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Primary sourceBookc. 1590

Akbarnama

Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak · c. 1590

The official chronicle of Akbar's reign, commissioned by him and written by his court historian Abu'l-Fazl, with lavish illustrated copies.

Akbar commissioned this official chronicle of his own reign, shaping how his life and rule would be remembered.

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Illuminated opening page of a manuscript in Persian script. At top is an ornate gold and blue illuminated frontispiece with floral arabesques, a central cartouche and arched panels. Below are three columns of black calligraphy on cream paper, framed by gold and red borders.
Abu'l-Fazl, Akbarnama, c. 1590. Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde, Munich.

About this source

What it is

The Akbarnama is the official history of Emperor Akbar's life and reign, written in Persian by his court historian Abu'l-Fazl and commissioned by Akbar himself around 1590. Illustrated manuscripts, painted by dozens of artists in Akbar's royal workshop, survive in several collections, including a richly illuminated copy at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Why it matters

Because Akbar ordered it made, the Akbarnama is not a neutral account but a carefully crafted image of his rule, presenting him as a divinely guided emperor. It is still the main source historians use for his life, but students must remember it was written to please and glorify him. The miniature paintings, by artists such as Basawan, are also landmark works of Mughal art.

Look closer

  • Why might a ruler commission his own official history rather than leave it to later writers?
  • What does the choice to pair text with dozens of paintings tell you about how the Mughal court wanted the story remembered?
  • What kinds of events might be left out of a chronicle written for the ruler himself?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Akbar the Great and Maharana Pratap on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Two-page manuscript spread with dense Persian script in black ink on the left and right pages. The right page has a ruled grid board with red and blue lines, a central multicolored rosette, and sets of colored pawn shapes in four corners, illustrating a Chaupar game.Book

Primary source

Ain-i-Akbari

Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak · 1589-1596

Painted Mughal miniature showing Akbar's elephant Hawai in a riverside scene: elephants and men on a sandy bank, boatmen in wooden boats struggling in choppy water, figures at a red fort wall above, and Persian inscriptions at the bottom.Artifact

Primary source

Victoria and Albert Akbarnama

c. 1590-1595

Red sandstone palace courtyard at Fatehpur Sikri with multi-storey colonnaded pavilions, carved jali screen railings, and a green-tinted water pool in the foreground under a clear sky with trees.Artifact

Primary source

Fatehpur Sikri

founded 1571

Front view of the Buland Darwaza, a tall red sandstone gateway with white domed pavilions on its roof, a large central arched portal, and a wide flight of steps leading up to it. Several people stand on the steps and a small white goat is at lower left.Artifact

Primary source

Buland Darwaza

begun 1573

Mughal miniature painting of a seated ruler in yellow robes under a red canopy, surrounded by courtiers, scholars with books, and a night sky with a domed building above. Below, figures include a horseman and beggars.Painting

Primary source

Akbar Holds a Religious Assembly in the Ibadat Khana

Nar Singh · c. 1605

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