Ziauddin Barani

Life

Barani was born in 1285, to an Indian Muslim family native to Baran, (now Bulandshahr) in northern India, hence his nisba Barani. His ancestors had immigrated to Baran from the Indian town of Kaithal, Haryana but considered themselves originally natives of Baran itself. His father, uncle, and grandfather all worked in high government posts under the Sultan of Delhi. His maternal grandfather: Husam-ud-Din, was an important officer of Ghiyas ud din Balban and his father Muwayyid-ul-Mulk held the post of naib of Arkali Khan, the son of Jalal-ud-Din Firuz Khalji. His uncle Qazi Ala-ul-Mulk was the Kotwal (police chief) of Delhi during the reign of Ala-ud-Din Khalji. Barani never held a post, but was a nadim (companion) of Muhammad bin Tughluq for seventeen years. During this period he was very close to Amir Khusrau. After Tughlaq died, he fell out of favor. In "Exile" he wrote two pieces dealing with government, religion, and history, which he hoped would endear him to the new sultan, Firuz Shah Tughlaq. He was not rewarded for his works and died poor in 1357.

His gravestone lies in the courtyard of Nizamuddin Auliya's dargah in Delhi, at the entrance of the dalan of Mirdha Ikram, and near the tomb of Amir Khusrau.