The Ain-I Akbari

Emperor Akbar’s close confidante and noble Ab? ‘L-Fa_zl CAll?m? composed Akbarnama. The third volume of this monumental work was titled Ain-I Akbari. It was completed in Akbar’s 42nd regnal year, but an additional section was added in the 43rd regnal year. The present English translation comprises three volumes, published by the Asiatic Society of Bengal as part of the Bibliotheca Indica series. The first volume was translated by H. Blochmann and published in 1873. The second edition of the work was edited by Lt. Col. D.C. Phillott and published in 1927. This Manohar edition is?a?reprint?of?the?1927?edition.

The first volume contains the description of Akbar’s imperial household, treasury, metallurgical sciences, numismatics and imperial seals. It cont­ains description of emperor’s harem, royal kitchen, items of luxury, calligraphy, perfumery, and the details of edible items. This volume discusses military aspects in greater detail, which include arms and ammunitions, animals used during warfare, hierarchical system of the imperial army, horse branding, and the famous mansabdari system, the ranking system adopted in 1571. It also description of the salutation types and etiquettes practised in the court, followed by the financial supports given to court officials and other strata of societies. The final part of this volume deals with the accounts of hunting games and amusements, regulations of marriages and education system, and the list of mansabs given to the nobles, and the account of intellectuals, poets, and the musicians contemporary to Akbar’s time-period.