Abul Fazl

Abul Fazl ibn Mubarak was a Mughal courtier, historian, and political thinker in Emperor Akbar’s service. He wrote the Akbarnama and its administrative companion, the Ain-i-Akbari.

Akbar: The third Mughal emperor, who ruled from 1556 to 1605 and expanded and consolidated the empire. Akbar’s court and patronage shaped Abul Fazl’s historical writing and political ideas.
Mughal Empire: An early modern empire that ruled much of the Indian subcontinent from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. Abul Fazl’s writing describes and legitimizes the empire he served.
Akbarnama: Abul Fazl’s Persian history of Akbar’s reign, including an account of the Mughal dynasty’s origins. This is Abul Fazl’s principal narrative account of Akbar and his empire.
Sulh-i kul: A Mughal principle of universal peace and equitable treatment across religious communities. Abul Fazl’s political thought helped articulate this ideal associated with Akbar’s rule.
Faizi: A Persian-language poet and scholar, and Abul Fazl’s elder brother. Faizi shared Abul Fazl’s family background and served in Akbar’s court.
Persian literature: Literary works composed in Persian across a broad region and many centuries. Persian was the language of Abul Fazl’s major histories and the Mughal elite.
Ain-i-Akbari: Abul Fazl’s Persian compendium describing Akbar’s administration, court, provinces, and imperial resources. It records the institutions and measurements that complemented the Akbarnama’s narrative.
Akbar’s religious policy: The changing measures and ideas through which Akbar governed a religiously diverse empire. Abul Fazl’s accounts and arguments shaped how this policy was presented.
Birbal: A Hindu advisor and courtier of Akbar, remembered in later stories and court histories. Birbal and Abul Fazl belonged to Akbar’s circle, though their court roles differed.
Persian historiography: The traditions and methods of writing history in Persian-speaking societies. Abul Fazl adapted Persian historical conventions to narrate Akbar’s reign.

Linked from 4 pages