various types of Indo-Persian works containing valuable historical content which are
as follows:
1. History being treated as a branch of ethics and facts readjusted for moral values as n
Zia-uddin Barani’s Tarikh-i-Firozeshahi.
2. The manqib or Fazail type of prose eulogy usually but not necessarily, of a ruler, as
in Afif’s Tarikh- i- Firozshahi and Sirat –i-Firozshahi by an anonymous author.
3. Artistic form of history i.e. historical facts arranged in verses and with poetic
excellence; as in Amir Khusrau’s various works and Isami’s Futuh-us- salatin.
4. Epistle Writing: A distinguished but very ornate genre of Persian prose was Epistle
writing (Insha), which was cultivated at various courts, no doubt, including that of the
Delhi Sultans, though of this very few records have survived. Amir Khusrau’s Izaz-
iKhusravi is a good example of this type. Another surviving collection of letters of a
noble man, the insha-i-Mahru is also forthcoming in fourteenth century.
5. Memoir: First of its kind in India, and the only one of its kind during the pre-
Mughal period, it is to be found in fourteenth century, written by Firozshzh Tughlaq,
‘Fatuhat-i-Firozshzhi which stands as a milestone in the historiography of medieval
India.
6. Hagiological or malfuz literature: A significant development in Indian Islam is
centered on the spread of mysticism. Sufis had started influencing the life of Indian
Muslims as well as non-Muslims from thirteenth century itself and the fourteenth
century witnessed the emergence of hagiological or hagiographical ‘tazhkira’ writing
(biographical notices of the Sufis). One of the disciples of Shaikh Nizamuddin Aulia,
Mir Khurd, wrote down ‘Siyar-ul-aulia’ which belongs to this category. 10 Other
Important examples of malfuzat or “discourse” literature from this period are two
14th-century texts, the Fawad ul fawad by Amir Ḥasan Sejzi Dehlavi and the Nafāʾes
al-anfās wa 3 laṭāʾef al-alfāẓ of Rokn-al-Din of Kasan.
7. Foreign travellers’ account: There were many foreign travelers, who visited India in
fourteenth century, they have also given reliable account of the political history of the
Turkish rulers in India. This category of history writing provides with clear and
reliable account of various situations on which the Indian historian often showed
restraint. Ibn Battuta’s ‘Rihla’ not only corroborates the Indo Muslim chroniclers but
also stands out as the most informative of all.