THE HISTORY OF INDIA As Told by Its own Historians THE MUHAMMADAN PERIOD

The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians is a book comprising translations of medieval Persian chronicles based on the work of Henry Miers Elliot. It was originally published as a set of eight volumes between 18671877 in London. The translations were in part overseen by Elliot, whose efforts were then extended and edited posthumously by John Dowson. Elliot was keen to contrast what he saw as the justice and efficiency of the British rule compared to cruelty and despotism of Muslim rule. He expressed hope that it “will make our native subjects more sensible of the immense advantages accruing to them under the mildness and equity of our rule. This extensive eightvolume work was first published between 1867 and 1877 by the linguist John Dowson (1820?81) from the manuscripts of the colonial administrator and scholar Sir Henry Miers Elliot (1808?53). Before his death, hoping to bolster British colonial ideology, Elliot had intended to evaluate scores of Arabic and Persian historians of India, believing that his translations would demonstrate the violence of the Muslim rulers and ‘make our native subjects more sensible of the immense advantages accruing to them under the mildness and the equity of our rule’. In this volume the history of Muhammadan, rule in India is commenced. The first volume was, from the nature of the materials, introductory in its character; this opens with the accounts of the earliest inroads of the Ghaznivide conquerors. The copious extracts which it brings together from, the oldest and most approved of the native historians supply ample means for tracing the rise and progress of that power which was destined to bring the whole peninsula under its sway, and to stand for seven centuries a conspicuous and brilliant example of the strength and weakness, the crimes, vices, and occasional virtues of Musulman despotism.