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Libby Cowen
Ain-i-Akbari was one of the first Persian texts to be translated into the English language.[6] The original Persian text was translated into English in three volumes. The first volume, translated by Heinrich Blochmann (1873) consisted of Books I and II. The second volume, translated by Col. Henry Sullivan Jarrett (1891), contained Book III, and the remaining volume, also translated by Jarrett (1896), Books IV and V. These three volumes were published by the Asiatic Society of Calcutta as a part of their Bibliotheca Indica series.[3][7][8]
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By the time Humayun reoccupied Delhi in 1546, Lucknow became a permanent part of the Mughal Empire despite frequent risings by the unruly and desperate Afghan chiefs in the area. During the rule of Akbar (1556-1605), Lucknow witnessed several administrative reforms of far-reaching consequences and it became the headquarters of a sarkar of the suba of Avadh. The copper mint unit was maintained and Akbar is said to have built several mohallas to the south of Chowk. Shahgunj and Mahmud Nagar were some of the earliest localities to have come up during that period.
Abul Fazl in his Akbarnama has thrown light on rising importance of Lucknow by virtue of its climate and vegetation, it became a part of the sarkar of that time in the suba of Avadh. The development of Avadh continued unhampered during the time of Emperor Jahangir (r. 1605-1627). Jahangir is reported to have visited Lucknow during lifetime of Akbar and founded Mirza Mandi to the west of Machchhi Bhavan. The European traveler De-Laet testifies to the fact that Lucknow was a thriving centre of trade, a Magnum Emporium in the reign of Jahangir. It was during these days, a French merchant obtained a permit for one-year to conduct commercial trade in the region. This trade amassed an immense fortune, part of which was used to build a mansion. Upon expiry of the permit, the said mansion was confiscated and given a name of Farangi Mahal as it was built by foreigners, known at that time as Farangis. This Farangi Mahal was later awarded to a learned family of Mulla Qutubuddin during the time of Aurangzeb and became a seat of Islamic teachings and scholars. Another feather to Lucknow, as per Tuzuk-e-Jahangiri was the allotment of lands in the adjoining areas of Lucknow to those who belonged to the members of Timurid & Chagtai descent and had reached the area in the early days with Babur & Humayun. Primarily, these people belong to the families of those neutral members who left the Royal camp during the unrest between Humayun, his brothers and immediate family members.
Emperor Aurangzeb is reported to have visited Lucknow and ordered the construction of the impressive mosque on the higher bank of river Gomti. A contemporary scholar and Islamic saint, Shaikh Pir Muhammad of Jaunpur lies buried in a square tomb to the north-east of the mosque. His learning and piety attracted large numbers of students and scholars from different parts of the country and his manuscripts are preserved in the Rampur Raza Library. The school founded by him remained a center of learning for about a century after his death in 1668.