Persian Manuscripts : ‘Urūj va Khurūj-i Aḥmad Shāh Durrānī

Imām al-Dīn Ḥusaynīامام الدین حسینی

Persian Manuscripts

<p style='text-align: justify;'> This brief text entitled <i>‘Urūj va Khurūj-i Aḥmad Shāh Durrānī</i> (The Ascent and Exploits of Aḥmad Shāh Durrānī) by Imām al-Dīn Ḥusaynī (fl. late 18th c.). The author joined the retinue of Afghan ruler Zamān Shāh Durrānī (ca. 1770–1844, r. 1793–1801) in Lahore in 1796–7 and accompanied him to Peshawar in 1797–8.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'> This concise abridgment contains excerpts from his longer history entitled <i>Tārīkh-i Ḥusayn Shāhī</i> (History of Ḥusayn Shāh), which he commenced in Lahore but later completed in Lucknow in 10 Jumada I 1213 (20 October 1798 CE), in which he relates the ascent of Afghan ruler Aḥmad Shāh Durrānī (b. 1723, r. 1747–1772), founder of the Durrānī dynasty (1747–1823).</p><p style='text-align: justify;'> The passages primarily concerns Aḥmad Shāh's service under Nādir Shāh Afshār (b. 1688, r. 1736–1747), including their invasion of India, defeat of the Mughals at the Battles of Khyber Pass (November 26, 1738) and Karnal (24 February 1739 CE) and their subsequent sack of Delhi, up until Friday 23 Ẕī'l-Ḥijjah 1159 AH (6 Jan. 1747 CE), several months before Nādir Shāh's assassination.</p>