Tārīḫ-i Banāras | Monography or Translations of known period | Historical Works | Survey | Perso-Indica

Historical Works

Monography or Translations of known period
Ġulām Hussayn Ḫān ibn Himmat Ḫān Šāhjahānābādī, Tārīḫ-i Banāras

[Preliminary Entry] A book on the history of zamīndārs of Varanasi from the time of raja Mansā Rām (1737-1740) to the deposition of Rāja Chait Singh in 1195/1781. The author, Ġulām Hussayn Ḫān ibn Himmat Ḫān of Šāhjahānābād (Delhi) was in service of raja Balwant Singh (r. 1740-1770) and his son raja Cait Singh (r. 1770-1781). Beside his book on history of Banāras, Ġulām Hussayn Ḫān has also written another historical treatise about Mughal Empire in India from 1738-1789, entitled ikr al-Siyar. Tārīḫ-i Banāras was edited and published by the authors’s grandson named Subḥān ‘Alī ibn Ḥassan ‘Alī Ḫān, with dedication to raja Iśwari Prasad Narayan (r. 1835-1889). Subḥān ‘Alī wrote in the introduction that his grandfather’s Tārīḫ-i Banāras was based on both his observations and the personal accounts he received from raja Balwant Singh. 

P. S.

Manuscript: 

Patna, Khuda Bakhsh Library, 608

.


Bibliography:

Marshall, D. N., 1967, Mughals in India a Bibliographical Survey, Asia Publishing House, Bombay, vol. I, p. 156. Storey, C. A, 1939, Persian literature A bio-bibliographical Survey, II, 3, London, Luzac & Co., p. 699.

 


 
Main Persian Title: Tārīḫ-i Banāras
Approximate period of composition: 1730-1799
Dedicatee: Raja Iśwari Prasad Narayan (r. 1835-1889)