Ḫayr al-Dīn Muḥammad Ilāhābādī

Historian

Ḫayr al-Dīn Muḥammad Ilāhābādī was born in Allāhābād and served as a teacher at his own madrasa there. When the madrasa lost funding because of political circumstances, he found employment under British officers of the East India Company, working on their behalf in various capacities. After a short respite in his hometown and a return to teaching, Ilāhābādī served under two judges at Jawnpūr (“the practice of appointing British judges and registrars was introduced in 1209/1794–5”). He wrote numerous works spanning different genres, however, most deal with the history of South Asia or collections of anecdotes by past kings. He died ca. 1243/1827.