Conversations with Emperor Jahangir

This unusual work is comprised of dialogues between Emperor Nur al-Din Jahangir, ruler of the Mughal Empire of India from 1605-1627, and "Mutribi" al-Asamm Samarqandi, an elderly visitor from Samarqand, the fabled Central Asian city which had been the capital of Jahangir's Timurid ancestors, Mutribi's account is of very great interest and importance for a number of reasons. First, its informal style offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the character of the Mughal emperor in particular and into court life in general, at times even exceeding Jahangir's own memoirs, the Tuzuk-i Jahangiri, in candor. Second, it provides insight into the enduring Mughal attachment to their Central Asian homeland, which Jahangir demonstrates most profoundly in his conversations with his visitor from Samarqand. Finally, it is an important historical document of Jahangir's reign, filling in the period just months before his death, after his own memoirs had left off.