Seminar on the Neglected Legacy of Mughal Emperors Held
Aligarh : The scholars and experts explored and deliberated upon the “neglected legacy of Mughal emperors: cultural, literary, and architectural contribution”, in the two-day national seminar, jointly organized by the Center of Advanced Study, Department of History, and the Department of Persian, Aligarh Muslim University on 30th – 31st October.
Prof Saiyid Zaheer Husain Jafri, former Chairperson of the Department of History, Delhi University and former Secretary, Indian History Congress sought to emphasize the significance of historical inscriptions found on secular as well as religious monuments throughout the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent.
He reiterated that while historians have imaginatively utilized the extant normative texts and historical chronicles, many inscriptions, documents preserved in the Sufi Khanqahs, dargahs and official as well as private collections are yet to be utilized creatively. “Sometimes a chance discovery of some book could open new vistas of knowledge such as Majalis-i Jahangiri on the imperial courts culture and more specifically Jahangir and his scholarly nobles’ vast and deep knowledge of other faiths particularly Christianity and its relationship with Islam”, Prof Jafri said.
In her welcome address, Prof Gulfishan Khan, Chairperson and Coordinator focused on Emperor Akbar’s reign as a pivotal period in the history of interfaith dialogue. She said that Akbar’s religious policy, rooted in “Sulh-i Kul” (universal peace, absolute peace), is a well- researched theme of historiography of South Asia. “But his enlightened policy which was supported by extensive translations from Sanskrit, Christian, Jewish and other religious scriptures into Persian are yet to be edited, translated and published”. For instance, Mirat ul-Quds (Mirror of Holiness: Life of Christ for Emperor Akbar), supposedly the first Indo-Persian Bible compiled on Indian soil was published with Persian text and English translation only in 2011. Similarly, many illustrated manuscripts such as Baharistan (Spring Time) of Jami prepared in the imperial studios at Lahore are yet to be published. Almost all Mughal Albums (muraqqa) that of Emperor Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Dara Shukoh are only partially published and what has been published so far by the art historians are dispersed paintings mostly.
Prof Azarmi Dukht Safavi, Chief Guest at the event, pointed out that proficiency in Persian language being a prerequisite of historical research and investigation, cultivated within academic setting like a university, will play a pivotal role in enabling in-depth analysis and extensive historical researches of medieval Indian history. She also emphasized poetry as a significant historical source, as it sometimes reflects the voice of the common masses, which are missing in mainstream conventional sources.
Prof. Arif Nazir, Special Invitee and Dean, Faculty of Arts talked about an interesting communication between Abdur Rahim Khan-Khanan and poet Tulsidas who both lived during the time of Akbar. He emphasised how their poetic exchanges highlight the harmonious relations among the poets of different languages and how the ancient India’s ideals of vasudhev kutumbkam captures the essence of global togetherness and shared aspirations.
Prof Rana Khursheed, the Chairperson and Convener, proposed a vote of thanks.