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CDS 2018 (II)

Mughal Historiography

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

The important source for Akbar's reign, Tarikh-i-Akbari was written by which one of the following Persian language scholars?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: A

Concept While the Akbarnama is the most famous record, earlier contemporary accounts like the Tarikh-i-Akbari provide essential details on the formative years of Akbar's rule.

Explanation Arif Qandahari wrote the Tarikh-i-Akbari (also known as Muzaffar-nama) in 1579-80. He was an officer in the service of Muzaffar Khan, a high-ranking Mughal noble.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Option A is correct. This text is the first comprehensive chronicle of Akbar's reign written during his lifetime.
Comparison: Unlike Badauni (who was critical) or Abul Fazl (who was hagiographic), Arif Qandahari provides a straightforward administrative and military narrative of the early years.

Active Recall

Question

How does Tarikh-i-Akbari differ from the Akbarnama?

Answer

It was written earlier and provides a less idealized, more administrative account of the transition from Humayun's death to Akbar's consolidated rule.

Core Insight

Arif Qandahari's work is vital for historians to verify the events that were later more artistically rendered in the grand Akbarnama.

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