Which one of the following scholars of Akbar's court translated Bhaskaracharya's Lilavati into Persian?
- A.Abul Fazl
- B.Faizi
- C.Fathullah Shirazi
- D.Ataullah Rashidi
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Faizi. Faizi, Akbar's poet laureate and the elder brother of Abul Fazl, translated the Lilavati into Persian in 1587. The Lilavati is the arithmetic part of the Siddhanta Shiromani, written by the mathematician Bhaskaracharya (Bhaskara II) in the twelfth century, and it covers numbers, fractions, progressions and measurement. Its translation was part of Akbar's large programme of rendering Sanskrit works into Persian through the Maktab Khana, the translation bureau at Fatehpur Sikri, which also produced the Razmnama from the Mahabharata. Faizi was one of the navaratnas of Akbar's court. Option A is wrong because Abul Fazl is known for the Akbarnama and the Ain-i-Akbari, his history of the reign. Option C is wrong because Fathullah Shirazi was the scholar who helped draft the revenue reforms and the Ilahi calendar. Option D is wrong because Ataullah Rashidi, a son of Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, translated Bhaskara's Bijaganita for Shah Jahan, not the Lilavati. Exam tip: Faizi translated Lilavati; Badauni translated the Ramayana into Persian.
Practice Questions
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