Partaw Isfahani

Partaw Isfahani, Mirza ‘Ali Riza (1834-1925), son of Aqa Muhammad ‘Ali Linjani. A poet with the nom de plume Partaw, he was also a calligrapher hailing from Isfahan and well-known as Mirza Aqajan. He was reportedly born in Linjan, Isfahan. His name is recorded as Partaw Linjani in some sources. The precise date of his birth is unknown. He studied sciences and calligraphy in his hometown and later won fame as a master of calligraphy in Isfahan, particularly writing Naskhi, Thulth, and Riqa’ scripts, though he wrote Nasta’liq elegantly. His calligraphy masters include Aqa Zayn al-‘Abidin Isfahan, well-known as Ashraf al-Kuttab, though they differed in style and Partaw’s calligraphic style intertwined the styles of Ashraf and Aqa Ghulam’ali Isfahani, both distinguished masters of the Naskhi script in Persia. Many a student studied with Partaw. In a couplet, he makes a reference to their large number, among whom mention may be made of Ghulam’ali Thani, Sayyid ‘Ali Akbar Zavvarih’i, Mulla Muhammad Taqi, and Mulla Baqir. Partaw stayed for some time at the Nuriyyih School where he practiced calligraphy and his students studied with him twice a week. He also held a circle in his room at the school which was attended by poets and artists of Isfahan. He associated with some of the writers, e.g. Riza Quli Khan Hidayat, the author of Majma’ al-Fusaha, and ‘Abd al-Muhammad Khan Irani Isfahani, the director of the Chihrihnama newspaper published in Egypt. Late in life, he was well-respected at Nasir al-Din Shah’s court and was the calligrapher laureate. He was distinguished at literary circles and was praised in sources for his elegant poetry, calligraphy, and moral standards. According to some sources he died at the age of 90 in 1924. In his al-Ma’athir wa ‘l-Athar, I’timad al-Saltana makes mention of Mirza ‘Aliriza, a distinguished calligrapher writing the Naskhi script with the nom de plume Partaw who flourished at the time of compilation of the work in 1927, and also Mirza Aqajan, with the nom de plume Partaw, a master of the Naskhi script, who had passed away at the time of compilation of the book. In the index of proper names appended to the book, Iraj Afshar surmised that Mirza ‘Aliriza and Mirza Aqajan was the same person. The date of his death is mentioned by Aqabuzurg Tihrani and ‘Ali Rahjiri as 1925 and 1926 respectively, though Muhammad Husayn Furughi in his introduction to Partaw’s Divan, written in 1925, writes that Partaw died at 90 years of age, so his death date must have antedated 1925. His divan includes ghazals, qasidas, quatrains, mathnavis, and musammats. His poetry treats of encomia of the Prophet, Imam ‘Ali, Imam Husayn, and Hazrat Zaynab, elegies (on battel of Karbala’ and elegies of Imam Husayn), admonitions, complains about the vicissitudes of the world, and lyrical and mystical themes. He was also well-versed in the composition of chronograms, some of which, together with their occasions, have been included in Mawad al-Tawarikh. He composed a qasida, eulogizing the Prophet, with the radif Muhammad, opening with the couplet:

When Muhammad’s glory pitched its pavilion in the world

The world became luminous of Muhammad’s beauty

reneniciant of Sa’di’s qasida opening with:

The moon is in perplexity out of Muhammad’s beauty

There is no cypress as comely as Muhammad’s beauty.

Some of his poems resemble those of Hafiz, e.g.

Last night, her face was reddened by the glow of wine

A mistress of the nature of flame who had set many hearts ablaze out of love;

comparable to a ghazal by Hafiz, opening with the following couplet:

Last night, she was approaching with her countenance glowing

Since she had burned the heart of another sorrowful lover.

Mirza Husayn Khan Ansari, with the nom de plume Thamar, collected Partaw’s divan to which he supplemented his own poetry. The poetry of both poets has been lithographed in Tehran in 1926 with an introduction by Muhammad Husayn Furughi. A copy of this rarely found book is available with the Central Library of the University of Tehran. Partaw wrote a copy of the Qur’an in the Naskhi script in 1918 at the behest of Farhad Mirza Mu’tamid al-Dawla (1854-1926), ‘Abbas Mirza’s son, the copy of this elegantly written Qur’an manuscript is available with the National Museum and Library of Malik. The illuminated copy has 229 folios each of which include 19 lines. Partaw is mentioned as a scribe and illuminator in the catalogue of the manuscript copies of the Qur’an preserved at the Royal Library where a copy of the Qur’an, written by him in the Naskhi script at the behest of Nasir al-Din Shah was on display at Iran-i Bastan Museum under the title the Qur’an Treasury, together with 150 other manuscript copies of the Qur’an, including the aforesaid one available at the Malik Museum and Library. Besides the Glorious Qur’an, Paraw wrote prayers and other books in his elegant hand at the behest of notables and was distinguished for writing them. Such manuscripts include the Kumayl Prayer Book, written in the Naskhi script in 1887 and also a calligraphic piece in the Naskhi script. The inscription installed above the gate of the Safa Mosque in Isfahan, including the chronogram of the construction of the mosque and a poem by Partaw has been written by him in the Nasta’liq script.

Asar va Ahwal-i Khushnivisan.