogue with what I have learned from him over these many years. I also want to extend my gratitude to the members of my committee. Dan Lefkowitz’s insights into performance helped me frame key aspects of my dissertation. Peter Metcalf consistently encouraged me to ground my theoretical arguments in ethnography, which I have tried to do.
    [Show full text]