AMIR KHUSRAU AS A HISTORIAN
Syep Hasan ASKARI
Unlike the philosophic Hindus who viewed this world, including
human life, as an illusion and had, consequently, a certain disregard
for history, the Muslims, like the ancient Chinese and the Greeks,
seem to have had from the very beginning a keen desire to know the
past and to collect and keep a record of men and events, happen”
ings and occurrences, Their innate sense of enquiry and historical
consciousness made them interested in the course of human affairs
and anxious for rescuing the past from oblivion, They began to
compile books containing biographical sketches, historical anecdotes
and chronicles of events, public or private. Historiography, accot-
dingly, flourished under the early Turks in India. Different types of
historical literature were produced in India during the early medieval
period, Historical writings of the period were of different variety
m respect of style, literary fornt, outlook, method, content and
value, The works of Minhaj Siraj, Hasan Nizami, Fakhr-i Mudabbir
are so different from one another, and also from those of Haran
Afif and others. But they were alf professional historians and have
been accepted as such by even modern European writers of history.
The case of Amir Khusrau who, besides his five divans, has four
‘historical mrasnaiis’, and two prose works, also containing histori-
cal matter, 1s a Inttle different, according to some writers,’ 1s We
shall see hereafter. The fact is that the view of history in that age
was, as. a whole, quite different from what we find today. The old
medteval tradition of historiography that historical works could
be written ima special style and night combine oratory and poetry,AMIR KHUSRAU AS A ITISTORIAN 23
determinatives Nowadays we think tht it 1s not the factual detals
the mere narration in a dry as dust manner of the series of events
that actually happened—which count and constitute history The
more important thing is to say how this has come out of that
A histormn 1s expected to probe into the causes and effects ind to
find out the forces that helped to shape the events as they occured
The estence of history lies in an enquiry into the past dedication to
truth objectivity cause effect nexus of events ind movements sound
and critical yudgement and 1 sense of reasonableness in histoncal
interpretation The task of the historian 1s not like that of an
advocate to prove or disprove a myyor fact or event but to sift and
exaluite the varied and multitudinous source material and to act in
the capacity of a yudge and jury He is mainly concerned with a
diagnosis of the total situition on the basis of all available and
verifiable evidence He must tap and state all his source material
Judeing by the standard Ihuid down above ts one in + position
to say thet Amir Khusrau made some stgnificint contributions with
regird to history? Can one concede about him what Elliot and
Dowson have said about Benakiti that he was a poet as well asa
hustorin? But a modern Western scholar opines that Amir Khusrau
did not write history he wrote poetry * The task of the historian ts
to reconstruct the past He seeks to probe into things said ind done
so 1s to understind the present and predict the future But the past
dtd not have any spell for Amir Khusrau except when he was impelled
by hopes of reward and desire for undying literary fame to carry out
the buhests of the ruhne sovereigns All his srx historical works are
characterized by disyomted themes Jacking m chronological sequen
ces by florid fanciful verbose style and hyperbolic tone by artifi 1al
literary devices poetic mageries and Iiterary art forms saenfeng
persp cicity continuity and accuracy of historical and topographical
detauls Looking at Amir Ahusraus hfe and career the formative
influences on him ind the operating principles which might have
guided him a modernist may justly feel disapp> ated He had a fairly
long hfe was posstssed of potential evpacity to understand and act
upon his environment: and to ulilise the accumulited experiences of
Pprst generations interpreting them in such a way so asgwe them a
fealistic h storical pattern and make them meaningful and useful for
future generations He allowed his opportunities to lapse History
does not involke 75 Amie Khusriu might have thought the assump
tion of unintell gibl« and inscrutible ways and course of Fate and
intervention of the D yine tn human affairs nor stereotyped deser:p24 HISTORIANS OF MEDIEVAL INDIA
tions of events connected with the deeds of kings, courtiers and
nobles, unwholesome eulogium on those who were in power, and
condemnation of those undeservedly praised during their life tume,
in total disregard of their good and bad, just and unjust, religious
and impious actions, The historian is concerned more with groups
than with individuals, more with human decisions than with Divine
causation, more with the study of the past than with the delinea-
tion and appraisal of the facts and changes occuring in one’s life-
time.
