Who is the author of "Tarikh-i-Firojshahi" ?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Both A and B are accepted (grace). Two different Persian chronicles carry the title 'Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi'. One is by Ziauddin Barni (B), completed around 1357, which narrates the Delhi Sultanate from the accession of Balban (1266) down to the early years of Firoz Shah Tughlaq. The other is by Shams-i-Siraj Afif (A), written a little later, which is devoted in detail to the reign of Firoz Shah Tughlaq. Because the same title fits both authors, the commission's key credits either A or B as correct.

Why the other options are wrong — (c) The historian Isami wrote 'Futuh-us-Salatin' — a versified history of Muslim rule in India dedicated to the founder of the Bahmani kingdom — not a Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi.  (d) The name intended is Sharafuddin Ali Yazdi, author of the 'Zafarnama', a biography of Timur — a work unrelated to Firoz Shah's chronicle.

Concept: Medieval Indian history is reconstructed largely from Persian court chronicles, and their titles were often reused. 'Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi' ('History of Firoz Shah') was the title chosen independently by two Tughlaq-era authors, Ziauddin Barni and Shams-i-Siraj Afif, both writing in honour of Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq. That shared title is what makes this a two-answer question.

State PCS 2019 Q43 — History PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2019 Q43 — History PYQ with Answer