Urdu translation of Babar Nama launched at KU
KARACHI: Historians have said that Zaheeruddin Muhammad Babar, founder of the vast Mughal Empire in India, was a brave soldier, able administrator, poet, lover of nature and above all had a good understanding of human nature.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the Urdu translation of ëWaqa-i-Babar (Babar Nama or Tuzk-e-Babri) at the Audio-Visual Centre of the Faculty of Arts, University of Karachi, on Wednesday, they described him as a man of many hues and colours.
The event was jointly organised by the Institute of Central and Western Asian Studies and the department of General History. Prof Emeritus Riaz-ul-Islam, a renowned historian and the current Director of the Institute of Central and Western Asian Studies, was the chief guest.
The book was translated in Urdu from Persian by Dr Younus Jaffery, a professor of Persian at Delhi University, India. The book was earlier translated in Persian from Chughtai, the language Babar spoke and wrote his memoirs in, by Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khanan who was the Prime Minister of Akbar. The notes and explanations were written by Dr Hasan Beg, an ENT specialist by profession but also an accomplished historian.
Dr Beg travelled all the way from Farghana Valley in Uzbekistan to Agra (India), the route taken by Babar in pursuit of a land where he could become a ruler instead of a vagabond hounded by Uzbek chieftain Shebani Khan.
Prof Nargis Rashid, Chairperson of the department of General History profusely praised the book but was disappointed by the black and white pictures instead of coloured ones. It was really commendable that history of Babar was researched and brought up by his own people.
The memoir of Babar was actually a comparison of two diverse cultures, Central Asian and Indian, and it was ably portrayed by him. The Urdu translation was free from blemishes and had the quality of actual work, Prof Nargis commented.
Dr Rehana Afsar, Chairperson of the Department of Persian, praised the narrative style of Babar and termed him as a self-made man who could use his pen and sword with equal dexterity. It was more noteworthy that Dr Beg had discussed the ailments of Babar that were prevalent nearly 500 years ago.
Source: The News
Date:3/29/2007
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