Khafi Khan

Muhammad Hashim (c. 1664-1732), better known by his title Khafi Khan, was a civil servant and historian of Mughal India. He is notable for authoring Muntakhab-al Lubab, a Persian language book about the history of India.

Biography

Muhammad Hashim was given the title Khafi Khan (or Khwafi Khan) by emperor Muhammad Shah, because his ancestors came from Khaf (or Khwaf) in present-day Iran. The exact date and place of his birth are unknown, but he was most probably born in India. The Muntakhab-al Lubab states that he had completed 52 years since reaching "the age of discretion" when 74 years had passed after the death of Shah Jahan's minister Sa'd Allah (Hijri year 1066). Assuming the contemporary "age of discretion" as 14 years, this implies that Khafi Khan was born around 1664.[1]

Khafi Khan's father Khwaja Mir was also a historian, and held a high position under the Mughal prince Murad. Khafi Khan probably started his career as a merchant or an official clerk, and visited Bombay in 1693–1694, where he had an interview with an English official.[1] Khwaja Mir was severely wounded at the Battle of Samugarh, in which Murad was defeated by his brother Aurangzeb.[1] Later, Khwaja Mir served Aurangzeb, and his son Khafi Khan also held various civil and military assignments during the reign of Aurangzeb (1658-1707).[2]

Khafi Khan served Aurangzeb's successors, including Bahadur Shah, Farrukhsiyar, and Muhammad Shah.[2] He lived in Deccan and Gujarat, spending a long time at Surat. He also lived at Ahmedabad, Rahuri, and Champaner (whose governorship he held during the reign of Bahadur Shah). His Muntakhab-al Lubab covers events up to the beginning of the 14th year of Muhmmad Shah's reign, that is, 1732. He also wrote a book on the history of minor Muslim dynasties of India: this book was apparently an abridgment of Firishta's work, and only a small portion of it survives in form of a manuscript.[1]

Khafi Khan held the title Nizam al-Mulki, which suggests that during his last years, he served Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I, a Mughal nobleman who established the Hyderabad State. He was a close friend of Shah Nawaz, another courtier of Asaf Jah I and the author of Ma'asir al-umara.[1]

References
  1. H. Beveridge (1993). "K̲h̲wāfī K̲h̲ān". In M. Th. Houtsma (ed.). E. J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936. BRILL. pp. 868–869. ISBN 90-04-09790-2.
  2. Harbans Singh, ed. (1992). The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism: M-R. Punjabi University. p. 148. ISBN 978-81-7380-349-9.
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