Question

Fill in the blank with the appropriate word from the options given below:
The Ain-i-Akbari was part of a larger history called the _________ ma.

• A. Babur
• B. Akbar
• C. Jahangir
• D. Shahjahan

Hint:

Structure of the Akbarma by Abu'l Fazl: - Volume 1: History of Mughal ancestors. - Volume 2: Reign events of Akbar. - Volume 3: Ain-i-Akbari (Statistical & Administrative blueprint).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: The Mughal emperors placed great importance on maintaining official administrative and historical records. These chronicles serve as fundamental primary sources for understanding court procedures, politics, economics, and warfare during their reigns.

Step 1: Tracing the origin of the text.
The Ain-i-Akbari (Administration of Akbar) is an exhaustive sixteenth-century document detailing the administration, statistical data, and geography of the Mughal empire under Emperor Akbar. It was authored in Persian by his court historian and vizier, Abu'l Fazl.

Step 2: Identifying the parent chronicle.
Abu'l Fazl wrote a massive, comprehensive three-volume official history of Akbar's reign called the Akbarma (Book of Akbar):
• The first volume deals with Akbar's ancestors and early history.
• The second volume records the chronological events of Akbar's reign up to the 46th year.
• The third volume is the Ain-i-Akbari, which outlines the imperial regulations, administration, army, revenue systems, and demographic data. Therefore, the Ain-i-Akbari is a constituent section of the larger history called the Akbar ma. This makes Option (B) the correct answer.