History Writing In India During The Period Of Temurids

Abstract

This study examines the development of Persian historiography in India during the Timurid (Babur) and early Baburid periods, emphasizing the critical role played by the Timurid rulers in fostering historical writing. The historiographical tradition in India predates the Timurids, drawing on oral narratives, religious texts, and epic literature such as the Vedas, Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, Jātaka, Hitopadeśa, and Pañcatantra. However, it was the arrival of Zahir al-Dīn Muḥammad Bābur and his descendants that catalyzed a systematic and sustained historiographical culture. Bābur’s Bāburnāma, written in Turkic and translated into Persian, not only provided a detailed narrative of political, social, and natural-geographical realities but also laid the foundation for the autobiographical approach in Indo-Persian historical writing. Subsequent historians and translators, including Gulbadan Begum, Abū’l-Fażl ʿAllāmī, Bayāzid Bayāt, and others developed upon Bābur’s legacy, producing seminal works such as the Humāyūnnāma, Akbarnāma, and Āʾīn-i Akbarī. Under the patronage of Akbar, Jahāngīr, Shāh Jahān, and Aurangzeb, translation activity flourished, incorporating texts from Sanskrit, Arabic, into Persian historiography. This facilitated a synthesis of political, cultural, and natural knowledge in historical writing. The study demonstrates that the Timurid rulers’ encouragement of historiography had a long-lasting impact on India’s cultural and literary landscape. By fostering the production, translation, and patronage of historical texts, they secured an enduring place in the evolution of Persian literature in India, particularly in historiography, shaping both methodology and content for subsequent generations.