I‘timād ‘Al i - Kh ān: The career of a Mu gh al officer through his own diary

Abstract

I‘timād ‘Alī Khān (to go by his last title), is unique among Mughal officials for having left behind a diary from 1693 to 1727, covering his period of service in Gujarat, then his journey to Delhi and Allahabad and back and, finally, his sojourn at Surat. He gives us much information about individual officials, and the slowly collapsing Mughal administration. The following article reconstructs his career from the diary.