INDO-PERSIAN HISTORIOGRAPHY WITH SPECIAL
EMPHASIS ON THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD
By Mushtaq Ahmad
Historiography is a Meta level analysis of descriptions of the past which usually
focuses on the narrative, interpretations, worldview, and use of evidences or method of
presentation of other historians. It can also be described as a concept of science which
deals with the evaluation of history and the dimensions which is eventually acquired
with the passage of time which involves the study of the use of various sources
materials for the construction and reconstruction of history.
Indo-Persian historiography had a long and rich history prior to the emergence of the
East India Company. Historical works in Persian appeared in India in the era of the
Delhi Sultanate during the period of 13 th and 14 th century. Among the Muslim elite,
history was considered as the third important source of knowledge after the religious
scripture and jurisprudence.
Therefore, the study and writing of history were accorded great importance after the
establishment of the Delhi Sultanate in the closing years of 12th century. The pioneers
of history- writing in the Indo-Persian tradition were Muhammad bin Mansur,
popularly known as Fakhr-i Mudabbir.
His writings included a book of genealogies of the Prophet of Islam and the Muslim
rulers, including Qutbuddin Aibak. Minhaj Siraj Juzjani was another important
historian of the 13th century. However, the most important figure in the Indo-Persian
historiography was Ziauddin Barani in the 14th century. His Tarikh-i Firuzshahi is a
milestone in the tradition of history- writing in medieval India. It was written for the
enlightenment of the rulers of his times. Under the Mughals this tradition of history-
writing continued and reached new heights. Abul Fazl, Nizamuddin Ahmad, Abdul
Qadir Badauni, Khwaja Kamgar Husaini and Abdul Hamid Lahori were some
important historians of the Mughal period.
13 th century Indo-Persian historiography, introduced and followed within the
parameters of Islamic traditions outside India, produced works in India to suit the
religious and intellectual needs of a newly formed empire that brought the Islamic
flags into the interior of Indian subcontinent.
The fourteenth century opens up with a fresh tide of Indo-Muslim historians whose
works show a broader approach to history writing as compared to those who wrote in
the thirteenth century. Excluding the standard chronicles or court histories, there are