Who is the author of the book “Ain-I-Akbari” and “Akbarnama”?
The Akbarnama which translates to Book of Akbar, is the official chronicle of the reign of Akbar, the third Mughal Emperor (r. 1556–1605), commissioned by Akbar himself by his court historian and biographer, Abul Fazl who was one of the nine jewels in Akbar’s court. It was written in Persian, the literary language of the Mughals, and includes vivid and detailed descriptions of his life and times.
The Ain-i-Akbari is the third volume of the Akbarnama containing information regarding Akbar’s reign in the form of, what would be called in modern times, administration reports, statistical compilations, or gazetteers. It contains the áín (i.e., mode of governing) of Emperor Akbar, and is, in fact, the administration report and statistical Return of his government. The first volume of the Akbarnama 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 the nearly forty-six years of the Akbar’s reign. Since it was written around 1590, it also contains details of Hindu beliefs and practices as well as a history of India.
