BAHR ULMAWWAJ (lit. stormy or tempestuous sea), also known as Akhbar us Salatin, is a comprehensive work on Muslim history divided into nine parts and 49 sections fancifully called bahr (sea) and waves (mauJ) respectively, and hence the title. Its last part divided into six sections deals with Indian Timurides (i.e. the Mughals), with an account of Nadir Shah and the Durranis down to 1796. Sir Henry Miers Elliot (1808-53) found a copy of the manuscript in the Library of the Raja of Banaras. Other copies condensed into three volumes are available in Oriental Public (Khuda Bakhsh) Library, Barikipur Patna; Preussische Staatsbibliothek, Berlin; and British Library, London.
The author, Muhammad `Ali Ansari (d. 1827), also wrote another book, Tarikh i Muzaffari which is at places a word for word copy of the last part of Bahr ul Mawwaj, but with many details added to the earlier text. References relevant to the Punjab and to Sikh history include martyrdom of the sons of Guru.Gobind Singh; practices of the Sikhs; Mughal campaign against Banda Singh Bahadur; struggle between the sons of Zakariya Khan; Vadda Ghallughara or the holocaust of 1762; Sikhs` relations with Zabita Khan Ruhila ; and the unsuccessful expedition of `Abdul Ahd Khan against the cis Sutlej Sikh chiefs in 1779.
Bahr Ulmawwaj, which translates to “Stormy or Tempestuous Sea,” is a comprehensive historical work also known as Akhbar us-Salatin. Authored by Muhammad Ali Ansari (d. 1827), it is divided into nine parts and 49 sections, creatively referred to as “seas” (bahr) and “waves” (mauj). The text covers a wide range of Muslim history, including the Indian Timurides (Mughals), Nadir Shah, and the Durranis, extending up to 1796.
The final sections of Bahr Ulmawwaj are particularly significant for their focus on Indian history. They delve into events such as the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons, the Mughal campaigns against Banda Singh Bahadur, the Vadda Ghallughara (the Great Holocaust of 1762), and the Sikhs’ relations with figures like Zabita Khan Rohilla. The work also discusses the unsuccessful expedition of Abdul Ahad Khan against the Cis-Sutlej Sikh chiefs in 1779.
Copies of this manuscript are preserved in various libraries, including the Khuda Bakhsh Library in Patna, the British Library in London, and the Preussische Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. It remains a valuable resource for understanding the socio-political and military dynamics of the time.
