The History of Akbar (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780674427754)

The exemplar of Indo-Persian history, at once a biography of Emperor Akbar and a chronicle of sixteenth-century Mughal India.

Akbarnāma, or The History of Akbar, by Abu'l-Fazl (d. 1602), is one of the most important works of Indo-Persian history and a touchstone of prose artistry. Marking a high point in a long, rich tradition of Persian historical writing, it served as a model for historians throughout the Persianate world. The work is at once a biography of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605) that includes descriptions of his political and martial feats and cultural achievements, and a chronicle of sixteenth-century India.

The first volume details the birth of Akbar, his illustrious genealogy, and in particular the lives and exploits of his grandfather, Babur, and his father, Humayun, who laid the foundations of the Mughal Empire.

The Persian text, presented in the Naskh script, is based on a careful reassessment of the primary sources.

Author: Abu'l-Fazl
ISBN-10: 0674427750
ISBN-13: 9780674427754
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Language: English
Published: 01/06/2015
Pages: 656
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.71lbs
Size: 8.23h x 5.51w x 1.44d

Review Citation(s):
New York Review of Books 09/24/2015 pg. 64