Aligarh: Prof Gulfishan Khan, Chairperson and Coordinator of the Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History presented a paper at the 9th Biennial Convention of the Association for the Study of Persianate Societies.
The convention was held under the auspices of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, Yerevan, and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. She also chaired two sessions at the convention, entitled “Islam in India” and “Science in the Qajar Iran.”
Presenting a paper on Production of Imperial Historiography and Emperor Shahjahan: A critical study of the Prologue of Volume Three of the Pādshāhnāma (Book of the Emperor)” of Shaykh Muhammad Warith, Prof Khan said that the production of imperial history was an enormous task and unlike his father Jahangir, Shah Jahan wrote no biographical memoirs but was closely involved in the supervision and production of Pādshāhnāma, the history of his thirty years reign.
She emphasized that the compilation of Pādshāhnāma was a team work and the first two volumes were composed and brought to completion by the India-born historian, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Hamīd Lāhorī (d.1654) (Published under the auspices of the Royal Asiatic Society, Calcutta 1866-72). Volume three was entrusted to Shaykh Muḥammad Wārith (d.1680), of Patna and a pupil and collaborator of the former in the grand official project.
“The drafted material was corrected and edited by the leading intellectuals before it was submitted to the emperor for final approval. The first two volumes were supervised by Prime Minister Wazir-i-kull Sā‘adullāh Khan (d.1656), while the third volume was composed by Mulla Alaul Mulk Tuni,” she added.
Prof Khan stated that the daily activities of the emperor were recorded in formidable detail, ranging from his official duties which included issuing edicts, bestowing rank or promotion on particular individuals, receiving distinguished visitors at court, wider consultation with the courtiers on issues that affected the empire and its beneficiaries.
