A NOTE ON 4HSAN-AL-AQWAL by KHALI AHMAD Nizami, ALIGARH (BHARAT) Yery little attention has so far been paid to a critical assessment ‘of the Muslim religious literature of medieval Hind-Pakistan. ‘Our historians have generally surveyed the historical landscape from the foot of the royal throne and have ignored the life and conditions of the people in general. If ourhistory is to bz something more than a mere record of political events and governmental changes, we will have to turn to non-political literature of the middle ages, “both as a corrective of thc impressions created by the court chronic- Jers and as a source of information for the religious and cultural movements of the period. Malfuz writing is one of the greatest literary achievements of medieval Hind-Pakistan. Through these records of conversations we can have a glimpse of the medieval society in all its fullness, if not in all its perfection—the moods and tension of the common man, the inner yearnings of his soul, the religious thought at its higher and lower levels, the popular customs and above all the problems of the people. The Ahsan-al-Agwal is a collection of the conversations of Shaykh Burhiin-al-Din Gharlo (654/741 A.H. 1256/1340 A.D.), made by his disciple Mawliné Hammad bin ‘AmmBd Kashint in 738 'AM,J1337 A.D. It forms a very valuable link to that chain of ‘Malfuzat of the Chishti saints of India and Pakistan, which begins with the Fawa’id-al-Fuwad of Shaykh Nizim-al-Din Awliya’ and come toanend with the Nafa’is-al-Salikin of Shah Sulaymin of Tawnst (ob. 1850 A.D). I am very grateful to Professor Mohammad Habib who kindly placed at my disposal his rate manuscript of Alisan-al- ‘Aqval, which I have edited and intend to publish as soon as circum- stances permit along with the Khayr-al-Majalis and Surur-al-Sudur, _ Shaykh Burhdn-al-Din Gharib whose teachings have been collected in this book was an eminent disciple of Shaykh Nigém al- Copyright © 2009 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved Copyright © Pakistan Historical Society