Emperor, known for his contemporary history entitled Ḥālāt-i Asad Big, (1011...
d. 1041/1631–2
Memoirist
Asad Big “Asad” Qazvīnī served Šayḫ Abū al-Fażl “ʿAllāmī” ibn Mubārak (a leading figure in Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court, see Abū al-Fażl ʿAllāmī) for seventeen years. Following Abū al-Fażl’s death, Asad Big went on to serve Akbar and his son Jahāngīr. Asad Big is mostly known for his contemporary history entitled Ḥālāt-i Asad Big, also known as Aḥwāl i Asad Big or aqāʾiʿ i Asad Big.
Ḥālāt-i Asad Big is the author’s memoirs of the last four years of Akbar’s reign, including the murder of Abū al-Fażl and the accession of Jahāngīr (see Jahāngīr), events that Asad Big was most likely close at hand to observe. The work covers the period 1011/1602 to 1014/1605. Asad Big’s date of death is not known with certainty, however, both 1030/1620–1 and 1041/1631–2 have been offered as likely possibilities.