Isami (historian)

Abdul Malik Isami (1311-?) was a 14th century Indian historian and court poet. He wrote in Persian language, under the patronage of Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah, the founder of the Bahmani Sultanate. He is best known for Futuh-us-Salatin (c. 1350), a poetic history of the Muslim conquest of India.

Isami was born in 1311, possibly in Delhi. His father's name was 'Izz ul-Din 'Isami. His ancestor Fakhr Malik Isami had migrated from Baghdad to India during the reign of Iltutmish (r. 1211–1236).

In 1327, the Delhi Sultanate ruler Muhammad bin Tughluq decided to move his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad in Deccan region. Several residents of Delhi, including Isami's family, were ordered to move to Daulatabad. His 90-year old grandfather died during this journey.

At Daulatabad, Isami was appalled with what he perceived as Tughluq's misdeeds and tyranny. At one point, he decided to migrate to Mecca, but he was determined to write a history of Muslim rule in India before leaving the country. He aspired to emulate the famous Persian poet Ferdowsi, who wrote Shahnameh, an epic poem outlining the history of Persia.

Qazi Bahauddin of Daulatabad introduced him to Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah, who had rebelled against Tughluq. Bahman Shah, who established the independent Bahmani Sultanate in the Deccan region, became Isami's patron. Isami thus became the earliest panegyrist at the Bahmani court.

Under the patronage of Bahman Shah, he started writing Futuh-us-Salatin in 1349. Isami claims to have composed its 12,000 verses in 5 months. According to him, he started writing the book on 10 December 1349, and completed it on 14 May 1350. Nothing is known about Isami's life after this point.

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