For students of classical Persian, the Umdat-ut-Tawarikh serves as a non-Islamic text example. Its prose is straightforward, involving military commands and trade accounts, making it easier to parse than ornate Sufi poetry.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh himself recognized the value of Sohan Lal’s work, frequently commanding him to record state events, treaty signings, military campaigns, and visits by foreign dignitaries. Structure of the Five Volumes (Daftars) umdat-ut-tawarikh pdf
Documents the turbulent reigns of Kharak Singh, Nau Nihal Singh, Sher Singh, and the early years of Duleep Singh. For students of classical Persian
: Digital libraries like Internet Archive (archive.org) host scanned copies of V.S. Suri's translations (specifically Daftar III and Daftar IV). involving military commands and trade accounts