Barani’s Evidence on Tughluq Shah's Death

Abstract

In the preface to his Tarikh-z Firoz Shahi, Ziyauddin Barani cites Truth as one of the seven 'excellences' of History. A historian, he says, must be truthful and must write nothing but the truth. "It is an essential to history writing and a religious duty of the historian," observes Barani, "that while narrating the virtues, munificence, justice and generosity of a king or a notable personage, he should not omit to mention his offences and evils. He should not write history as a courtier. If it is safe, he may write (of their evils) openly, otherwise he should communicate his meaning by suggestion and allusion, for (the benefit of) intelligent readers."