THE author of this brief history was Bindrában, son of Ráí Bhárá Mal, and was himself also honoured with the title of Ráí. We learn from the Conclusion of the Khulásatu-l Inshá that Ráí Bhárá Mal was the díwán of Dárá Shukoh; and it is probable, therefore, that our author was early initiated into a knowledge of public affairs. He says that the reason of his entering on this undertaking was that, “after meditating upon the conquests made by the Tímúrian family in this country, upon their being still more enlarged by 'Álamgír (Aurangzeb) up to the year 1101 A.H., and upon the fact of their continuing uninterruptedly in the possession of the same family, he thought of writing a book which should briefly describe how, and in what duration of time, those conquests were achieved, should give the history of former kings, their origin, and the causes which occasioned their rise or fall, the period of their reign, their abilities and enterprises, and which should more particularly treat of the great conquests made by 'Álamgír.”
“It is true,” he continues, “that former historians have already written several works regarding the history of ancient kings, and especially Abú-l Kásim, surnamed Firishta, whose compositions are very good as far as regards the language, but the defect of that work is that, notwithstanding its being an abstract, it is in many parts too prolix.” Adverting also to the fact that his history does not extend beyond the thousandth year of the Hijra, and hence the important transactions of one hundred years are altogether omitted, he thought it expedient to extract its essence, and compile, with his own additions, a new work, to be called the Lubbu-t Tawáríkh, or “Marrow of Histories.”
He gives as another reason for the superiority of his work over others, that it treats of the extensive and resplendent conquests of the Emperor 'Álamgír, whose kingdom extended towards the East, West, and the South to the seas, and towards the North to the boundaries of Írán and Túrán, a vast dominion, to the tenth of which no other kingdom is equal. Perhaps Rúm only might enter into competition with it, but even in that case “seeing is better than hearing.”