[Solved] Munis al Arwah: Jahanara's Biography of Muinuddin Chishti

The biography of Shaikh Muinuddin Chishti, authored by Jahanara, is known as :

[CDS 2021 (II)]

Detailed Solution & Historical Context

Concept

Mughal royalty were deeply involved in Sufism. Princess Jahanara, daughter of Shah Jahan, was a scholarly devotee who contributed significantly to the 'Tazkira' (biographical) tradition of Sufi saints.

Authentic Source Evidence

Jahanara Begum authored 'Munis al Arwah' (Confidant of Spirits) in 1640. It is a biography of the founder of the Chisti order in India, Shaikh Muinuddin Chishti, alongside accounts of other saints.

Analytical Breakdown

Logic 1: Option A is correct. The work reflects Jahanara's spiritual orientation and her own induction into the Qadiriyya order later on.

Logic 2: Fawaid ul Fuwad (Option B) records the conversations of Nizamuddin Auliya; Sirat ul Auliya (Option C) is by Amir Khwurd; Muraqqa-e-Delhi (Option D) is a later 18th-century work.

Conceptual Deep Dive & Logic

"What other spiritual work did Jahanara write?"

She also wrote 'Sahibiya', a biography of her spiritual mentor, Mullah Shah Badakhshi.

Examiner's Mindset & Pro-Tip

"Jahanara's authorship proves that Mughal royal women were not just passive observers but active intellectual participants in India's spiritual discourse."

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