Medieval Chronicles

Matching Medieval Authors to Historical Texts

Al-Biruni authored Kitab-al-Hind, Ibn Battuta wrote the Rehla, Gulbadan Begum wrote Humayun Nama, and Lahori wrote the Badshah Nama.

Primary Reference: NCERT Class XII - Themes in Indian History Part II

Archived:

Updated:

Match the following: List I (Text)
A. Kitab-al-Hind
B. Rehla
C. Humayun Nama
D. Badshah Nama List II (Author)
1. Ibn Battuta
2. Al-Biruni
3. Lahori
4. Gulbadan Begum

[CDS 2014 (I)]

Detailed Solution & Historical Context

Concept


This matching reinforces the identification of primary chronicles that define our understanding of the Sultanate and Mughal periods.

Authentic Source Evidence


  • Al-Biruni: Wrote Kitab-al-Hind (Arabic) in the 11th century.

  • Ibn Battuta: Wrote Rehla (Arabic) in the 14th century.

  • Gulbadan Begum: Authored Humayun Nama (Persian) in the 16th century.

  • Abdul Hamid Lahori: Wrote Badshah Nama (Persian) in the 17th century.
  • Analytical Breakdown


  • A-2: Al-Biruni’s study is a cornerstone of Indology.

  • B-1: Rehla is a key source for Tughlaq-era social history.

  • C-4: Humayun Nama provides an intimate look into early Mughal family life.

  • D-3: Badshah Nama is the official visual and textual history of Shah Jahan’s reign.
  • Conceptual Deep Dive & Logic

    "Who was the author of the official history of Shah Jahan?"

    Abdul Hamid Lahori, who wrote the 'Badshah Nama' (or Padshah Nama).

    Examiner's Mindset & Pro-Tip

    "These texts show the linguistic shift from Arabic (Al-Biruni/Battuta) to Persian (Gulbadan/Lahori) in documenting Indian history."

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