History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c14.s1.16

c14.s1.16

Besides the authorities mentioned before, there are other historical works written outside India which serve to explain certain points relating to this period of Indian history. During the 13th and 14th centuries the Mongols or Mughals exercised much influence on Indian affairs and under Muhammad Tughluq the Indian government was brought into touch with the great powers of Central Asia. To understand the conditions which existed in Central Asian countries in Muhammad’s day and to explain the position and prerogative of the Khilafat in the first half of the 14th century it has been necessary to consult some non-Indian histories. Among the Persian authors who have written about the Mughals the first place belongs to Rashīd-al-Dīn, the author of the *Jām-ut-tawārīkh*, who completed his work in 1312 A.D. Rashīd’s sources were excellent. The archives of the *Ilkhāns* were at his disposal and he was constantly aided by a Mughal who knew all about the Mughal and Turkish tribes. Rashīd-al-Dīn gives much useful information about Indian geography some of which is reproduced in Elliot’s Historians, Vol. I.