Previous Year Question

The Akbarnama is the official history of the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar, written by his court scholar Abul Fazl.

Around 1589 CE, Akbar commissioned Abul Fazl to prepare a detailed history of his reign and achievements. Abul Fazl subsequently prepared this vast work using imperial records, administrative documents, accounts of contemporaries and other available sources.

Abul Fazl himself stated that it took him seven years to complete the work. He prepared several drafts and repeatedly revised the language, organization and factual presentation.

The Akbarnama is generally understood in three parts—

The first part deals with Akbar's ancestors and events connected with his birth.

The second part presents a detailed political and military history of Akbar's reign.

The third part, known as the Ain-i-Akbari, systematically describes the administrative, economic, military, revenue, social and cultural organization of Akbar's empire.

The Ain-i-Akbari does not merely narrate events; it also compiles extensive data relating to mansabdars, the army, revenue, provinces, crops, prices, the imperial court and administration.

The initial main form of the Akbarnama was ready by approximately 1595–96 CE, although events of later years continued to be added. This explains why different sources sometimes provide slightly different chronologies for its final form.

However, the question asks how many years Abul Fazl took to complete it, and the tradition based on Abul Fazl's own statement gives the answer as seven years.