Shams Siraj Afif’s Account: Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Shams Siraj Afif’s Account- Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi 

Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi is a historical account written by Shams Siraj Afif, focusing on the reign of Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq(1351-1388 AD). Here are the key points:

• The book was written some years after Timur's invasion of Delhi(1398), and after the death of Sultan Firuz Shah.
• It serves as a continuation of the earlier work Tarikh-i Firuz Shahi by Barani.
• Shams Siraj Afif is believed to have written three books on the life, military campaigns, and administrative achievements of the Tughluq rulers:Ghiasuddin,Muhammad bin Tughluq, and Firoze Tughluq.
• Of these three books, only Tarikh-i-Firoze Shahi has survived.

Tarikh i Firuz Shahi as a source of history 

Most Accurate and Authentic Account:

• Shams i Siraj Afif's work is considered the most accurate and authentic contemporary account of his time. He had personal interactions with Sultan Firoze Tughluq during his expeditions.
• Afif, a scholar at Firoze Tughluq's court, wrote without self-interest or prejudice, documenting the glorious past for the benefit of future generations.
• His writings cover not only Firoze Tughluq's political and military activities but also his administrative policies, particularly focusing on public welfare initiatives.
• Afif provides detailed accounts of Firoze Shah's unsuccessful invasions of Bengal, including the reasons for the second expedition, making him a unique authority on this subject.
• His work is notable for describing the life and conditions of the general populace, an aspect often overlooked by contemporary writers. He details the establishment of new urban centers, water reservoirs, and administrative reforms.

Agrarian Reforms of Firuz:

• Afif offers a detailed account of Firuz Tughluq's agrarian reforms, including the extension of agriculture and improvements in cropping patterns.
• He describes the impact of the Rajabwah and Ulughkhani canals in the eastern Punjab, which facilitated the cultivation of two harvests (kharif and rabi) where only one was previously possible.
• This led to the establishment of new agricultural settlements along the canals, with 52 colonies springing up in the irrigated areas.
• Afif notes with enthusiasm that "neither one village remained desolate nor one cubit of land uncultivated."
• He provides valuable insights into the socioeconomic life of the time, describing general prosperity, low food prices, and high wages during Firuz’s reign.
• Afif also mentions Firuz's abolition of taxes not sanctioned by the Shariat, and the collection of land revenue based on produce rather than measurement.
• He highlights the lavish lifestyles of the nobles and the economic disparities between different classes of society.
• Afif criticizes abuses and corruption in administration, such as bribery in the Diwan-i-Arz and the decline of the central army.

Monuments:

• Afif provides valuable information about monuments, unlike other writers of his time, such as Minhaj and Ziauddin Barani.
• He describes the practice of striking hours and the relocation of Ashokan pillars from Topra (Haryana) and Meerut (U.P.) to their present sites.
• Afif also mentions the installation of a water-clock (tas gharial) by Sultan Feroze Shah Tughlaq at Ferozabad, as recorded in his Tarikh-i Feroze Shahi.

Limitations of his account 

Elliot's Perspective on Firuz's Portrayal:

• Elliot depicts Firuz as a saintly and ideal Muslim ruler, though this portrayal is only partially accurate.
• Only one book, the Tarikh-i Firuz Shahi, survives, and even this text has missing sections.
• Elliot's exaggeration is evident in his claims about the prosperity of the time, such as the notion that no peasant woman lacked ornaments and that every peasant household was filled with wealth and cleanliness.
• There are chronological issues in his account.
• His narrative also reflects his own religious and personal biases.
• Despite these flaws, Elliot believes that the work provides a better insight into India's internal conditions under a Muslim ruler than any other source, except for the Ain-i Akbari.