Abul Fazl

Abul Fazl
Portrait of Abul Fazl by Govardhan
c.1602–1605.
Grand Vizier of the Mughal Empire
In office
1579 – 22 August 1602
MonarchAkbar I
Preceded byMuzaffar Khan Turbati[1]
Succeeded bySharif Khan
Personal details
Born(1551-01-14)14 January 1551
Agra, Mughal Empire
(modern-day Uttar Pradesh, India)
Died22 August 1602(1602-08-22) (aged 51)
near Narwar, Malwa Subah, Mughal Empire
(modern-day Madhya Pradesh, India)
Cause of deathAssassination
Notable work
RelationsFaizi (brother)

Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, also known as Abul Fazl, Abu'l Fadl and Abu'l-Fadl 'Allami (14 January 1551 – 22 August 1602[2]), was an Indian writer, historian, and politician who served as the grand vizier of the Mughal Empire from his appointment in 1579, until his death in 1602.[3] His notable works include the Akbarnama, Ain-i-Akbari, and a Persian translation of the Bible.[4]

Abul Fazl was initially appointed into Akbar's court as a military commander serving in Deccan, where he was held in high regard. He was popularly known for his theory Padshahat which stated the established owner, the emperor, could not be overthrown, as he was an agent of God for the welfare of his subjects and maintains peace and harmony in his empire.

Abul Fazl is often referred to as one of the Nine Jewels (Hindi: Navaratnas) of Akbar's royal court and the brother of Faizi, the poet laureate of Emperor Akbar.

  1. ^ Satish Chandra (2005). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II. Har-Anand Publications. p. 136. ISBN 9788124110669.
  2. ^ "Abu al-Faḍl ʿAllāmī". Encyclopedia Britannica. 10 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  3. ^ Alfred J. Andrea, James H. Overfield (1998). The Human Record: To 1700. Houghton Mifflin. p. 476. ISBN 9780395870877. Abul Fazl(1551-1602), the emperor's chief advisor and confidant from 1579 until Abul Fazl's assassination at the instigation of Prince Salim, the future Emperor Jahangir(r. 1605-1627)
  4. ^ Abu al Fazl Biography and Works Archived 7 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine persian.packhum.org.