Abul Fazal, the Vazeer and historiographer of the great Mugal emperor Akbar, was born in the year A.D. 1551. His career as a Minister of State, would probably have been forgotten by this time had he himself not left its record in his celebrated history. The Akbar Naamaa, or Book of Akbar, as Abul Fazal's chief literary work, written in Persian is called, consists of two parts - first being a complete history of Akbar's reign and the second, entitled Aaeeney Akbaree, or Institutes of Akbar, being an account of the religious and political constitution and administration of the empire. The style is singularly elegant, and the contents of the second part possess a unique and lasting interest. An excellent translation of the Aaeeney Akbaree by Francis Gladwin was published in Calcutta, 1783-1786. It was reprinted in London very inaccurately, and copies of the original edition are now exceedingly rare and correspondingly valuable. It was also translated by Professor Blockmann in 1848.

Abul Fazal was assassinated, while returning from a mission to the Deccan in 1602. The murderer was instigated by Prince Saleem, afterwards Jahaangeer, who had become jealous of the Minister's influence.

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