Prelims 2006 · archive
MediumIn Indian history, who was Abdul Hamid Lahori?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) An official historian of the reign of Shahjahan.
Abdul Hamid Lahori was Shah Jahan's court historian and wrote the Padshahnama, the official chronicle of his reign.
- ✓ (b) Lahori wrote the Padshahnama, the chronicle of Shah Jahan's reign (with Muhammad Waris continuing it).
- ✗ (a) He was a chronicler, not a general, and lived under Shah Jahan, not Akbar.
- ✗ (c) Aurangzeb's court had other chroniclers; Lahori belongs to Shah Jahan's.
Remember · Lahori = Padshahnama = Shah Jahan.
Sources
- Britannica, Famous Books During the Mughal Empire ↗ · reference work “It was composed by Shah Jahan’s court historian Abdul Hamid Lahori and another writer, Muhammad Waris.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2006, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 2006: the answer shown is the one the sources above support. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·