Mumt of Milom^F PERSIAN
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A SURVEY OF PERSIAN PROSE LITERATURE FROM BABUR (AD. 1526) TO AKBAR (A.D. 1605) DISSERl'ATION SU81VHTTE0 IN PARTIAL Hlil.MENT C3F THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGFEE OF Mumt of Milom^f PERSIAN BY MOHD. HACHfM All DEFARTMiNT OF PERSIAN FACULTY OF ARTS ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIG ARH (INDIA) 1989 V**; */ DS IL(>8 'T: Jfi, •~ — ~ ^ • —^ DS1668 DEPARTMENT CF PERSIAN ALIGARH IvIUSLiM UNIVERSITY,ALIGARK. This is to certify that this dissertation for M.Phil, degree in Persian of the Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh has been completed by Mr, Mohd. Hachirn Ali under my supervision. It is original in nature and I have permitted the candidate to submit it for the award of the degree in partial fulfilment of the K.Fhil. reouirements in Persitji. (Mrs, Anwar Rizvi ) Supervisor Reader in Persian A.M.U, Aligarh, A CKNO WL SDGEMSNTS This dissertation is a record of the experience under gone by me in trying to understand the nature, development and significance of some Indo-Persian Prose Literature during the Mughal Period, from Babar__to (A,D. 1526) Akbor (A.D. 1605), I consider myself as fortunate in getting the opportunity to have Mrs. Anwar Razvi, Reader,Department of Persian, A,M,U, Aligarh as my research supervisor. I am indebted beyond measure to her for her benevolent gesture and masterly guidence in carrying out this research work. Her practical experience in literature, keen interest in interpreting the empirical findings have been my fortune, 1 am also much grateful to Chairman, Department of Persian, A.M.U. for providing necessary suggestion, in this conection, I am thankful to Mr. Khurshid Alam Mozumder, Shah Wasiullah,/ Khalilur Rahman, Mr. A. Hussain have been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement, without their coope ration, I could not have been able to complete this work. I acknowledge my sincere respect to Mr, A, Razvi for for his encouragement while carrying out this study. Last, but not the least my thanks are due to my ^wife Mrs. A, Begum for her keen interest, help, cooperation and encouragement in completing this work. iv I am also grateful to the University Grants Coinmission, New Delhi for financial assistance which helped me a good deal in completing my M.Phil, work. MOHD. HACHIM ALL LIST OF ABBREVIATION 1. Ain-i-Akbari •Allami, Abul Fazl, "Ain-i-Akbari, 2. A.N. •Allami, Abul Fazl, "Akbarnama" 3. A.Rahim Khankhanan, Abdur Rahira, "Tuzuki- Baburi" MS. 4. Arlf Qandahari^ Haji Muhammad 'Arif, "Tarikh -i- Akbari" edited Hazi Muin-uddin Nadvi, S.Azhar Ali Arshi. 5. Badauni Al-Badauni, "Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh," 6. B.N Babur, Zahirudin Muhammad, "waqi-'at-i- Baburi" translated by Mrs, A.S.Beveridge, 7. BarthoId Barthold, V.V,"Pour Studies on the History of Central Asia" 8• Bayat Bayat, Bayazid, " Taz<^kira-i-Humayun wa Akbar" edited by Hidayet Husa4.n. 9• Browne Browne, E.G., •• A Literary History of Persia." 10. Camb.Hist. Holt, P.M. & others, "Cambridge History of Islam Islam", Elliot, H,M. and Dowson William," History of 11. E & D India as told by its own Historians". Gibb & others, " Encyclopaedia of Islam" 12. E.I, (old edition), 13. Ethe Gibb Sc others, "Encyclopaedia of Islam" (old edition) Firishta, Abul Qasim Hindushah, "Tarikh-i- 14. Firishta Firishta". VJ 15. Ghani Ghani, Prof. M.A, "A History of Persian Language and Literature at the Mughal Court," 16. Gibb Gibb, E.J. W "History of Ottoman Poetry." 17. Gulbadan Begum, Gulbadan, "Humayun Nama. " MS. 18. Haig Haig, Lt. Colonel Sir Wblseley, "The Cambridge History of India." 19. Hidayet Khwandamir, Ghiyasuddin Muhammad, " Humayun Nama" edited by Hidayat Husain, 20. H.N Begam, Gulbadan "Humayun Nama" translated into English Mrs. A.S. Be veridge, 21. Ikram Ikram, S.M., "Muslim Civilization in Indial' 22. Jarret "Allami, Abul Pazl, "Ain-i-Akbari" translated by H.S, Jarret. 23. M.S. Nomani, Shibli, "Maqalat-i- Shibli". 24. M.R Nahawandi Abdul Baqi, "Ma'asir-i-Rahimi", edited by Hidayat Husain. 25. Motnin Mohi-ud-Din, Dr. Momin., "The chancellery and Epistolography at the Mughal Court (Babur to Shahjahan)" 26, Muhibb Hasan, Muhibbul, "Babur, Founder of Mughal Empire in India". ' 27, Muslim Saqafat Salik, Abdul Mazi.^_!JMuslim Saqafat Hindustan Mein" Vll 28. Sharma = Sharma, Sri Ram "A Bibliography of Mughal India" 29. N.B.I. = Gibb. A.R, and other "Encyclopadia of Islam" (new edition) "30, NiWtullah = Ni'matullah, Khwaja "Tarikh-i-Khan-i-Jahani" edited by S.N, Imam-ud-Din 31. Nizam-ud-Din= Ahmad, Nizam-ud-Din "Tabaqat-i-Akbari "edited by B.De. 32, Ranking M.T = Al-Badauni, Abdul Qadir "Muntakhab-ut- Tawarikh" translated by S.A.Ranking, 33, Rieu = Rieu, Charles," Catalogue of the Persian u Manuscripts in the British Museum, 34,. Rushbrooke = Williams L,F. Rushbrooke, "An Empire Builder of the Sixteen/century". 