The Foundation of Muslim Rule in India: A History of the Establishment and Progress of the Turkish Sultanate of Delhi, 1206–1290 A.D. c5.22.3

c5.22.3

It is a continuation of Juwaini's history of the Mongols and begins with the later years of Mangu Khan's reign. India finds only casual reference in course of the account of the Mongol conquest, and yet the work throws light on Mongol activities on the Indian frontier. In one place it furnishes a valuable information respecting the relation of Mahmud's government with Mangu Khan and supports the account of the official chronicle of Delhi. Its notice of the history of the Sultans of Delhi is however, unreliable; only from the time of the Khaljis the account begins to be tolerably free from errors. Containing almost the same matter relating to India is the universal history of Rashiduddin called *Jamiut-Tarikh*, completed in 1310 A.D. Valuable as the work is for the contemporary history of Central Asia, its account of the rulers of Delhi is hardly more dependable than that of Wassaf, from whom it quotes extensively. Equally imperfect is another work of the same period called *Tarikh-i-Binagiti*, written in 1317 A.D. by Abul Fazl. b. Muhammad al-Binagiti and dedicated to Sultan Abu Said of Persia. It is a general history of the world but in reality is nothing more than an abridgment of Rashiduddin’s *Jamiut-Twarikh*, which it follows in all its errors and is thus of no material help. The *Tarikh-i-Guzidah*, completed in 730/1329 by Hamdullah Mastaufi Qazwini, is however, a more helpful history.