Medieval India — Important Books from Medieval India
1. Important Books from Medieval India
Context: Medieval India witnessed a flourishing of literary works in Persian, Sanskrit, Arabic, and regional languages, covering history, poetry, philosophy, and administrative accounts.
| Book | Author | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Prashnottara Ratnamalika | Amoghavarsha I | Key works in Sanskrit and Kannada |
| Kavirajamarga | Amoghavarsha I | Earliest Kannada literature text |
| Prithviraj Raso | Chandbardai | The Biography of Prithviraj Chauhan (in Braj Bhasa) |
| Prithviraj Vijaya | Jayanaka | The account of Prithviraj Chauhan's reign |
| Tajul-Ma'asir | Hasan Nizami | Earliest historical literature produced in India |
| Tughlaq Nama | Amir Khusrau | Biography of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq and other Tughlaq rulers |
| Fatuhat-i-Firozshahi | Firoz Shah Tughlaq | Autobiography of Firoz Shah Tughlaq (Persian) |
| Tarikh-i-Firozshahi | Zia-ud-Din Barani | Key accounts of Tughlaq Rule |
| Fatawa-i-Jahandari | Zia-ud-Din Barani | Exemplified the art of Persian prose writing |
| Tabaqat-i-Nasiri | Minhaj-us-Siraj | Comprehensive history of Muslim dynasties up to 1260 AD |
| Tutinama | Zia Nakshabi | Tales of a Parrot, a series of short stories |
| Gulshan-i Ibrahimi / Tarikh-i Firishta | Ferishta | Traditional narrative from Ghaznavid ruler Mahmud to Ibrahim Adil Shah II |
| Kitab-i-Nauras | Ibrahim Adil Shah-II | Collection of songs in praise of Hindu deities and Muslim saints (Dakhani) |
| Tuzuk-i-Baburi (Baburanamah) | Babur | Autobiography of Babur (written in Turkish) |
| Humayun-Nama | Gul Badan Begum | Key account of Humayun's life and rule |
| Akbar Nama | Abul Fazl | Three volumes on the history of Akbar's reign |
| Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri | Jahangir | Autobiography of Jahangir (Persian) |
| Shah Jahan Nama | Inayat Khan | Unillustrated chronicle of the reign of Shah Jahan |
| Badshah Nama | Abdul Hameed Lahori | Illustrated official history of the reign of Shah Jahan |
| Fatuhat-i-Alamgiri | Ishwar Das Nagar | Provides details of Aurangzeb's reign |
Knowledge Nugget
Amir Khusrau (1253-1325) was a prolific poet, musician, and scholar who wrote Tughlaq Nama, a biography of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. He was also known as Tuti-i-Hind (Parrot of India) and innovated musical instruments like the tabla and sitar.
Amir Khusrau (1253-1325) was a prolific poet, musician, and scholar who wrote Tughlaq Nama, a biography of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. He was also known as Tuti-i-Hind (Parrot of India) and innovated musical instruments like the tabla and sitar.
