Question

What‌ ‌do‌ ‌you‌ ‌mean‌ ‌by‌ ‌court‌ ‌chronicles?‌ ‌​‌ ‌

Answer 1

Hint: Chronicles were more data-driven than fiction with fancy words, as they were based on facts. They needed to keep proper records. They were more dependable historical sources than traveler’s accounts because they were neither written in praise or against monarchs.

Complete answer:
Chronicles were essentially a collection of comprehensive and recorded court accounts that were kept in chronological order. The writing was frequently in prose or verse, but there was no attempt to be literary. They contain historical knowledge, including events, historical, political, and cultural perspectives of its authors and viewers. A chronicle is a collection of noteworthy historical events that are often unanalyzed and uninterpreted.

The term “court chronicles" refers to scholarly accounts of kingdoms, their courtiers, and common people's living conditions. Most kings had court chroniclers who kept meticulous records of events during their reign. Rajatarangini, written by Kalhana, which is a history of the monarch of Kashmir, is an example of chronicles of the medieval period.

Additional Information: Scholars divide the chronicle genre into two categories: live chronicles and dead chronicles. A dead chronicle is one in which the author compiles a list of events up to the time of writing but does not keep track of subsequent events. A live chronicle is one in which one or more authors update it on a frequent basis, capturing current events as they happen. Historians favor live chronicles, such as annals, above dead ones because of the immediacy of the content.

Note: The sources of information for chronicles differ. A universal chronicle is one that traces world history. In contrast, in a narrative or history, an author picks and chooses which events to interpret and analyze, excluding those that are not vital or relevant.