One cannot deny the aptness of much of such remarks, spe-
cially if one ignores the 13th Century tone, and the situation and
the atmosphere of the age in which Amir Khusrau lived. He has
been appraised mainly on the basis of his poetical and prose
works, and, undoubtedly, he occupies a very high positron a5 8
talented litterateur and artist which he so eminently deserved But
his competence as a writer of history is questioned. Would it be
fair, however, to say that his works do not contain all that 2 moder-
nist likes to be the concept and appreciation of history. To what
extent are we justified in blaming him for his failure to realise the
need of a wide historical panorama, of a continuous, objective,
critical, chronological, factual narrative, true to facts and morally
instructive, and for his not msing above the pride and prejudices,
fashions and traditions of the time 2. Did he really miss the bus ?
It is true that, as the son of an Amir of IItutmish who was of Lachia
Turkist extraction and the grandson, on his mother side, of a high
official of Balban’s court and of Indian origin,‘ he had excellent
connections in political circles, and had opportunities of observing
many of the important events and gathering extremely important hus-
torical information from the notable and learned personalities he had
contact with,
But history was not his prime concern, Religion, love of art
and fiterature, search for beauty and the fulfilment of his economic
needs by Jegitimate means were his domimant life motives. There
was a possibility of his bemg deeply involved in contemporary
politics by virtue of his upbringing and position, but as a Sufi and as
one of the famous disciples of Nizam-ud-Din Aulia, he was of the
world and also out of it in the sense that although he had to cam
for his bread by hus literary trade, he kept himself out of the
controversial questions and situations arising from the ups and downs
in the field of politics and rehgion. He was a man of leaning and
intelligence and was capable of handling historical subjects cnticallyAMIR KHLSRAU AS A HISTORIAN 25
and chronologically, giving a connected and systematic account of
the past and making valid fustorical analysis But history with
Amur Afhusrau was contemporary history, and, he could not shake
off his obsession with literary accomplishments
Amur Khusrau has nowhere claimed to be a historian, and has
frankly told us that he wrote his desultery studies on important
historical topics exther on the suggestion of, or for presentation to,
the retgning sovereigns There was no inner urge todo so History
cannot be written without some basrs of selection from the multitude
of happenings which constitute the quarry Amur Khusrau’s selec-
tion appears to be arbitrary and not mm accord with what was inherent
an the events and themes dealt with But the principle of selection
im most cases was not of his choice, but was dictated He pours
forth his eulogrum with hyperbolic exaggerations not only on Alt
ud Din, who was great in many ways, but also on his worthless and
despicable successor in the Nus Sipihr, ind even in the prefactory®
remarks of the faz i Ahusraw: Even the best and the greatest of
Sovereigns had their virtues and \1ces, but Amer Khusrau 1s said to
have been concerned with alf that was good and he skips over all
that was bad = Even a cursory glance over some of the pages of the
ponderous volume of® the jaz: Auesrans and over his observation in
his romantic Masnayis, the Hasht Biisht? and the Matla ul Anwar,3 in
Tespect of women, would suffice to enable one to revise such an
opinion about him
Many of the connected facts may have been known to him,
but he has omitted some material which, circumstanced as he was,
might have been embarrasing for him to recall Perhaps he dared
not mention in the Afasaint ul Futuh or the Tarihhi Ala: the brutal
murder by Ala ud Din of his uncle and father tn law, the mild good
natured founder Sultan of the Khalj: dynasty, on 16th Ramazan, 695
He mentions this date as the date of the accession of Ala-ud Din to
the throne Even in his unofficial work, the Jaz1 Ahusraw: he
ignores the heinous actions of his patron Sultan We know from
Baran about the crittcal situation created by the Mongols led by®
Qithgh Khawaja and Targht, but Amir Khusrau has nothing to say
about the discomfitures of the terrible ind unscrupulous Sultan at the
hands of his enemies external or internal He has made no refirence
to the uneasy relations betucen his spreituwl? guide and Kaiqubad
