An account that traces developments over time is known as:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Diachronic
Option (1) Synchronic — Incorrect. A synchronic account gives a picture of all aspects of a period at one time – geographic, social, administrative and cultural – without reference to chronology, as the Akbar Nama does for Akbar’s empire.
Option (2) Epichronic — Incorrect. There is no such term.
Option (3) Diachronic — Correct. A diachronic account traces developments over time: it records politically significant events across time. Abu’l Fazl wrote the Akbar Nama in this traditional diachronic sense as well as in the synchronic sense.
Option (4) Dialective — Incorrect. There is no such term.
Note: This question is taken from the chapter ‘Kings and Chronicles’ which was there in the pre-rationalised NCERT and has been deleted from subsequent editions of NCERT, including the NCERT book (2026-27).
NCERT (Pre-rationalised): “4. The Akbar Nama and the Badshah Nama … The Akbar Nama was written to provide a detailed description of Akbar’s reign in the traditional diachronic sense of recording politically significant events across time, as well as in the more novel sense of giving a synchronic picture of all aspects of Akbar’s empire – geographic, social, administrative and cultural – without reference to chronology.…” |