35- Rypka = Rypka, Jan, "History of Iranian literature 36. Sarkar = Sarkar, J.N,, "Mughal Administration" 37^ Storey = Storey, C.A. "Persian Literature" Vlll 38. T.D. =Abdulla, ••Tarikh-i-Daudi" edited by S.A. Rashid. 35^ T.R =Dughlat, Mirza Haidar, "Tarikh-i-Rashidi" translated by E. Dennison Ross. 40. T.Shahl, Ahmad, Yadgar, "Tarlkh-l-Shahl" edited by Hldayet Husain. 41',, Tuzuk-1-Jahangirl = Jahangir Noor-ud-Din, "Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri" translated by Rog^ers. CONTENTS mcE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Ill LIST OF ABBREVIATION V INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER -I Establishment of the Mughal Empire in Hindustan CHAPTER-II Cultural and Literary traditions of the periods of Babur and Humayun, 4t CHAPTER-III Persian Prose Literature produced in the reigns of Babur and Humayrin 79 CHAPTER-IV A Critical evaluation of some important Persian prose works written under the Patronage of Akbar. BIBLIOGRAPHY 191 INTRODUGTION With the establishment of the Muslim rule in India, Persian gained the status of the language of the court and the elite. The first Muslim ruler to establish his adminis tration and occupy the Punjab and Sind was Mahmud of Ghazni. It was the beginning of the Muslim rule in India. After the fall of the Ghaznavids, the Slave dynaty, the Khaljis, the Tughluqs, the Sayyids and the Lodis established their rule and patronised Persian language and literature. The establi shment of the Mughal rule in India (i,e in A,H. 932/A.D,1526) by Zahir-ud-Din Muhammad aabuar opened altogether a new chapter in the medieval Indian history, Persian literature flourished in India under the liberal patronage of the Mughal kings, princes and princesses, nobler and courtiers and reached its zenith. It is unfortunate that the Persian literature which developed in India under the jjatronage of the Medieval mlers could not draw much attention of the Orientalists and the Iranian scholars. It is surpjcising to note that Mughal India surpassed the SafaVvid Persia in the output of Persian literature in its multifacete<3 develops. Western and Iranian scholars almost neglected it ^nd very superficial statements were made about it. It was even neglected in India, It is a matter of great satisfaction that in recent years Indian Scholars have paid due attention to the Indo Persian Studies, The large corpus of Ind«-Persian literature and its variety - 2 - has also now attracted the attention of Western and Iranian scholars and they have devoted their 'Stcholarly efforts in this direction. Still much remains to be done. The aim of the present study is to examine critically the development of Persian Prose literature from the time of Batottr to Akbar (i,e from A,H. 932/A.D 1526 to A,H. 1014/ A,D 1605), As the volume of Persian prose literature produced during this period is very large, only some important and c ^ representative works of this period have been seloted for the purpose of study. It is hoped that this humble effort will help us to some extent in assessing the prose literature of this period. CHAPTER - I Establishment of the Mughal Empire in Hindustan THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE IN HINDUSTAN Zahir-ud-Din Mohammad Babtur established the Mughal Empire in India in A.D, 1526, He was the founder of this magnificient Empire which lasted for about three hundred years. He claimed his descent from two of the greatest Central Asian.heroes, i.e, Chingiz Khan the Mongol,and Amir Timur, the Barlas Turk. Since a Turk, Babur himself began his career as the kin;^ of Parghana in Turkestan, He was only eleven when he ascended the insecure throne of his father. Ulnar Shaikh Mirza in A.D 149 4, But Babur was not contended with this small principality of his father as it could support only three or four thousand men. Moreover, Parghana was not as rich as Samargand, the magni ficient seat of his great ancestor Amir Timur, He now coveted the throne of Samargand which would enable him to accumulate a grand empire and to emulate Timur, He was now fully occupied with the idea of subduing Samarqand and making it his seat of empire even at the stakeof his own life. So he spent the next twenty years of his life in continuous struggles with his cousins. Three times, he occupied the throne of Samarkand, the object of his dreams, but he lost his own kingdom. The rising power of the Uzbeks under Shahi Beg known as Shaibani Khan appeared before him as a mighty force, and the stiruggles with Sultan Ahmad Tambal made him an exile within the country. Finally, after vicissitudes 1. Muhibb, p.20, of exile he settled himself In Kabul, the country of his uncle Ulugh Be$ in 1504, Babur made Kabul the base of his operations with the Uzbeks and also for expeditions to Hindustan.