Mubimk Khalp and Ghiyas ud Dis Tughlag in the Qiran us Saadain
Aah Sipihe and Tughlag Nama
But before challenging the chnracter and questioning the26 HISTORIANS OF MEDIEVAL INDIA
intellectual honesty of our poct-historian, we haye to take into
account the prevailing atmosphere of the days of the despotic,
meddlesome rulers and the necd of advisable appropriatc conceal-
ments. Partial omisston of some provocative particulars, colourful
verbose, literary presentation of facts and characterisation of high
dignitaries were permitted by the stultifying conventions of the time,
and they do not necessarily mean a tendency towards wilful suppres-
sion of truth. In fact, some of Amir Khusrau’s seeming over-
dramatizations, or over simplifications or even omissions and gaps do
not matter much, for what emerges from his ornate and embellished
picture is generally an accurate presentation of historical matters,
including some new" facts not noticed by others. Amir Khusrau was
aman of religion with a sense of dignity and responsibility, We may
not forgive the historian in him for not bringing forward all the facts
known to him, but considering his difficulties and limitations we
cannot charge him with deliberate distortion of facts, On the other
hand, we have evidence that he had an open, impartial and even a
magnanimous mind. While writing about the apostates, oppressors
and exterminators of the Alai family, regarded as their worst enemies
by the contemporary Muslims, he gives an unmistakable proof of a
refreshing candour and obyectrve attitude.
Those who have gone through the pages of Barani relating to
the atrocious deeds committed by Khusrau Khanand his accomplices,
may compare his fulminations and invectives against the people
deseribed by him as accursed and fou! Parwari outcasts and scaven-
gers, with the following verses of Amir Khusrau on page 19 of
Tughlag-Nama ; ‘Many Hindus who are known as Bradus had joined
him and had become his accomplices in his perfidious deeds Bradu is
the descriptive epithet of those interpid Hindus who risk therr lives
(heads) These martial people are reckless of their lives and also
know how to knock down the heads of others. This class of people
are always in the front rank of their rulers, and are ever prepared to
sacrifice their les at the behest of their rulers The unbelieving in-
fidels, not looking into their futurity, are, in a war fought all at once,
hike ten-headed demons. Hasan (Khusrau Khan) assembled and sta-
tioned them all ata place (treasury) and put on their feet fetters of
gold.’ Again,onp 124 we are told about the fierce offensive taken by
those dauntless warrors and the initial success that they achieved.
When the two armies came to face each other with firm determina-
tion to create cracks in the opposite ranks, conquer and overthrow
them from the side of the luckless Khusran, one flank of his armyAMIR KHUSRAU AS A HISTORIAN 27
sallied out and rushed like a river full of raging waves. In this furious
(swesping) charge they showed such firmness and constancy that one
wing of the army of Malik Ghazi was dislodged and overthrown.
Having penetrated through the opposite array of forces they fell on
the rear. So much tumult and uproar arose among the people that
one set of them fell upon the other. Many of the strong and sturdy
troops took to flight and every one turned his bridle towards
different directions. (But) Malik Ghazi did not Jeave his place with a
small company of his troops, for he felt a pleasure in fighting for
his life. Besides a single company of 300 cavalry behind him, none
remained either in front or at the back. When Malik Ghazi saw the
situation he was furious with rage and burst out angrily before those
, who were present. ‘So long as my head remains in its place I shall
not be alone. I would not look for help towards others for God is
my helper,’
These extracts speak for themselves about the sane and sober
attitude and methods of Amir Khusrau. But they may not be taken
into account by those who think that ‘Amir Khusrau’s figures are
either Virtuous or Vicious. They are gods or devils, not men.’
The reference in the last sentence to the prospective Tughlaq Sultan’s
reliance on God may be provoking for one who contends that not
only for ‘Amir Khusrau but for all medievel Muslim historian and
biographers, human characteristics are created outside the world of
time and events, that is by God.’ The orientalist: and occidentalist
ways and systems of religious and social thought do not always tally.
