Mughal secretary; author of the Inshā-yi Harkaran, a model letter-book.
Harkaran ibn Māsūrādās Kanbū Multānī served as a secretary to an influential eunuch and confidant of Mughal Emperor Jahāngīr (see Jahāngīr). Harkaran is known for his work Inšā-yi Harkaran, compiled between 1034/1625 and 1040/1631. Inšā-yi Harkaran is divided into seven sections and contains models of letters and other documents relating to the state. Furthermore, Inšā-yi Harkaran was used as a “model for diplomatic correspondence with the native princes and potentates” by the British in India and also as a model for school children learning Persian-letter writing in school.