Padshah Nama
Encyclopedia
The Padshahnama (Chronicle of the Emperor) is a genre of works written as the official visual history of Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan
’s reign. Most significant work of this genre was written by Abdul Hamid Lahori
in two volumes.
Jalaluddin Tabatabai wrote another Padshahnama, but the extant portion of the text covers only four years, from fifth to eighth regnal year of the emperor. The project was later given to Abdul Hamid Lahori
, who wrote his Padshahnama in two volumes. The first volume of this work is based upon Qazvini’s work but has more details. The second volume covers the next ten (lunar) years of Shah Jahan’s reign. He completed his work in 1648. Lahori died in 1654. Muhammad Waris, a pupil of Lahori s given the responsibility to complete the task and his Padshahnama (completed in 1656) covers the rest of the period of Shah Jahan’s reign. His work was published by the Asiatic Society as the third volume of the Padshahnama of Lahori.
These works are the major sources of information about the Shah Jahan
's period. The beautiful illustrations and paintings in the manuscripts of these works illuminate life in the Shah's court, depicting weddings and other activities vividly.
(provincial governor) of Oudh in northern India
sent the Padshahnama, to King George III of England . Today, the imperial illustrated manuscript of the Padshahnama of Lahori is preserved in the Royal Library
at Windsor Castle
. The manuscripts of the Padshahnamas of Qazvini and Waris are preserved in the British Library
.
A manuscript of the Padshahnama is also with the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library, Patna
, India.
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) (Full title: His Imperial Majesty Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan...
’s reign. Most significant work of this genre was written by Abdul Hamid Lahori
Abdul Hamid Lahori
Abdul Hamid Lahori was a traveller and historian during the period of Shah Jahan who later became a court historian of Shah Jahan. He wrote the book Padshahnama also referred as Badshahnama, about the reign of Shah Jahan. He has described Shah Jahan's life and activities during the first twenty...
in two volumes.
History
Shah Jahan in his eighth regnal year asked Muhammad Amin Qazvini to write an official history of his reign and he completed his Padshahnama in 1636, which covers the first ten (lunar) years of Shah Jahan’s reign.Jalaluddin Tabatabai wrote another Padshahnama, but the extant portion of the text covers only four years, from fifth to eighth regnal year of the emperor. The project was later given to Abdul Hamid Lahori
Abdul Hamid Lahori
Abdul Hamid Lahori was a traveller and historian during the period of Shah Jahan who later became a court historian of Shah Jahan. He wrote the book Padshahnama also referred as Badshahnama, about the reign of Shah Jahan. He has described Shah Jahan's life and activities during the first twenty...
, who wrote his Padshahnama in two volumes. The first volume of this work is based upon Qazvini’s work but has more details. The second volume covers the next ten (lunar) years of Shah Jahan’s reign. He completed his work in 1648. Lahori died in 1654. Muhammad Waris, a pupil of Lahori s given the responsibility to complete the task and his Padshahnama (completed in 1656) covers the rest of the period of Shah Jahan’s reign. His work was published by the Asiatic Society as the third volume of the Padshahnama of Lahori.
These works are the major sources of information about the Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) (Full title: His Imperial Majesty Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan...
's period. The beautiful illustrations and paintings in the manuscripts of these works illuminate life in the Shah's court, depicting weddings and other activities vividly.
Extant manuscripts
In 1799, The NawabNawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
(provincial governor) of Oudh in northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
sent the Padshahnama, to King George III of England . Today, the imperial illustrated manuscript of the Padshahnama of Lahori is preserved in the Royal Library
Royal Library, Windsor
The office of Royal Librarian, in the Royal Collection Department of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, is responsible for the care and maintenance of the royal collection of books and manuscripts owned by the Sovereign in an official capacity, as distinct from those owned...
at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
. The manuscripts of the Padshahnamas of Qazvini and Waris are preserved in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.
A manuscript of the Padshahnama is also with the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library, Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
, India.
Work online
- Bádsháh-Náma of 'Abdu-L Hamíd Láhorí Packard Humanities InstitutePackard Humanities InstituteThe Packard Humanities Institute is a non-profit foundation, established in 1987, and located in Los Altos, California, which funds projects in a wide range of conservation concerns in the fields of archaeology, music, film preservation, and historic conservation, plus Greek epigraphy , with an...
See also
Further reading
- The King of the World: The Padshahnama: An Imperial Mughal Manuscript from the Royal LibraryRoyal LibraryRoyal Library can mean:*Royal Library, Windsor - the royal library of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom*Danish Royal Library - the national library of Denmark*Dutch Royal Library - the national library of The Netherlands...
, Windsor CastleWindsor CastleWindsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
, Thames & Hudson. 1997. ISBN 0500974489.
External links
- Illustrations from the Padshahnama at Royal CollectionRoyal CollectionThe Royal Collection is the art collection of the British Royal Family. It is property of the monarch as sovereign, but is held in trust for her successors and the nation. It contains over 7,000 paintings, 40,000 watercolours and drawings, and about 150,000 old master prints, as well as historical...
- King of the World - The Padshahnama at University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...