Akbar, the Great Mogul - 1542-1605 #225875

The other authorities for the reign of Akbar are surprisingly numerous and copious, a large number being contemporary. The subject is of so much interest from many points of view that it is astonishing that nobody in any country has yet thought it worthy of serious critical treatment. The one German attempt at such treatment is so defective that its existence does not invalidate the statement that no tolerably adequate critical biography or history of Akbar is to be found in any language. The authorities comprise (1) a considerable number of histories and memoirs in Persian, mostly contemporary; (2) a long series of writings by observant Jesuit missionaries who resided at the court of Akbar; (3) the notes of early European travellers and authors, other than Jesuits, and contemporary to some extent; (4) later European books, which contain various traditions and certain facts based on earlier documents (5) the archaeological evidence, com prising the testimony of monuments, inscriptions, and coins and (6) contemporary portraits, drawings, and paintings. Details of all these six classes of authorities will be found in the Bibliography, Appendix D. In this place my observations will be confined to pointing out in general terms the evidential value of each class of authorities.