Who was the author of 'Futuh-us-Salatin'?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:

The author of the historical work *Futuh-us-Salatin* is undoubtedly Abdul Malik Isami. Composed in Persian verse (poetry) in 1350-51 CE, this text is an epic poem that chronicles the history of the Muslim rulers of India over several centuries, beginning with the Ghaznavids and extending up to the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Isami wrote this work while living in the Deccan, specifically in the newly founded Bahmani kingdom under Sultan Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah. He composed the work in just over five months, intending it to serve as a history of the Delhi Sultanate to rival Firdausi’s *Shahnameh*. It provides valuable, contemporary insight into the political and social atmosphere of the Tughlaq period, especially regarding the unpopular reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, who Isami heavily criticized.

The incorrect option is 1 (Nasiruddin Mahmud): Nasiruddin Mahmud was a Mamluk Sultan of Delhi who reigned from 1246 to 1266 CE, over a century before *Futuh-us-Salatin* was composed. He was a ruler of the Sultanate, not a historian or poet associated with this work.

The incorrect option is 3 (Amir Khusrau): Amir Khusrau (c. 1253–1325 CE) was a famous poet and historian known as the 'Parrot of India' who was a contemporary of several Delhi Sultans, including Alauddin Khilji and Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. While Khusrau was a prolific writer of many historical and literary works, *Futuh-us-Salatin* is not among them; his prominent historical writings include *Khazain-ul-Futuh*.

The incorrect option is 4 (Hasan Nizami): Hasan Nizami was another significant historian of the Delhi Sultanate who wrote *Taj-ul-Ma'asir*. This work is a crucial source for the history of Qutubuddin Aibak and Iltutmish, covering the early years of the Sultanate (late 12th and early 13th centuries), which places him much earlier than Isami.