Page 13 - Jul - Sep 2021

VOL. 18 No. 3

SULTANATE SPLENDOURS DID YOU KNOW?

Abdul Malik Isami‛s history of
When paper and cloth replaced palm leaf manuscripts, then began the Muslim rule in India is likened
process of illumination. The Pala rulers of Bengal and Bihar were the to the Persian magnum opus,
fi rst to initiate the tradition of illustrated manuscripts decorated with Shahnameh!
borders and natural colours. Many remarkable illustrated manuscripts
were prepared during the Sultanate period, prior to the start of the
Mughal era.
MANUSCRIPTS AS GIFTS
GHURID GLORY Both Qurans and secular manuscripts were gifted

Hasan Nizami’s Taj-ul-Maasir tells us the splendid between Indian rulers and those in the Islamic and
story of the rise of the Ghurid army and the Christian lands to the west as it was considered as a
establishment of the Delhi Sultanate. symbol of wealth.
For example, the Nawab of Awadh gifted the
illustrated manuscript of Padshahnama to King
George III of England in the 18th century!
BRILLIANT Daniya Afsar, Class 12 H, Centre Point School, Katol Road, Nagpur;
Mithun S Rao, Class 5 B, Gitanjali Devakul, Hyderabad; Rehaan
BARANI Sejwal, Class 8 A, Gyan Bharti School, New Delhi

In Tarikh-i-Firozshahi, Zia-
uddin Barani recorded
events from the reigns DECCANI SCHOOLS
of Balban to that of Firoz
Ahmadnagar Jewels
Shah Tughluq. The work
covers perspectives of Manuscripts from the Ahmadnagar Sultanate are
replete with beautiful paintings in the Persian
diff erent people and
diverse geographical style. Among others, the most famous is the
illustrated history, 'Tarif-
regions.
i-Hussain Shahi’.
Bijapur Wonders

HOLISTICALLY HISTORICAL! Bijapuri manuscripts
were written in Arabic,
Like an effi cient historian, Minhaj-i-Siraj provided a Persian, and Dakhni.
detailed account of the history of the Delhi Sultanate. The most fascinating
So brilliant was his work, Tabaqat-i-Nasiri, that it is the manuscripts were works
only medieval manuscript to describe the early years on music (Javāhir al-
of Muslim rule in Bengal! Mūsīqāt-i Muhammadī)
and poetry (Kitab-i-
Nauras).
ACTIVITY: Diamonds of Golconda

FUN WITH The illustrated manuscripts from Golconda are
MINIATURES known for their unique blend of Persian and
Indian style of paintings. Its iconic works include
Colour the given miniature.
Tārīkh-i Qutb-i Shāhīyah, a history of the Qutb
Also write two sentences on Shahi dynasty.
birds in Urdu calligraphic style.
Dhruv Devineni, Class 6, Delhi Public School, Miyapur, Hyderabad

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