History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v1.c3.9

v1.c3.9

Happily, the materials for a study of it are abundant in Persian, the literary language of Mughal India. First, we have the official annals, —the *Padishahnamah* (in three sections by three writers) and the *Alamgirnamah*—which cover the 41 years lying between the accession of Shah Jahan and the tenth year of Aurangzib’s reign. These works were written by order, on the basis of the State papers preserved in the Imperial archives, such as official correspondence, despatches, newsletters, treaties and revenue returns. They are rich in dates and topographical details of the utmost value and accuracy, but as they were read to the Emperor and revised by him before presentation to the public, they suppress or belittle all incidents likely to throw discredit on his character or government. For the last forty years of Aurangzib’s reign we have the *Masir-i-Alamgiri*, compiled from the same class of official records, but after his death, and hence free from the fulsome flattery and misrepresentation of the former two histories. Unfortunately, this work is very condensed and lacks the fulness and detail of the regular official annals.