Abū al-Faḍl ʿAllāmī
- Abū al-Faḍl also spelled:
- Abu’l-Faẓl
- Born:
- January 14, 1551, Agra [India]
- Died:
- August 22, 1602 (aged 51)
Abū al-Faḍl ʿAllāmī (born January 14, 1551, Agra [India]—died August 22, 1602) was a historian, military commander, secretary, and theologian to the Mughal emperor Akbar.
Life
Abū al-Faḍl ʿAllāmī studied with his father, Sheikh Mubārak Nāgawrī, a distinguished scholar. After teaching in his father’s school, he was presented to Akbar in 1574 by the poet Fayzī, Abū al-Faḍl’s elder brother. Through his criticism of the traditional Muslim religious leaders, he influenced the development of Akbar’s religious synthesis. He opposed what he considered to be the narrow-mindedness of religious leaders and their preoccupation with outward forms of worship instead of with the transcendent God. Abū al-Faḍl had immense influence at court. Having been appointed a military commander in the Deccan in 1599, he distinguished himself both as a soldier and as an administrator. He was called back to court during a rebellion of Akbar’s son Salīm (afterward the emperor Jahāngīr) but, at the instigation of Salīm, he was stopped en route and assassinated.
Memoirs, letters, and dispatches
Abū al-Faḍl’s major literary achievement was a history of Akbar and his ancestors, the Akbarnāma (The History of Akbar). It is the official chronicle of Akbar’s reign, containing 274 folios of text along with 116 illustrated folios and a single illuminated frontispiece. Written between 1590 and 1597, the manuscript is divided into three volumes. The first volume recounts the history of Akbar’s ancestors, particularly the lineage from Timur to Bābur, the founder of the Mughal Empire. It details Akbar’s birth and upbringing, emphasizing the astrological alignment on his day of birth. The narrative includes a historical account of Akbar’s father, Humāyūn, before embarking on a year-by-year account of Akbar’s rule, from his accession in 1556 to 1572, the 17th year of his rule. The second volume narrates Akbar’s reign up to 1602. It documents significant events, such as military campaigns, including the Second Battle of Panipat (1556), against the Hindu ruler Hemu. This volume also covers Akbar’s administrative reforms, cultural initiatives, and efforts to forge alliances with regional powers, particularly through marriage and diplomacy. The Akbarnāma is concluded by the third volume, the Āʾīn-e Akbarī (“The Institutes of Akbar”).
The Āʾīn-e Akbarī is in five sections. The first section contains details of Akbar’s household and court and the treasury. The second section deals with the military and civil servants and the courtiers who excelled by dint of their literary skills or musical genius. The third section contains details of judicial and executive wings of the empire, land survey methods, tribal divisions, and the duties of the finance minister Todar Mal. The social milieu and literary endeavors of the time, especially in philosophy and law, are captured in the fourth section. The final section contains a collection of Akbar’s epigrammatic sayings. It also includes biographical information about Abū al-Faḍl himself, offering personal insights into his thoughts and experiences as a historian in Akbar’s court.
The Ruqaʿāt-i-Abu’l-Fazl is a significant collection of personal letters by Abū al-Faḍl to Akbar, Akbar’s sons Murād, Dāniyāl, and Salīm/Jahāngīr and Akbar’s mother, Mariam Makani.
The Inshā-i-Abu’l-Fazl, or Maqtūbāt-i-Allāmī, is a collection containing official dispatches, which are divided into two parts: one featuring letters authored by Akbar to various leaders and nobles and the other consisting of Abū al-Faḍl’s correspondence with Akbar and others.
Abū al-Faḍl is said to have translated the Bible into Persian. Collections of his letters are also extant.