2. Summary: Important Books and Authors
| Period | Book | Author | Key Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rashtrakuta | Kavirajamarga | Amoghavarsha I | Earliest Kannada literature text |
| Chauhan | Prithviraj Raso | Chandbardai | Biography of Prithviraj Chauhan |
| Slave Dynasty | Tajul-Ma'asir | Hasan Nizami | Earliest historical literature in India |
| Tughlaq | Tughlaq Nama | Amir Khusrau | Biography of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq |
| Tughlaq | Fatuhat-i-Firozshahi | Firoz Shah Tughlaq | Autobiography of Firoz Shah Tughlaq |
| Mughal | Tuzuk-i-Baburi | Babur | Autobiography of Babur (Turkish) |
| Mughal | Humayun-Nama | Gul Badan Begum | Account of Humayun's life |
| Mughal | Akbar Nama | Abul Fazl | History of Akbar's reign |
| Mughal | Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri | Jahangir | Autobiography of Jahangir |
| Mughal | Badshah Nama | Abdul Hameed Lahori | Official history of Shah Jahan's reign |
| Mughal | Fatuhat-i-Alamgiri | Ishwar Das Nagar | Details of Aurangzeb's reign |
Key Takeaways for UPSC
- Kavirajamarga: Amoghavarsha I (Rashtrakuta) - Earliest Kannada literature
- Prithviraj Raso: Chandbardai - Biography of Prithviraj Chauhan
- Tajul-Ma'asir: Hasan Nizami - Earliest historical literature in India
- Tughlaq Nama: Amir Khusrau - Biography of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
- Fatuhat-i-Firozshahi: Firoz Shah Tughlaq - Autobiography
- Tuzuk-i-Baburi: Babur - Autobiography (Turkish)
- Humayun-Nama: Gul Badan Begum - Account of Humayun
- Akbar Nama: Abul Fazl - History of Akbar
- Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri: Jahangir - Autobiography
- Badshah Nama: Abdul Hameed Lahori - Shah Jahan's official history
- Fatuhat-i-Alamgiri: Ishwar Das Nagar - Aurangzeb's reign
High-Yield Interactive UPSC Quiz (Chapter 10 Focus)
Q1. The earliest Kannada literature text, Kavirajamarga, was written by:
Correct Answer: A. Kavirajamarga, the earliest Kannada literature text, was written by Amoghavarsha I, the Rashtrakuta ruler. He also wrote Prashnottara Ratnamalika.
Q2. The biography of Prithviraj Chauhan, Prithviraj Raso, was written by:
Correct Answer: B. Prithviraj Raso, the biography of Prithviraj Chauhan, was written by Chandbardai in Braj Bhasa.
Q3. Tughlaq Nama, a biography of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, was written by:
Correct Answer: C. Tughlaq Nama was written by Amir Khusrau, who also compiled the biography of Ghiyasuddin along with other Tughlaq rulers.
Q4. The autobiography of Firoz Shah Tughlaq, Fatuhat-i-Firozshahi, was written in:
Correct Answer: B. Fatuhat-i-Firozshahi, the autobiography of Firoz Shah Tughlaq, was written in Persian.
Q5. Tabaqat-i-Nasiri, a comprehensive history of Muslim dynasties up to 1260 AD, was written by:
Correct Answer: B. Tabaqat-i-Nasiri was written by Minhaj-us-Siraj. It is a comprehensive history of Muslim dynasties up to 1260 AD.
Q6. Gulshan-i Ibrahimi (Tarikh-i Firishta) was written by:
Correct Answer: B. Gulshan-i Ibrahimi, also known as Tarikh-i Firishta, was written by Ferishta. It covers dynasties from Mahmud of Ghazni to Ibrahim Adil Shah II.
Q7. Akbar Nama, which contains three volumes on the history of Akbar's reign, was written by:
Correct Answer: A. Akbar Nama was compiled by Abul Fazl. It contained three volumes on the history of Akbar's reign, with Ain-i-Akbari dealing with administration.
Q8. Badshah Nama, the official history of Shah Jahan's reign, was written by:
Correct Answer: B. Badshah Nama, an illustrated official history of Shah Jahan's reign, was written by Abdul Hameed Lahori. Shah Jahan Nama was written by Inayat Khan.
Q9. Kitab-i-Nauras, a collection of songs in praise of Hindu deities and Muslim saints, was written by:
Correct Answer: C. Kitab-i-Nauras was written by Ibrahim Adil Shah-II, the king of Bijapur. It is a collection of songs in praise of Hindu deities and Muslim saints in Dakhani.
Q10. The autobiography of Jahangir, Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri, was written in:
Correct Answer: B. Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri, the autobiography of Jahangir, was written in Persian. It documents his reign and his contributions to art and painting.