Historians value the Ain-i Akbari as a mine of information about the Mughal Empire under Akbar. Which limitation of this source should they keep in mind?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → It is a view of the regions from the centre, a view of society from its apex.
Option (1) It relies mainly on oral accounts of peasants collected in the villages. — Incorrect. The Ain was an imperial exercise of collecting information for the emperor, so it carries the court's view of the villages.
Option (2) It is a view of the regions from the centre, a view of society from its apex. — Correct. The Ain was compiled for the emperor, so it shows the regions as the centre saw them and society as seen from the top.
Option (3) It describes the customs of the regions around Agra and Lahore and leaves out other provinces. — Incorrect. The Ain covers the various provinces (subas) of the whole empire and the customs across Akbar's extensive territories.
Option (4) It was compiled decades after Akbar's death from the memory of courtiers. — Incorrect. The Ain was completed in 1598, the forty-second regnal year of Akbar, so it was written during his reign.
NCERT (2026-27): “8. The Ain-i Akbari of Abu’l Fazl Allami … |