Question

Consider the following statements about ‘Ain-i-Akbari’ and choose the correct statements.
• [(A)] The Ain is made up of three books.
• [(B)] Ain was officially sponsored to record detailed information.
• [(C)] The data in the Ain has been carefully collected.
• [(D)] Historians have detected no errors in totaling. Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. (A), (B), (C) only
• B. (A), (B), (D) only
• C. (A), (C), (D) only
• D. (B), (C) only

Hint:

Remember the hierarchy: Akbarnama = 3 Parts. Part 3 = Ain-i-Akbari. Ain-i-Akbari = 5 Daftars (Books). This distinction is crucial for exams!

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Concept: The Ain-i-Akbari (Administration of Akbar) is a 16th-century detailed document recording the administration of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abu'l Fazl. Key structural and historical facts:
• Structure: The Akbarnama is divided into three books. The Ain-i-Akbari is actually the third volume of the Akbarnama, and the Ain itself is divided into five books (daftars).
• Purpose: It was an official imperial project to provide a snapshot of the empire—its administration, army, revenues, and the traditions of the people.
• Accuracy: While Abu'l Fazl was meticulous, modern historians have found several arithmetic slips and errors in totaling in the numerical data.

Step 1: Evaluating Statement (A).
Statement (A) says the Ain is made up of three books. This is a common point of confusion. The Akbarnama consists of three books, but the Ain-i-Akbari (the 3rd book of Akbarnama) is subdivided into five books. Thus, (A) is incorrect in this specific context.

Step 2: Evaluating Statements (B), (C), and (D).

• (B) is correct: It was commissioned by Akbar to create a quantitative record of the empire.
• (C) is correct: Abu'l Fazl revised the draft five times and collected data from various local levels (qanungos) to ensure accuracy.
• (D) is incorrect: Historians like Irfan Habib have noted that despite the care taken, there are numerous errors in the addition/totaling of figures in the tables.