In 1587, Abū al-Faz̤l ibn Mubārak – a favourite at the Mughal court and author of the Akbarnāmah – completed his Preface to the Persian translation of the Mahābhārata. This book is the first detailed study of Abū al-Faz̤l's Preface. It offers insights into manuscript practices at the Mughal court, the role a Persian version of the Mahābhārata was meant to play, and the religious interactions that characterised 16th-century India. In 1587, Abu al-Faz?l ibn Mubarak – a celebrated favourite at the Mughal court and author of the Akbarnamah – completed his Preface to the Persian translation of the Mahabharata. This book is the first detailed study of Abu al-Faz?l's Preface. It offers fresh insights into manuscript practices at the Mughal court, the role a Persian version of the Mahabharata was meant to play, and the religious interactions that characterised sixteenth-century India. Michael Willis , The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, London, UK.