Professor Syed Jabir Raza retired as a Professor of Medieval Indian History from the Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University (Aligarh) in 2020. Throughout his extensive career, he focused his research on the Ghaznavid rule in Northern India, particularly delving into its administrative, fiscal, and military aspects. His groundbreaking work on elephants and other animals in Ghaznavid armies, along with his expertise in Ghaznavid epigraphical sources, has significantly contributed to the field.

Professor Raza’s scholarly contributions extend beyond the Ghaznavid period, encompassing research papers on various dynasties, including the Delhi Sultanate. His studies on the system of rule, warfare, and socio-cultural life during this period have garnered widespread recognition and are widely referenced in academic circles.

One of Professor Raza’s notable strengths is his mastery of both Arabic and Classical Persian languages, enabling him to decipher and interpret Arabic and Persian inscriptions from the Medieval period. He was part of the team of scholars sponsored by the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) to collect Indo-Persian Epigraphs of Early Medieval India. Currently, he is engaged in editing several Indo-Persian texts from the sultanate period, including a critical edition of Isami’s Futūḥu’s Salāt̤īn, slated for publication soon. Another forthcoming monograph focuses on the Iqt̤ā‘ under the Delhi Sultans.

Professor Raza’s academic endeavours have also taken him abroad, where he served as a Charles Wallace Fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), India, delivering lectures on the history of the Delhi Sultanate. He has been actively involved in academic associations, serving as an Executive Committee member of the UP History Congress from 2015 to 2017, and being elected as the President of the Medieval India Section during the 2018 session.