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
Full viewThis 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.
- [THE VERDICT]: Bouncer (Specific Fact) / Moderate (Logical Guess). Source: Specialized Medieval History (e.g., Satish Chandra/AL Basham) or deep inference from NCERT themes.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Mughal Cultural Developments > The 'Maktab Khana' (House of Translation) established at Fatehpur Sikri.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 'Translation Matrix': 1. Mahabharata (Razmnama) -> Naqib Khan & Badayuni (Akbar). 2. Ramayana -> Badayuni (Akbar). 3. Lilavati (Maths) -> Faizi (Akbar). 4. Baburnama (Chaghatai to Persian) -> Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan (Akbar). 5. Upanishads (Sirr-i-Akbar) -> Dara Shikoh (Shah Jahan).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not memorize every obscure translator. Categorize by Era: Akbar = Institutional translation of Epics/Sciences. Dara Shikoh = Mystical/Philosophical (Upanishads). Aurangzeb = Islamic Law (Fatawa). If the text is a Sanskrit Classic, Akbar is the statistical favorite.
Akbar established a bureau at Fatehpur Sikri to translate major Sanskrit texts into Persian.
High-yield for questions on Mughal cultural policy and syncretic initiatives; connects to topics on state patronage, religious/intellectual exchange, and language policy under the Mughals. Useful for essay and polity-cultural linkage questions and for explaining how Persian became a medium for Indian classics.
- Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Reshaping India’s Political Map > LET'S EXPLORE > p. 41
Sanskrit literatures such as the Mahabharata, Ramayana and others were rendered into Persian, enriching Persian literary corpus.
Important for understanding transmission of knowledge and development of Indo-Persian literary culture; helps answer questions on linguistic evolution (rise of Urdu) and cultural translation movements. Enables comparative questions on pre-modern knowledge transfer and courtly patronage.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 10: Advent of Arabs and Turks > Literature > p. 152
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Through the Eyes of Travellers > Translating texts, sharing ideas > p. 116
Mughal courts supported Sanskrit authors and produced kavyas and historical poetry, showing active patronage of indigenous literatures.
Useful for questions on cultural synthesis, regional literary developments, and the role of imperial courts in shaping literature; links to study of individual court patrons and their scholarly projects across reigns.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 14: The Mughal Empire > Literature > p. 219
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 14: The Mughal Empire > Literature > p. 218
The 'Panchatantra' was translated into Persian as 'Anvar-i-Suhaili' by Husain Waiz Kashifi (earlier) and later revised as 'Iyar-i-Danish' by Abu'l Fazl under Akbar. This is a high-probability future question.
Apply the 'Ruler Personality' filter:
- Humayun: Too unstable/short reign.
- Aurangzeb: Orthodox; unlikely to patronize Hindu philosophical texts like Yogavasistha.
- Shah Jahan: Focus was Architecture; his son Dara did translations, but usually Upanishads.
- Akbar: The only ruler with a dedicated *state policy* (Sulh-i-kul) and a physical bureau (Maktab Khana) for Sanskrit-to-Persian projects. Mark A.
Mains GS1 (Indian Heritage): Use this as evidence of 'Composite Culture' (Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb). Mention how Persian translations became the bridge for Indian philosophy to reach Europe (e.g., Latin translations of Upanishads were based on Dara Shikoh's Persian version, not the original Sanskrit).