The court of Akbar, an illustration from a manuscript of the Akbarnama
The Ain-i-Akbari or the "Institutes of Akbar", is a 16th century, detailed document recording the administration of emperor Akbar's empire, written by his vizier, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak[1]. It makes the Volume III and the final part of the much larger document, theAkbarnama (Persian: ???? ????), the Book of Akbar, also by Abul Fazl, and it itself is in three volumes [2]
The contents
The Ain-i-Akbari is the third volume of the Akbarnama. The first volume contains the history of Timur's family and the reigns of Babar, the Súr kings, and Humayun, the second volume is devoted to the detailed history of nearly forty-six years of the reign of the Akbar. The third and concluding volume, the Ain-i-Akbari, contains information regarding Akbar's reign which, though not strictly historical, is yet essential to a correct understanding of the times, and embodies, therefore, those facts for which, in modern times, we would turn to Administration Reports, Statistical compilations, or Gazetteers. It contains the áín (i. e., mode of governing) of Akbar, and is, in fact, the Administration Report and Statistical Return of his government, as it was about 1590, it also contains details of Hindu beliefs and practices as well as a history of India[3][4]
The Ain-i-Akbari is divided into five books, the first book deals with the imperial household. The second book deals with the servants of the emperor, the military and civil services. The third book deals the imperial administration. It consists the regulations for the judicial and executive departments, the information about the establishment of a new era and the divisions of the empire. The fourth book contains the information about the Hindu philosophy, science, social customs and literature. The fifth book contains the wise sayings of Akbar[3]. This also contains an account of the ancestry and biography of the author.
The translations
The original Persian text was translated into English in three volumes. The first volume, translated by H. Blochmann (1873) consists Books I and II. The second volume translated by Colonel H.S. Jarrett (1891) consists Book III. The third volume also translated by Colonel H.S. Jarrett (1896), consists Books IV and V. These three volumes were published by the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta as a part of their Bibliotheca Indica series[5][6][7].
References
- ^ Majumdar, R.C. (2007). The Mughul Empire, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, p.5
- ^ Introduction to Akbaranama and Ain-e-Akbari Columbia University.
- ^ a b Blochmann, H. (tr.) (1927, reprint 1993). The Ain-I Akbari by Abu'l-Fazl Allami, Vol. I, Calcutta: The Asiatic Society, preface (first edition)
- ^ Preface
- ^ Blochmann, H. (tr.) (1927, reprint 1993). The Ain-I Akbari by Abu'l-Fazl Allami, Vol. I, Calcutta: The Asiatic Society, preface (first edition)
- ^ Jarrrett, H.S. (tr.) (1949, reprint 1993). The Ain-I Akbari by Abu'l-Fazl Allami, Vol. II, Calcutta: The Asiatic Society, editor's introduction
- ^ Jarrrett, H.S. (tr.) (1948, reprint 1993). The Ain-I Akbari by Abu'l-Fazl Allami, Vol. III, Calcutta: The Asiatic Society, editor's introduction
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