Lubab ul-Albab

It is essentially a history of literature, or more accurately, a collection of biographies of poets written in a highly ornate style.

Although Aufi was not a distinguished stylist, the significance of both the Lubab ul-Albab and the Jawami ul-Hikayat lies in their practical value.

[1] Aufi begins by acknowledging the contributions of royal figures who wrote poetry, listing 27 rulers from the late 10th to the 12th century, whose works constitute about 6% of the anthology.

Following the kings, the anthology includes works by viziers (14%), religious scholars (ulama, 38%), and a substantial group of court poets, who make up 62% of the content.

[1] Only one hand-written copy is known to exist, owned by Nathaniel Blend in 1846 and the other resides in the Berlin Imperial Library.