ʿAlī Ibrāhīm Ḫān “Ḫalīl” Bahādur Naṣīr-Jang ʿAẓīmābādī d. 1208/1793-4

Statesman and Literary Figure (according to EIr)

ʿAlī Ibrāhīm Ḫān Bahādur Naṣīr-Jang ʿAẓīmābādī (who wrote Persian poetry under the pen-name “Ḫalīl”) was a literary figure and statesman in mid to late 12th/18th century India. He served the court of ʿAlī Vardi Ḫān (Navvab of Bengal 1155/1740 to 1169/1756) and later became a trusted advisor to the Navvab Mir Qāsim of Bengal. In 1196/1781, he was appointed to the position of Chief Magistrate of Civil Courts at Benares. From a literary standpoint, ʿAlī Ibrāhīm Ḫān’s lasting impact rests on his biographies of writers of his generation, such as: Golzār-i Ibrāhīm, a taẕkiraħ of Urdu poets; and Qolāṣat al-Kalām, a compendium of notices on writers of masnavīs (rhymed couplets). He died in 1208/1793-4.

Works

Tārīḫ-i Ibrāhīm Ḫān     The History Ibrāhīm Ḫān

Tārīḫ-i Ibrāhīm Ḫān is a “chronological summary of the Maratha’s campaign for the control of a failing Mughal Empire.” It is considered to be “one of the most lucid 18th century accounts of the Marathas.”. The Marathas were a semi-autonomous faction that began challenging Mughal rule in the latter half of the 11th (early 12th)/17th century. The work was completed in 1201/1786-7.