Amir Khusraw Dihlavi

Amir Khusraw Dihlawi, Nasir al-Din Abu l-Hasan Khusraw (1253-1325), son of Amir Sayf al-Din Mahmud Dihlawi, a distinguished mystic, Persian poet, and musician in India. His father was a chief of the Lachin tribe, a branch of the Khita'i Turks of Transoxiana based in the town of Kash, who migrated to India in the wake of the Mongol invasion and conquest. He joined the forces of Shams al-Din Iltutmish, as a commander, even serving for a time as commander-in-chief. As a child, his son Amir Khusraw came to be initiated by Nizam al-Din Muhammad Dihlawi, famous as Nizam al-Din Awliya' (d. 1326), a distinguished Sufi master of the Chishtiyya Order, remaining a lifetime disciple of this august spiritual guide to his last days and becoming a prominent mystic of the order in his own right. His master introduced him to such luminaries as Khwaja Hasan Dihlawi, a poet of renown, and Ziya' al-Din b. Rajab Barani, author of Tarikh-i Firuzshahi. He was involved in the teaching of the exoteric sciences at the time, becoming well-versed in the major fields of study of the day. Fully matured, he found his way to the court of Ghiyath al-Din Balban, where he composed eulogies of various dignitaries, including Malik Chihju. He came to serve the eldest son of Ghiyath al-Din Balban. When the latter died in 1287, he became a courtier of Mu'izz al-Din Kayqubad. He went on to become an intimate in the court of Jalal al-Din Firuz Shah Khalji, where like his father and brother, he became a dignitary with the title of amir. He was patronised by the Sultans of Delhi, such as Rukn al-Din Ibrahim, 'Ala' al-Din Muhammad, Shihab al-Din 'Umar, Qutb al-Din Malikshah and Tughlugh Shah, accompanying the latter on an expedition to Bengal. Upon his return, on being apprised of the decease of Shaykh Nizam al-Din Awliya', he resigned from his office and went to Dehli, retiring to dwell by the tomb of his master. Giving all his possessions to the poor, he died within six months and was buried beside his master's tomb. He was conversant in the Persian, Turkish, Arabic and Hindustani languages and literatures, along with a knowledge of Hindustani [this is the name of the lauguage at the time, the distinction between Hindi and Urdu arising only in the 19^th century] language and literature, in addition to being a great poet and prose-writer. He was also a practised musician and composer of  Indian and Persian music. Because of his literary skill he came to be known as the Sa’di of India. He had a good voice and, as a composer, created thirteen modal variations and melodies himself. He is one of the most prolific poets in the Persian language, having written a full 99 books and a good 4-500,000 poems. His works include: a divan containing different genres of poetry, besides his masnavis (rhyming-couplet poems) organised by him in five collections, each called a ganj (‘treasure’) with its own  title. The entire collection is entitled Samaniyya khusrawiya, (Eight Poems of Khusraw), some composed in the manner of Nizami. Some provide accounts of events witnessed by him. Jawahir-i khusrawi consists of a collection of verse on different topics, mainly of a miscellaneous nature, dealing with general knowledge. His prose works include Khaza'in al-futuh, popularly known as Tarikh-i 'Ala'i on the history of the reign of Sultan 'Ala' al-Din Muhammad Khalji; Afsal al-fawa'id malfuzat Nizam al-Din Awliya', Amir Khusraw Dihlawi's spiritual guide; and Rasa'il al-I’jaz, also known as I'jaz-i khusrawi, a study of Persian composition in three volumes. His poetry possesses great eloquence and power, expressed in different genres. Inspired by his great predecessors, he went on with his lyrical genius, his native talent, and his education in the new environment of the Subcontinent, to produce a new idiom, a fresh mode of expression, and original ideas. Novel features abound in his poetry.

Asar-afarinan (1, 298); Tarikh-i adabiyat dar Iran (3, 771-797).