Which of the following is not true about the Ain-i Akbari?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Undertaken at the order of Emperor Akbar and completed at the time of Shah Jahan.
Option (1) It was completed in 1598. — Correct. The Ain-i Akbari was completed in 1598, the forty-second regnal year of Akbar, after five revisions.
Option (2) This is a view of the regions from the centre. — Correct. The Ain is a mine of information about Akbar’s empire, but it is a view of the regions from the centre, a view of society from its apex.
Option (3) It provides quantitative information of various provinces. — Correct. Along with descriptions of the provinces (subas), the Ain gives intricate quantitative information about them.
Option (4) Undertaken at the order of Emperor Akbar and completed at the time of Shah Jahan. — Incorrect. The first half is right: Abu’l Fazl undertook it at the order of Akbar. But it was completed in Akbar’s own reign, in 1598; Shah Jahan ruled from 1628.
NCERT (2026-27): “8. The Ain-i Akbari of Abu’l Fazl Allami … The Ain-i Akbari was the culmination of a large historical, administrative project of classification undertaken by Abu’l Fazl at the order of Emperor Akbar. It was completed in 1598, the forty-second regnal year of the emperor, after having gone through five revisions. The Ain was part of a larger project of history writing commissioned by Akbar. This history, known as the Akbar Nama, comprised three books.… 9. The Ain-i Akbari, the third book, was organised … Collecting and compiling this information systematically was an important imperial exercise. It informed the emperor about the varied and diverse customs and practices prevailing across his extensive territories. The Ain is therefore a mine of information for us about the Mughal Empire during Akbar’s reign. It is important, however, to keep in mind that this is a view of the regions from the centre, a view of society from its apex.…” |