Qasim Gunabadi

Qasimi Gunabadi, Mirza Qasim, Mirza Muhammad Qasim (1523-1574/1576), son of Mir Sayyid ‘Abd Allah Husayni. A poet with the nom de plume Qasimi, one of the Sayyids of Gunabad, well-versed in composing mathnawis and riddles. His family were in charge of administration of the affairs of Gunabad and he succeeded his father in this office, though after a while, he vested the responsibility with his brother, Abu al-Fath. Qasimi studied poetry and belles-lettres under Hatifi and intellectual sciences with Ghiyath al-Din Mansur Dashtaki Shirazi. Having attached himself to the  courts of the Safavid Shah Isma’il and Shah Tahmasb, he dedicated two mathnawis to them; however, Shah Tahmasb did not reward him and he had to depart the Safavid court for Diyar Bakr, entering the services of Muhammad Khan, the governor of the region. He mainly associated with belletrists and scholars in his last years and also engaged himself in devotions ascetic practices. He endowed all his possessions to the Shrine of Imam ‘Ali ibn Musa al-Riza. His compositions reflect the direct impacts of the followers of Nizami, particularly Jami and Hatifi. Concerning his exalted state in poetry, Sam Mirza states, ‘Possessed of all nobilities, he composes poetry in all genres, though he has mastery of composing mathnawis free from affectations and eulogies, unsurpassed in such compositions. He composed four books in the genre of mathnawi, a Shahnama devoted to the conquests of Shah Isma’il, Lord of the Happy Conjunction (Sahib Qiran); Layla va Majnun, dedicated to the Shah Isma’il; Karnama, depicting the polo games of Shah Isma’il composed at the behest of the latter; Khusraw va Shinin, dedicated to me [viz. Sam Mirza); further the first two couplets of two ghazals and a quatrain by him reflect his elegant compositions in other genres.’ In his compositions, Qasimi strives to versify the history of the kings and the campaigns led by three kings flourishing in the fifteenth an sixteenth centuries. The number of his mathnawis has been reported as four and seven and even more. He composed mathnawis on the models of the five mathnawis by Nizami, though the number of his mathnawis exceeds five and has composed further compositions inspired by Iskandarnama. His mathnawis are marked by devoting numerous couplets to monotheism, prophetic mission, and resurrection. His works include Shahnama, also known as Shahanshahnama and Shahnama-yi Qasimi, divided by some people into two separate books devoted to the Shahnama-yi Mazi (the Book of the Late King) or Shah Isma’ilnama and Shahnama-yi Nawwb-i ‘Ali; Layla va Majnun; Khusraw va Shirin; