He is known for a work in Persian entitled Basātin al-uns ("Gardens of Fellowship"), a partial copy of which, date ca.1410, is now in the Topkapi Museum in Istambul (Ms. R. 1032).[1] This was a Persian translation of a Hindi (Sanskrit) work about a Hindu king Kishwagir, which showed that he was one amongst many Indian Muslim scholars who exhibited their great interest for Indian culture.[8]
His work was dedicated to Muhammad bin Tughluq (r. 1325–51), ruler of the Delhi Sultanate.[1] Muhammad Sadr Ala-i was a member of the Delhi Sultanate royal chancery accompanying Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, founder of the Tughluq dynasty, in his conquest of Tirhut in northeastern India (the "Lakhnawtī campaign" of 1324).[1][5] He fell ill on the way back from Tirhut, but was treated by a physician named Muhammad Khujandi. During his illness, he was provided with a Persian translation of a Hindu story, which he would use as material for his book.[1] The main protagonists of the story are a vizier, an ascetic (zähid), the king of Ujjain and Kannauj whom he calls King "Kishvargir", and the daughter of the Chinese emperor named Queen Mulkarai of Serendib (Ceylon).[1] He wrote his book in a few months, adding poems in Persian and Arabic verses from the Koran, and completing it in AH 726 (1325–26), when still 26 years old.[1] The material details described in the book are considered as having good documentary and historical value, explained by the contemporary eyewitness status of the author.[1][9][5] His book concludes with the expression of his gratitude for the generosity Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq "who had given him sixty thousand dinars and sixty horses" for a single qasida poem.[1]
The copy of the book known to us, and dated to ca.1410, is a Jalayirid copy and is unfinished.[1] This copy probably dates to the time of Ahmad Jalayir of the Jalayirid dynasty, in Iraq.[1] The space for around 12 miniatures has remained empty, but 2 miniatures, also partially complete, have reached us. One depicts the Rajah of the Indian city of Tirhut surrendering to Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq and his troops. The other miniature depicts the ruler of Ahin conversing with scholars.[1]
Few other, non-illustrated, copies are known: a 17th-century copy in the British Library (Ms. Add. 7717),[3] and possibly another copy by Qavam al Din Muhammad al-Mazandarani in 836 (1433) in the People of Asia Collection (Moscow).[10]
