The Humayun Nama, an important biographical work on the Mughal emperor Humayun composed in Persian during the reign of Akbar, is traditionally attributed to which author?

Introduction / Context:
The Mughal period produced many important historical and biographical works in Persian. One of these is the Humayun Nama, a narrative dealing with the life and times of the emperor Humayun. Knowing who wrote such texts helps candidates connect personalities with the sources used by historians to reconstruct Mughal history. This question asks you to identify the author of the Humayun Nama.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The work named is the Humayun Nama, a biography of the Mughal ruler Humayun.
• It was written in Persian during the reign of Akbar.
• The options include several chroniclers and writers from the Mughal period.

Concept / Approach:
The Humayun Nama is particularly notable because it was written by a woman of the imperial family, Gulbadan Begum, who was the daughter of Babur and half sister of Humayun. She wrote her account at the request of Akbar, giving a family perspective on early Mughal history. Other writers in the options, such as Ahmad Yadgar or Abbas Sarwani, authored different historical works and must be matched with those separate titles, not with the Humayun Nama.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Humayun Nama is a biography of Humayun composed during Akbar time. Step 2: Remember that Gulbadan Begum, a princess and Babur daughter, wrote this work in Persian. Step 3: Identify her among the options and distinguish her from male chroniclers. Step 4: Confirm that Ahmad Yadgar and Abbas Sarwani are associated with other works on Afghan rulers and Mughal history, not the Humayun Nama. Step 5: Select Gulbadan Begum as the correct author.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick check is to remember a simple association: Gulbadan Begum and Humayun Nama, Abul Fazl and Akbar Nama, Badauni and his critical account of Akbar policies. By keeping a small mental map that links texts and authors, you can quickly verify that Humayun Nama belongs to Gulbadan Begum rather than to the male chroniclers listed in the other options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, Ahmad Yadgar, is known for writing about the Afghan rulers before the Mughals. Option C, Abbas Sarwani, wrote accounts connected with the Sur dynasty and Afghan rulers as well. Option D, Faizi Sarhindi, was a poet and scholar at Akbar court but not the author of this particular biography. Option E, Badauni, wrote a critical history of Akbar reign, not a biography of Humayun.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes assume that all major Mughal histories were written by famous male court historians such as Abul Fazl or Badauni and forget the unique contribution of Gulbadan Begum. Another pitfall is to confuse titles that include the name of an emperor and attribute them to the most famous chronicler at that court. To avoid errors, it is worth memorising at least a few key text author pairs, with Humayun Nama clearly linked to Gulbadan Begum.

Final Answer:
The Humayun Nama was written by Gulbadan Begum during the reign of Akbar.