It is the orientalist view that outstanding individuals are important
in history, but an Invisible Power also plays, at times, a Iarge part
in making or marring their fortunes, The effort and endeavours of
men are really responsible for the outcome of events and occurances,
but human actions are always subject to the Divine ordination. Ali,
the fourth Caliph, said : ‘I have realised the existance of the Divine
Power by the failure of my firm resolutions.” The Quran says : ‘It
often happens that the armics which are very small in number come
out victorious over those which are numerically very large and supe-
tior.’ The Western scholars, wedded to the materialistic view of life
and actions, cannot appreciate these statements. But historical
literature is not wanting in allustrative instances of unexpected
occurances. It is worthwhile quoting some more verses from the
same work,
Continuing his narrative of the second fight, on the initiative
taken by Khusrau Khan, on Saturday the first of the month of28 HISTORIANS OF MEDIEVAL INDIA
Shaaban, 720, near Hauz-i-Khas of Delhi, our author says that a
contingent of the usurper’s army of probably ten thousand warlike
Bradu (also spelt as Braus) cavalry broke through and paralysed the
forces of Ghazi Malik, who was left only with 300°? soldiers to rely
upon. Nothing daunted, he stuck to his place. His bold stand and
brave words inspired some of his followers led by Bahram Aiba,
Baha-ud-Din Shaista and Malik Shadi, But they were hardly 500 in
number, Let us read what Amir Khusrau has written in the Tughlaq-
Nama: ‘When all these gathered together they came to 500 and
even less than that, When Malik Ghazi looked in front and behind
he found only this small force and nothing more. But he did not care
about the huge horde which he fancied was surrounding the umbrella
(chhatra), He cried out “God is great” at the top of his voice, am
rushed forward foaming (as waves) towards the (opposite} umbrella
and its bearer. He delivered his assault, boiling with rage, with
such a fury that the entire battle-field began to resound with at. The
impetuous attack of that excellent one of faith caused the confused
assembly to become doubly confounded..... In whatever direction
Malik Ghazi turned his reins, no sooner the cnemies saw him than
they seemed to be giving up their ghost. A man suddenly appeared
before him and at once received a fatal wound from an arrow. Then
boldly, and with a flerce charge, he struck down the umbrella
(chhatra) with such a hard blow that it fell upside down on the head
of the Juckless fellow (Khusrau). With the fall of the umbrella
on the ground the order and arrangement of the enemy and the
ceremonial digmty and insignia (carried as ensigns upon the ele-
phant) fell in disorder, Hasan (Khusrau) was in headlong flight with
his fleeing forces and the trumpet was blowing heralding proclamé-
tion (of Victory).
Fortunately for the vahant Tughlaq his chief opponent 35
spiritiess and over-awed. But by unloosening the purse strings of the
accumulated treasures, and playing, perhaps, on the explosive sent
ments of his erst hile fellow-religionists he had gathered an immens¢
horde around him. There were the intrepid, desperate, ‘Braus,
arrayed in front of the war elephants.” ‘Ten thousand cavalry of
Ranas and Rawats,’ and self-seeking Muslims ‘who had become the
attendants and servants of the Hindus and their constant companions
and shadows.” In fact his army was so heavily manned by Hindus
and Muslims as to astonish both the infidel and the faithful?
‘The Braus, each one of whom was swift and agile on the bach (of
the horse), had not fost their heart after their earher discomfi-AMIR KHUSRAU AS A TIISTORIAN 29
tures* ‘Malik Ghazi was standing in the battle field, while his
cavalry was engaged im plunder and pillage All of a suddena
tumultuous Hindu horde, lying in ambush, appeared to deliver a
severe assault More than a thousand of Braus of black visage
made a funous onslaught, and the Hind: daggers moved swiftly in
shedding blood. That contingent of the Braus force fell on the
standard and the rods of the banner were broken into pieces The
banner and ensign of Mahk Ghazi were laid low on the ground,
All glory to God ‘What a bold heart was possessed by Malik Ghazt
that in spite of this severe and surprise attack he did not stir out of
the place he was occupying 4 This 18 followed by the lines indica-
ting the measures adopted and the efforts put up to retrieve the
situation Here our poet lustorian philosophises ‘When fortune
plices the crown on the head of a person, his enemy 18 annihilated
1m Consequence of the damage done by him Whntever loch 1s hand-
led by him, every one of his fingers does the work of the key If
you see with discernment, you will find the quality of capability and
fitness sn everything through the ordination of Providence "5