Which of the following chronicles was authored by Abul-Fazl ?
Which of the following chronicles was authored by Abul-Fazl ?
Options
Official answer
The correct option is (C) Akbar-Nama.
Why: The Akbar Nama was written by Abul Fazl, one of Akbar's Navaratnas (nine gems). It is a monumental court chronicle of Akbar's reign, whose third volume, the Ain-i-Akbari, provides detailed administrative and statistical accounts of the empire.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark for selecting option (C) Akbar-Nama.
- 2.No partial marks for MCQ.
Hint
Abul Fazl was Akbar's court historian — the chronicle bears the emperor's name.
Quick oral answer
Abul Fazl, one of Akbar's nine gems, wrote the Akbar Nama, whose third book is the Ain-i-Akbari — so the answer is option C.
Common mistakes
- 1.Attributing the Babur-Nama to Abul Fazl instead of to Babur himself.
- 2.Confusing the Humayun-Nama (by Gulbadan Begum) with Abul Fazl's work.
- 3.Assigning the Padshah-Nama (Shah Jahan's reign, by Abdul Hamid Lahori) to Abul Fazl.
Analysis and explanation
This is an author-work recall question on the Mughal court chronicles, a central source for reconstructing Mughal history.
Why (C) is correct: Abul Fazl composed the Akbar Nama in three volumes, chronicling Akbar's ancestry, reign and administration. Its final volume, the Ain-i-Akbari, is a rich source on revenue, army, geography and social conditions.
Why the other options are wrong:
- (A) Babur-Nama — the memoirs of Babur, written by the emperor himself in Turkish (Chaghatai).
- (B) Humayun-Nama — written by Gulbadan Begum, Babur's daughter and Humayun's sister, giving an intimate account of Humayun's reign.
- (D) Padshah-Nama — the chronicle of Shah Jahan's reign, authored by Abdul Hamid Lahori, a pupil of Abul Fazl.
Exam trap: Students often attribute all Mughal chronicles to Abul Fazl. Remember each chronicle's specific author: Babur (Babur Nama), Gulbadan Begum (Humayun Nama), Abul Fazl (Akbar Nama), and Abdul Hamid Lahori (Padshah Nama).
Interesting facts
The Ain-i-Akbari, the third volume of the Akbar Nama, records detailed statistics on crops, prices, wages and revenue, making it an invaluable economic source.
Abul Fazl was murdered in 1602 on the orders of Prince Salim (later Jahangir), who resented his influence over Akbar.
The Akbar Nama was written over about seven years and revised five times, reflecting Abul Fazl's meticulous attention to detail and Akbar's ideology of sulh-i kul (absolute peace).
Question details
Q8 of 41 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 12
- Subject
- History
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section A
- Marks
- 1
- Type
- MCQ
- Chapter
- Kings and Chronicles — The Mughal Courts (c. Sixteenth–Seventeenth Centuries)
- Topic
- Mughal Chronicles — Akbar-Nama
- Bloom's level
- remember
- Syllabus topic
- Theme 9: Kings and Chronicles — The Mughal Courts: Abul Fazl and the Akbar Nama
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Akbar Nama and what does it contain?
The Akbar Nama is Abul Fazl's three-volume chronicle of Emperor Akbar's reign. It covers Akbar's ancestry and history in the first two volumes, while the third volume, the Ain-i-Akbari, gives detailed statistical information on administration, revenue, army, geography and society.
Who wrote the Humayun-Nama and the Padshah-Nama?
The Humayun-Nama was written by Gulbadan Begum, Humayun's sister, offering an intimate view of the imperial household. The Padshah-Nama, chronicling Shah Jahan's reign, was written by Abdul Hamid Lahori, a pupil of Abul Fazl.