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Primary sourceBook1595

Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh

Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni · 1595

A Mughal chronicle by an eyewitness soldier at the Battle of Haldighati, giving a rare first-hand account of the fight against Pratap Singh.

Written by a soldier who fought at Haldighati, giving the only Mughal eyewitness account of the battle against Pratap Singh.

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Title page of the 1865 Calcutta printed edition of the Muntakhab al-Tawarikh of Abd al-Qadir Bin-i Maluk Shah al-Badaoni, edited by Captan W. N. Lees LL.D. and Munshi Ahmad Ali, printed at the College Press.
Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni, Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh, 1595. Printed edition, Calcutta, 1865.

About this source

What it is

The Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh is a history of Muslim rule in India written by Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni, begun in 1590 and finished by 1595. Its second volume covers the first forty years of Akbar's reign, based partly on Bada'uni's own experience, since he served in the army of Man Singh.

Why it matters

Bada'uni fought at the Battle of Haldighati and gives the only Mughal eyewitness account of it, including a dispute over an elephant named Ram Prasad. His account is also unusually critical of Akbar, offering a different Mughal viewpoint from the official chronicles. It is an important source for understanding how the campaign against Pratap Singh was experienced by those who fought in it.

Look closer

  • Why might an eyewitness account differ from an official court history of the same battle?
  • What does it mean that this text was kept hidden until after Akbar's death?
  • What details might only someone who was actually present at the battle be able to record?

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

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