User:Kansas Bear/Tarikh

The Tarikh-i Ahmad Shahi is a chronicle written, in Persian, by Mahmud al-Husayni. Al-Husayni had been hired by Ahmad Shah to mark the achievements of his rule. The Tarikh-i Ahmad Shahi was written during and encompassed the entire reign of Ahmad Shah. It was more than merely an accessible glimpse into Afsharid historiography, it illustrated Persian historiography through the use of dramaturgy that combined prose, rhymed prose, and poetry.

Background
The Durrani chroniclers followed an established literary convention, according to a long-standing custom that attained its zenith in Iran and India between the 13th and 15th centuries by selecting the Persian language as their medium. The Uzbek conquest of Central Asia in the early 16th century is credited for making Persian the primary historical language in the region. Therefore, a fixed repertoire of codes, images, and narrative rhythms was provided by the wide literary lineages that allowed the works to be analyzed. Writing history involved more than just capturing the facts; the writers also aimed to amuse their audience and showcase their artistic talents.

Instructions
Ahmad Shah ordered that his actions be documented so that they could be used as a model for governing rulers in the future. Ahmad gave the order for Muhammad Taqi Khan Shirazi, a former Afsharid official, to send a scribe with the skill to match Nadir Shah's chronicler Mirza Mahdi Astarabadi, especially his most important work, the Tarikh-i Nadiri. Mahmud al-Husayni was instructed to write out Ahmad Shah's reign's events in plain, unadorned terms. Given access to court records,

Composition
Mahmud al-Husayni closes the introduction with a consideration of his sources, his function as a historian, and potential objections from his audience, in keeping with the conventions of the historiography of the period. Although Ahmad Shah's career is credited by proponents of modern nationalism with laying the groundwork for modern-day Afghanistan, this phrase is obviously a creation of later times and is not contained in Tarikh-i Ahmad Shahi.

Al-Husayni utilizes the honorific of "Pearl of Pearls" to introduce Ahmad Shah as a member of the Saduza'i family of the Durrani tribe and emphasizes the role of Ahmad's fellow tribesmen as the new elite that supports the state. He begins the historical account by linking the events of Nadir Shah's reign to the ascent of Ahmad Shah in the future. Al-Husayni highlights the larger Durrani group's deportation from Herat to Nishapur as well as the military services they subsequently provided to Nadir Shah. He creates a linear progression from the Durranis' integration into Nadir Shah's army to their rise to prominence as an imperial elite, the Afsharid warriors.

Al-Husayni highlights the meeting between Ahmad Shah and Haji Bi Ming, stating it occurred in the years 17501. The Tarikh gives insight into the life of Haji Bi Ming while accusing him of rapacity, cruelty and oppression.