Ḫwāfī Ḫān, Muḥammad Hāšim ʿAlī Ḫān/Ḫāfī Ḫān Niẓām-al-Mulkī d. ca. 1145-46/1732-33

Historian

Muḥammad Hāšim ʿAlī Ḫān was the son of servant to Šāh Jahān’s youngest son and spent much of his life in the service of the Mughal court, from the time of Awrangzīb (author 30) to that of Muḥammad Šāh. Due to this close association, he was able to witness firsthand some of the major events of the later Mughal period. Ḫwāfī Ḫān is the author of a history of the Mughals entitled Muntaḫab al-Lubāb.

Works

Muntaḫab al-Lubāb     The Purest Selections

Extends to 1144/1731-2.

Muntaḫab al-Lubāb is a history of the Mughals from Bābur’s conquest in 932/1526 to the 14th year of Muḥammad Šāh’s reign in 1140/1731-2. The work seems to have been originally intended to comprise three volumes, however, only the second volume (dealing with the history from Bābur) appears in what may be considered the author’s final form. Only fragments of the first volume (from the Islamic conquest to the end of the Lodī dynasty) and the third volume (on local dynasties) exist. Nonetheless, the work is valuable source, especially in regards to the portions on the reign of Awrangzīb, who prohibited the writing of histories during his reign. Ḫwāfī Ḫān’s date of death is not known for certain but likely to have occurred ca. 1145-46/1732-33.