Rajkumari Surya Kumari was the eldest daughter of Raja Ajitsingh of Khetadi principality in Shekhavati, and was married to the Raja Umed Singh of Shahpura. Swami Vivekananda had stayed in her father's state for a few months during one of his travels in Rajasthan before he became so famous, and as a child she was impressed by the young Swami.
Later, when she became Maharani, she established grants for authentic Indic researches in History, Philosophy and Literature. She was particularly interested in making popular the works of Swami Vivekanand by getting those translated in Hindi and other languages. She also gave grants for research subjects in history.
With one such grant, Ram Chandra Verma of Kashi Nagari Pracharini Sabha undertook further work into Akbar's life, and produced a 3-volume 'Akbari Darbar' in Hindi, which was first published in 1927-28.
The worth of this volume is that it offers a plain, straight and honest account of not just Akbar, but all the people surrounding him, especially his navaratna-s. It takes effort to, for example, unearth the accounts of Trilochan Pandey (Tansen), Mahesh Das (Birbal), Abdurrahim Khankhana (Rahim), and Todar Mal.
Really a good reference, if not a complete work in itself.
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Rahul Sankrityayan has also written 'Akbar'. Written in 1957 this might be his last work. He even has a chapter called 'Islami Samyavadi' where he tried to showcase how the message of communism had existed in Islam since centuries, and how a certain sufi-s were probably the first suspected bleeding heart martyrs!
And more I read, more I get convinced how extremely overrated is the scholarship of Mahapandit! He has done plenty of mistakes in his effort to glorify Akbar and underplay anything uncomfortable.
Later, when she became Maharani, she established grants for authentic Indic researches in History, Philosophy and Literature. She was particularly interested in making popular the works of Swami Vivekanand by getting those translated in Hindi and other languages. She also gave grants for research subjects in history.
With one such grant, Ram Chandra Verma of Kashi Nagari Pracharini Sabha undertook further work into Akbar's life, and produced a 3-volume 'Akbari Darbar' in Hindi, which was first published in 1927-28.
The worth of this volume is that it offers a plain, straight and honest account of not just Akbar, but all the people surrounding him, especially his navaratna-s. It takes effort to, for example, unearth the accounts of Trilochan Pandey (Tansen), Mahesh Das (Birbal), Abdurrahim Khankhana (Rahim), and Todar Mal.
Really a good reference, if not a complete work in itself.
===
Rahul Sankrityayan has also written 'Akbar'. Written in 1957 this might be his last work. He even has a chapter called 'Islami Samyavadi' where he tried to showcase how the message of communism had existed in Islam since centuries, and how a certain sufi-s were probably the first suspected bleeding heart martyrs!
And more I read, more I get convinced how extremely overrated is the scholarship of Mahapandit! He has done plenty of mistakes in his effort to glorify Akbar and underplay anything uncomfortable.