The Jahangirnama: The personal memoirs of Jahangir empire, fourth Mughal emperor of India is a work of intensely alert observation and probing intelligence. Jahangirs great-grandfather, Babur, had written the Baburnama, the first true autobiography in the Islamic world, which
described frankly and with immense insight the political turmoil, actions, and personalities that had brought the Mughals from Central Asia into India. This literary genre was still fresh and provocative when Jahangir chose to follow his predecessors initiative, and the result was a vivid chronicle of a wealthy, artistically sophisticated kingdom at the height of its powers.
While the Baburnama portrays an era of empire building, however, the Jahangirnama depicts a period when political control was relatively stable and time could be devoted to life's pleasures. Of all the Mughal emperors Jahangir was the most observant of the world around him, and his memoirs leave no doubt about his delight in the unusual landscapes, animals, flowers, and characters he encountered in India.