Home > Indian History > History of India > Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani
Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani
Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani, the author of Tabaqat-i-Nasiri accounted the historical events that happened during the time of Slave dynasty of Delhi from Iltutmish to N asir ud din Mahmud Shah.

Share this Article:

Minhaj al-Siraj JuzjaniThe Tabaqat-i-Nasiri accounts the historical events that happened during the time of Slave dynasty of Delhi in the early times. It gives a general history of Islam from the earliest times to A.D. 1259. The author, Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani, was a migrant to India who enjoyed the patronage of the youngest son of Iltutmish, Sultan Nasir-ud-din Mahmud who ruled from 1246 to 1265. The Tabaqat-i-Nasiri was later translated by Major Raverty. According to the translator, Major Raverty, Tabaqat-i-Nasiri is the `very thesaurus of the most varied...material`.

Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani, whose full name was Abu Umar Usman ibn Muhammad al-Minhaj-e-Siraj al Juzjani, continued to hold these offices during the reigns of his successors but for a brief period when he stayed at Bengal. His chief patron, however, was Sultan Nasir-ud-din Mahmud in whose honour he named his work "Tabaqat-i-Nasiri" which concludes with an account of the events of the fifteenth year of his reign. Though Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani relied heavily upon the works of the earlier writers, his account of the Delhi Sultanate is particularly useful for being a contemporary source of Indian History of the early Indo-Muslim period.

`Usman ibn Siraju-d din al Juzjani, was descended from a noble family of GhaznÅ’ which had been displaced following the fall of the Ghaznivids. His father, Maulana Siraju-d din, was the Quazi of Muhammad Ghori`s army in India. Minhaju-d Siraju-d came to India in 624 H. (1227 CE), and was appointed the Director of Firozi College in Uch. In 625 H. (August 1228 CE), he entered the service of the Sultan of Delhi, Shamsu-d din Altamish who was popularly known as Iltutmish. He resigned during the brief rule Raziya Sultana. But he was appointed Quazi of Delhi by her successor, Sultan Bahram Shah, in 639 H. (1241 CE). When the Sultan was slain and deposed later that year, he resigned and retired to Lakhnauti in Bengal. In 642 H. he returned to Delhi, and entered the service of Sultan Nasiru-d din Mahmud in 644 H (1246 CE). It is believed that he outlived by several years the Sultan, who died in 664 H. (1266 CE). The Tabakat-i Nasiri is dedicated to the Sultan, and extends to the fifteenth year of his rule (658 H., 1260 CE). Minhaj-i-Siraj was born in the year 1193, died after 1259. Minhaj`s family originally belonged to Jurjan, on the northwest frontier of Ghor. Minhaj came to India at the age of 34. At that time, he was fully educated according to the standard of the time and had some experience of diplomatic mission. He came to the court of Nasiruddin Qubacha at Uchch, who appointed him a Quazi. After Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish had occupied Multan from the hands of Qubacha, Minhaj moved to Delhi.

At Delhi, Minhaj found a suitable atmosphere to show his intellect to flourish and he was positoned as the posts of Imam, Qazi and Khatib and performed his duties efficiently. He came in close acquaintance with the Sultans of Delhi, and occupied various posts like principal of Madrasas, Imam, Khatib, Qazi and Sadr-i-Jahan. While holding the office of Qazi of Delhi in the reign of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud he wrote his famous book Tabaqat-i-Nasiri, and dedicated it to the reigning sultan. In 1259 AD in his late sixties, he promises to continue his narratives further if health permitted him, but his hopes were not fulfilled. Either his life soon came to an end, or some portion of his book containing the history later to 1259 AD has not come down to posterity.

About the book Tabaqat-i-Nasiri
Tabaqat-i-Nasiri is a medieval text by Minhaj-i-Siraj. It is an important account for the reconstruction of the history of foundation of Muslim rule in Bengal. The history of the first fifty years of Muslim rule in Bengal is found only in this text. Tabaqat-i-Nasiri is the only authentic source for the history of Bengal from the conquest of Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji till 1259 AD, when it comes to an end. Other contemporary sources are a few inscriptions and coins. The Tabaqat-i-Nasiri is not only a up to date book about the Delhi Muslims at that time, it is important for two reasons. Primarily, the author had come to Bengal and stayed there for about two years collecting materials for his book .He also draws the political scenario at that time. Secondly, because he devoted a section (tabaqat) in his book in discussing the history of the foundation of Muslim rule in Bengal, he gave the pen- picture of the socio economic history of Bengal. Beside this particular section dealing with the Khalji, Maliks of Lakhnauti i.e.from Bakhtiyar to Ghiyasuddin Iwaz Khalji , this book also discussed the history of Bengal under Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish and his successors. He also devoted sections to the Shamsi Maliks, i.e. the nobles of Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish, some of whom acted as governors of Bengal. In fact the history of Bengal from the Turkish conquest up to 1259 AD is available only in the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri of Minhaj-i-Siraj.

Minhaj met Malik Izzuddin Tughral Tughan Khan at Kara in about 1242 and thence came to the capital of Bengal, Lakhnauti. He stayed in Bengal for about two years and witnessed some important events. He joined Tughan Khan in his wars against Orissa, and acted as a mediator between his patron (Tughan Khan) and Malik Tamar Khan Qiran, governor of Oudh when both were quarrelling among themselves for the possession of Lakhnauti. During his stay at the Bengal capital he collected information about Bakhtiyar Khilji`s conquests from his surviving associates. He also utilised the information that he could collect from people at Delhi who took part in battles of the Delhi Sultans against the Bengal rulers.

In the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri, the author also gives an idea about the development of Muslim society in Bengal. He says that Bakhtiyar Khalji built mosques, madrasas and khanqahs in the capital, and the nobles also followed his example. Sultan Ghiyasuddin Iwaz Khalji also built mosque and madrasas, he also arranged lectures on Islamic subjects (tazkir), which was delivered by Muslim divines coming from Muslim cultural centers of Central Asia. One such Muslim divine was Jalaluddin son of Jamaluddin Ghaznavi who delivered lectures in the assembly hall of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Iwaz Khalji.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.