Kautilya's ArthashastraImportance 4/5
Who wrote it, and in which period? Remember how many books it has and the subjects it covers. Know when and by whom it was rediscovered, and where. Why is it compared with Machiavelli, and how does it work as a Mauryan administrative manual?
Megasthenes' IndicaImportance 4/5
Who was Megasthenes, and in whose court did he serve? Is the original text still available? Understand how its content is known today and through which later writers. Remember what it describes of Mauryan India, such as the capital, the army and the palace. Into how many classes does it divide Indian society, and what are they?
Faxian and Xuanzang: Chinese Pilgrims' AccountsImportance 3/5
Remember when each Chinese pilgrim visited India, in whose reign, and the name of his book. Be clear about Xuanzang's stay at Nalanda. You should be able to tell the two pilgrims apart by period and king, and explain what their accounts are used for.
Banabhatta's HarshacharitaImportance 3/5
Whose life does it describe, and who wrote it? Is it a work in verse or in prose? Understand why it is read together with the account of a Chinese pilgrim as the two sources for Harsha's reign.
Bilhana's VikramankadevacharitaImportance 2/5
Which king does this poem praise, and from which dynasty and century? Bilhana came from Kashmir but wrote about the Deccan. What does this tell you about Sanskrit culture across India?
Kalhana's RajataranginiImportance 4/5
Remember the author, approximate date, language and region, and what the title means. Understand how Kalhana tested his sources. Why is it called the first systematic historical chronicle, and why do earlier works such as the Arthashastra and Harshacharita not count as chronicles in this sense?
Chand Bardai's Prithviraj RasoImportance 2/5
Who wrote it, and who is its hero? It mixes history with legend. Understand the debate over its date and authenticity, and why it is still valued as a record of Rajput memory.
Buranjis: Ahom Chronicles of AssamImportance 2/5
Whose chronicles are the Buranjis? Remember the language they were first written in and the language that replaced it. Know the two types, official and family. Were Buranjis also written about neighbouring kingdoms (Tripura, Kachari, Jaintia)? Understand why they matter for Assam's history.
Al-Biruni's Kitab-ul-HindImportance 4/5
When and in which language did Al-Biruni write it, and how did he come to India? Understand how he studied India, what he wrote about (philosophy, science, society) and why his account is valued for its objectivity.
Minhaj-us-Siraj's Tabaqat-i-NasiriImportance 3/5
Remember the author, the approximate date and the language. How is the work arranged, and how far back does its story begin? Understand which period of the Delhi Sultanate it serves as a primary source for.
Ziauddin Barani's Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi and Fatawa-i-JahandariImportance 3/5
When and in which language was the Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi written, and which reigns does it cover? Understand the Fatawa-i-Jahandari as a work of political theory. What role does it give to Islamic law in governing?
Ibn Battuta's RihlaImportance 4/5
Where was Ibn Battuta from, and when did he reach India? Remember the post Muhammad bin Tughlaq gave him and the mission he was later sent on. In which language is the Rihla, and who wrote it down?
Afif's Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi and the Futuhat-i-Firuz ShahiImportance 2/5
Afif's history shares its title with Barani's work. How do the two differ in the part of Firuz Shah's time they cover? Remember what the Futuhat-i-Firuz Shahi is, and who wrote it.
Babur's Baburnama (Tuzuk-i-Baburi)Importance 3/5
In which language did Babur write his memoirs, and about when? Understand what makes it a frank self-portrait and what he observed of plants, animals and society. Into which language was it later translated, and under which emperor?
Gulbadan Begum's Humayun-namaImportance 2/5
Who was Gulbadan Begum, and how was she related to Babur, Humayun and Akbar? Why did she write the book, and in which language? Understand what it covers and why it is rare among Mughal writings.
Abul Fazl's AkbarnamaImportance 3/5
Who wrote it, about which period, and in which language? Be clear about its three-volume structure. Understand why it is treated as the official biography of Akbar and a very detailed source for Mughal India.
Ain-i-AkbariImportance 4/5
How does the Ain-i-Akbari relate to the Akbarnama? Remember the kinds of information it records: the royal household, administration, revenue, the army and culture. Understand why this makes it a key source on Mughal administration.
Akbar's Maktab Khana and the RazmnamaImportance 2/5
Where and when did Akbar set up the Maktab Khana? Remember what it did. The Razmnama is the Persian version of which Sanskrit epic? Know the men who made it and who wrote its preface.
Jahangir's Tuzuk-i-JahangiriImportance 2/5
These are Jahangir's own memoirs. Remember their approximate period and their other name. Understand why they are a useful source for 17th-century art, culture and natural history, and what they show about his taste.
Dara Shikoh's Sirr-i-Akbar and Majma-ul-BahrainImportance 3/5
Remember what each of the two works deals with, and the year of the Sirr-i-Akbar. What was Dara Shikoh trying to achieve through them, and which two traditions of thought did he try to bring together? Know which saint he followed and which other Hindu texts he had put into Persian.
Other Mughal Court Histories (Badauni, Lahori, Khafi Khan)Importance 2/5
Which history did each of these writers produce: Badauni, Abdul Hamid Lahori and Khafi Khan? Know the reign or period each history is chiefly valued for. How did Badauni's view of Akbar differ from Abul Fazl's?
