'Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni
Encyclopedia
Mullah
ʿAbd-ul-Qadir Bada'uni (c. 1540 - 1615) was an Indo
-Persian historian and translator living during the Mughal
period in India.. He was son of Muluk Shah. He lived in Basavar as a boy studying in Sambhal
and Agra
. He moved to Badaun, the town of his name, in 1562 before moving on to enter the service of prince Husayn Khan for the next nine years in Patiala. His later years of study were governed by Muslim mystics
. Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar appointed him to the religious office in the royal courts in 1574 where he spent much of his career.
He translated the Hindu
works, the Ramayana
and the Mahabharata
. However, as an Orthodox Muslim, he strongly resented the reforms of Akbar, and the elevation of Hindus to high offices. He was also renowned for his rivalry with Abul Fazl.
and Humayun
. The second volume exclusively deals with Akbar's reign up to 1595. This volume is an unusually frank and critical account of Akbar's administrative measures, particularly religious and his conduct. This volume was kept concealed till Akbar's death and was published after Jahangir's accession. this book is written from the point of view of an orthodox Sunni Muslim and gives a biased view regarding the development of Akbar's views on religion and his religious policy. The third volume describes the lives and works of Muslim religious figures,scholars, physicians and poets The first printed edition of the text of this work was published by the College Press, Calcutta in 1865 and later this work was translated into English by G.S.A. Ranking (Vol.I), W.H. Lowe (Vol.II) and T.W. Haig (Vol.III) (published by the Asiatic Society, Calcutta between 1884-1925 as a part of their Bibliotheca Indiaca series). Other works by Bada'uni include the Bahr-ul-Asmar, a work on Kitab al-Hadith "book of sayings
[of Muhammad]", (lost), a chapter in the Tarikh-i-Alfi (History of the Millennium), commissioned by Akbar to celebrate the millenary of the Hijrah
, and the Najat-ur-Rashid (1581), a summary of the Jami al-Tawarikh
, the "Universal History" of Rashid-al-Din Hamadani.
Mullah
Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"...
ʿAbd-ul-Qadir Bada'uni (c. 1540 - 1615) was an Indo
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
-Persian historian and translator living during the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
period in India.. He was son of Muluk Shah. He lived in Basavar as a boy studying in Sambhal
Sambhal
Sambhal is a town and tehsil and headquarters of Bhimnagar district in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Sambhal is an ancient settlement that was also important during the period of Muslim rule and was one of Sikandar Lodi ’s provincial capitals in the late 15th and early 16th...
and Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
. He moved to Badaun, the town of his name, in 1562 before moving on to enter the service of prince Husayn Khan for the next nine years in Patiala. His later years of study were governed by Muslim mystics
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
. Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar appointed him to the religious office in the royal courts in 1574 where he spent much of his career.
He translated the Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
works, the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
. However, as an Orthodox Muslim, he strongly resented the reforms of Akbar, and the elevation of Hindus to high offices. He was also renowned for his rivalry with Abul Fazl.
Major works
The most notable work of Bada'uni is Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh (Selection of Chronicles) or Tarikh-i-Bada'uni (Bada'uni's History) composed in 1004 AH (1595). This work in three volumes is a general History of the Muslims of India. The first volume contains an account of BaburBabur
Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty of South Asia. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother...
and Humayun
Humayun
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one...
. The second volume exclusively deals with Akbar's reign up to 1595. This volume is an unusually frank and critical account of Akbar's administrative measures, particularly religious and his conduct. This volume was kept concealed till Akbar's death and was published after Jahangir's accession. this book is written from the point of view of an orthodox Sunni Muslim and gives a biased view regarding the development of Akbar's views on religion and his religious policy. The third volume describes the lives and works of Muslim religious figures,scholars, physicians and poets The first printed edition of the text of this work was published by the College Press, Calcutta in 1865 and later this work was translated into English by G.S.A. Ranking (Vol.I), W.H. Lowe (Vol.II) and T.W. Haig (Vol.III) (published by the Asiatic Society, Calcutta between 1884-1925 as a part of their Bibliotheca Indiaca series). Other works by Bada'uni include the Bahr-ul-Asmar, a work on Kitab al-Hadith "book of sayings
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
[of Muhammad]", (lost), a chapter in the Tarikh-i-Alfi (History of the Millennium), commissioned by Akbar to celebrate the millenary of the Hijrah
Hijra (Islam)
The Hijra is the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Alternate spellings of this Arabic word are Hijrah, Hijrat or Hegira, the latter following the spelling rules of Latin.- Hijra of Muhammad :In September 622, warned of a plot to...
, and the Najat-ur-Rashid (1581), a summary of the Jami al-Tawarikh
Jami al-Tawarikh
The Jāmiʿ al-tawārīkh, , or Universal History is an Iranian work of literature and history written by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani at the start of the 14th century.-The author:...
, the "Universal History" of Rashid-al-Din Hamadani.
External links
- The Muntakhabu-’rūkh by ‘Abdu-’l-Qādir Ibn-i-Mulūk Shāh, (Al-Badāoni) Packard Humanities InstitutePackard Humanities InstituteThe Packard Humanities Institute is a non-profit foundation, established in 1987, and located in Los Altos, California, which funds projects in a wide range of conservation concerns in the fields of archaeology, music, film preservation, and historic conservation, plus Greek epigraphy , with an...