A Short Biography of Amir Khusraw

Amir Khusraw

    Khawaja Yaminuddin Mohammad Abul Hasan Amir Khusraw, the great Persian poet, scholar and politician of medieval India. Undoubtedly a man of rare qualities and exceptional powers. He was an erudite scholar not only of Persian and Arabic, but also of Sanskrit, Hindawi, Awadhi and Turkish.
    He was born in 1253 A.D at Patiala in the district of Etah in Uttar Pardesh. His father, Amir Saifuddin Mahmud migrated to India from the city of Khus in central Asia, during the reign of Sultan Shamsuddin Altutmish. He lost his beloved father at an early age. The material grand father, 'Imadul Mulk, the Defense Minister under Sultan Balban, then took care of him and paid special attention towards his education and training. He was brought up in the traditional style of Muslim education and at an early age he obtained high education efficiency in the customary arts and literature and other branches of learning such as Fiqh, Astronomy, Philosophy, Grammar, Logic, History, Mysticism and Religion. He was also well versed in the art of music. After the death of Imadul
    Mulk in 1272 A.D. Khusraw became a disciple of the Sufi saint Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya to whom he showed his deep love and devotion. He was a born poet and began to compose verses from his very boyhood.
    Khusraw witnessed the reign of some eleven kings from Ghiyasuddin Balban to Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq and continued to win the favour of each ruler. They took pride in him for his scholarly achienements, intelligence and wisdom. And above all for his pity and purity of heart.
    Amir Khusraw was a versatile genius, whose colourful personality has contributed a lot to the development of indo-Persian literature. He was a great poet, scholar, a historian, a linguist, an artist, a man of wit and humour and a great musician. According to Amir Khurd, the author of 'Siyarul Aulia' his works covers about ninety nine volumes. According to E.G. Browne he was a "highly esteemed" and "enormously productive pod. He has to his credit a large number of Ghazals, Rubais, Masnavis, Qasidas, Mukaris, Dohas, Riddles and several other versatile of compositions and in each of these forms of poetry he attained singular success. He was gifted with an unique genius to evolve his own style and to preserve his distinct identity, yet he drew inspiration from great classical masters of Persian poetry like Saadi, Anwari, Khaqani, Sanai and Nizami of Ganja.
WORKS: A short description of his works written in different period of his life is given below:
    Khusraw compiled five Diwan namely (i) Tahfatus Sighr (ii) Wasatul hayat, containing many qasida in praise of khan-e-Shaheed (iii) Ghurratul-Kamil, comtaing qasidas jalaluddin Firoz shah and Nizamuddin Aulia (iv) Baqiyya-Naqiyya and (v) Nihayatul Kamal.
    Besides he composed 'Panj Ganj' after the model of the; Khamsa' of Nizami. Khusraw is the first Persian poet to set himself to this task after 'Nizami'. Their titles are, 'Matla-ul-Anwar', 'Shirin-wa-Khusraw','Aina-e-Sikandari','Hasht Behist' and 'Majnun-wa-Laila.
    Dr. M.Waheed Mirza, an authority on Khusraw states. "There have been in the history of the world but few instances of a scholar or a poet acquiring a popularity and a fame like those of Khusraw _Centuries have elapsed since the 'Parrot of India' sang his last song and the voice that had charmed princes and peasants was husted for ever, yet the memory of his name is as fresh today as ever."