Question map
"Yogavasisthal was translated into Persian by Nizamuddin Panipati during the reign of :"
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 1: Akbar.
During the Mughal era, the Maktab Khana (Translation Bureau) was established by Emperor Akbar to bridge cultural gaps and integrate Indian philosophical traditions into the Persian literary corpus. Under his direct patronage, several Sanskrit texts were translated into Persian.
- Nizamuddin Panipati translated the Yogavasistha, a philosophical text detailing the teachings of Sage Vashistha to Lord Rama, specifically during Akbar’s reign in the late 16th century.
- This version is often referred to as the Jug-Basisht. It aimed to make Vedantic philosophy accessible to the Mughal court.
- While Shah Jahan later commissioned a different version (by Dara Shikoh), the specific work by Panipati is historically tied to the Akbar period.
- Humayun and Aurangzeb did not oversee this particular translation; the former's reign was unstable, and the latter generally discouraged such syncretic literary projects.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a 'Depth over Breadth' question. While standard texts mention Akbar's 'Maktab Khana' (Translation Bureau), they rarely list Nizamuddin Panipati. The question tests if you can link the *activity* (translating Sanskrit philosophy to Persian) to the correct *patron* (Akbar) even if the specific translator is unknown.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Explicitly states that the Yoga Vasistha was translated into Persian at Mughal courts by order of rulers including Akbar.
- Specifically names Nizam al-Din Panipati as having undertaken one of these translations in the late sixteenth century, which falls within Akbar's reign.
- Confirms that at Mughal courts important Sanskrit texts such as the Yoga Vasistha were translated into Persian.
- Supports the context that such translations were carried out under Mughal rulers (consistent with Akbar's patronage).
- Establishes that Persian was promoted and used at court during Akbar's reign, providing the cultural-linguistic context for translations into Persian.
- Supports dating the late-sixteenth-century Persian translation to Akbar's period of Persian patronage.
States that Akbar established a 'house of translation' at Fatehpur Sikri where major Sanskrit texts (Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, Bhagavad Gītā, Pañchatantra) were translated into Persian.
A student could infer that other Sanskrit-to-Persian translations (like Yogavasistha) were often commissioned or occurred during Akbar's reign and then check if Nizamuddin Panipati was active under Akbar.
Notes that Sanskrit works were produced and translated during the Mughal rule and mentions works belonging to Akbar's reign.
Use the pattern that many Sanskrit translations into Persian were concentrated in the Mughal period—especially Akbar's cultural projects—to narrow likely reigns for such translations.
Explains broadly that Persian literature was enriched by translation of Sanskrit works and gives examples (Tuti Namah, Mahabharata, Rajatarangini).
Treats translation of major Sanskrit texts as a known Mughal-era pattern; a student could map known translators (like Nizamuddin Panipati) onto this pattern to estimate the likely period.
Specifies a concrete later Mughal example: Dara Shukoh translated the Upanishads into Persian in 1657, showing translation activity continued into mid-17th century Mughal courts.
A student could use this dated example to consider whether Nizamuddin Panipati's translation might belong to Dara Shukoh's milieu (mid-17th c.) or to an earlier Mughal patron like Akbar.
States Persian, Sanskrit and regional languages developed during the Mughal rule and Persian was the language of administration — explaining institutional support for translations.
Use the institutional context to argue translations were likely produced under Mughal rulers who patronized Persian literary activity, then check which ruler patronized Nizamuddin Panipati.
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