Translation and State

In 1587, Ab? al-Faz?l ibn Mub?rak - a favourite at the Mughal court and author of the Akbarn?mah - completed his Preface to the Persian translation of the Mah?bh?rata. This book is the first detailed study of Ab? al-Faz?l's Preface. It offers insights into manuscript practices at the Mughal court, the role a Persian version of the Mah?bh?rata was meant to play, and the religious interactions that characterised 16th-century India.