History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c14.47

c14.47

The *Fatūḥāt* is an autobiographical memoir of Sultan Firuz. I have not come across any manuscript copy of this work except a small abridged version of it which is in the possession of Mr. Zafar Husain of the Archæological Department. Sir Henry Elliot's translation (III, pp. 374—88) seems to be pretty full and accurate. The *Fatūhāt* dwells upon Firuz's achievements in the field of administration and humanitarian reform but at the same time it reflects the ascendancy of the ‘Ulama over the Sultan's mind and his desire to suppress the spirit which was a legacy of the last reign. After Muhammad's death we find Firuz taking vigorous measures to stamp out heresy and idolatry which had possibly grown under Muhammad's liberalism. The *Fatūhāt* records how in everything the Sultan reverted to the Quranic formulæ. It is a valuable commentary upon Sultan Muhammad's reign and indirectly furnishes much evidence of his broad-mindedness and unorthodox policy.