• ISBN13: 9788126937349
• Binding: Hardcover
• Subject: History
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd
• Publisher Imprint: Atlantic
• Publication Date: November 29, 2025
• Pages: 554
• Original Price: INR 1495.0
• Language: English
• Edition: N/A
• Item Weight: 740 grams
• BISAC Subject(s): Ancient / General, Modern / General, and Asia / South / India

A History of India: Muntakhabu-t-Tawarikh (Volume II), translated by William Henry Lowe, plunges into the first forty years of Emperor Akbar's rule (1556–95), a period of reform, religious experimentation and administrative consolidation. Because Badaoni was an eyewitness, this volume combines official history with personal observation. It is especially sharp in its critique of Akbar's religious innovations and court policies, which Badaoni felt compromised Islamic orthodoxy. Hitherto concealed during Akbar's life, this volume provides a counternarrative to more celebratory Mughal histories, revealing the tensions, contestations and ideological struggles behind imperial power.

Abdul-Qadir Ibn-i-Muluk Shah, also known as Al-Badaoni (1540–1615), son of Shaikh Muluk Shah, was born at Toda on August 21, 1540. He moved to Agra in 1558–59, where he studied under the renowned Shaikh Mubarak Nagori, alongside fellow pupils Faizi and Abu'l Fazl. Over the years, he acquired wide-ranging scholarship under some of the most respected intellectuals of the age, excelling in disciplines as varied as history, astronomy, music and theology. From an early age, he nurtured a deep fascination for history, devoting himself to reading and writing. In 1574, he entered Akbar's court with the support of Jamal Khan Qurci and Hakim Ain-ul-Mulk, and was soon appointed as an imam by the emperor. Badaoni's position at court, combined with his critical independence of mind, enabled him to produce his influential chronicle, the Muntakhabu-t-Tawarikh.