Tarikh Yamini

Tarikh Yamini

Author	Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn Muhammad al Jabbaru-l 'Utbi
Language	Arabic
Subject	history of the reigns of Sebuktigin and Mahmud

The Tarikh i Yamini, or Kitab i Yamini, written in Arabic in an embellished, flowery rhetorical rhymed prose, is a history of the reigns of Sebuktigin and Mahmud.

Written by the historian Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn Muhammad al Jabbaru-l 'Utbi (or al-Utbi). His work comprises the whole of the reign of Sebuktigin, and part of that of Mahmud, down to the year 410 Hijra (1020 AD). The Tarikh Yamini also contains information chronicling Sultan Mahmud's expeditions as well as the end of the Samanid Empire. Al-Utbi, being Mahmud's secretary, did not accompany the sultan, therefore his topography is deficient and his writing style consists of an explicit orthodox nature. He also states that he intentionally suppressed many events, unnatural or strange that he found skeptical that did not fit the objectives he had set down in the preface.

Content

The Tarikh Yamini starts in 965 CE, but the Samanids are not mentioned until Nuh ibn Mansur's reign in 976, while it goes into detail about the Buyids prior to 983. During the Qarakhanid invasion of the Samanid kingdom in 991, the Tarikh Yamini states that the Samanid governor Fa'iq, son of Simjurid Abu'l-Hasan Simjuri, invited Hasan b. Sulayman{Bughra Khan} to invade Bukhara.

Al-Utbi gives contradictory information owing to the names and number of Farighunid rulers. Specifically never naming, Abu'l Haret Muhammad, the second Farighunid ruler.

Al-Utbi states when Sebuktigin defeated Jayapala in 988, the Afghans and Khaljis of the territory he conquered between Lamghan and Peshawar surrendered and agreed to serve him. Iqtidar Husain Siddiqui citing the 13th century Persian translation, claims that Al-Utbi mentions the "Afghans" were pagans given to rapine and rapacity, they were defeated and converted to Islam.

Though, plagued by incorrect dates and incorrect topography, the Tarikh Yamini does contain valuable information concerning Sultan Mahmud's invasions of India.

Pgn34 In Introduction: The Translator James Reynold (translating from Persian version of Arabic Tarikh Yamini) states: He cannot find the word Somnath, or the story respecting the idol broken by Mahmud, although the expedition in which this event is alleged to have occurred, appears to be included in this Chronicle of Utbi.

Original Al-Utbi - Tarikh Yamini in Arabic is short book of 70 pages only. English version by James Reynold consist of 555 pages cannot be verbatim exact copy.

Hence, Abdul Sharaf of Jabardican who translated it to Persian added his own interpretation.

Early translations

The 13th century Persian translation of the Tarikh i Yamini, by Jurbadqani, takes many liberties and introduces images not found in the original and can be considered an independent work of art; however, it is a fairly reliable copy of the narrative.

Modern era

The Tarikh i Yamini was translated from Persian into English in 1858 by James Reynolds under the title, Kitab-i-Yamini.

Sources

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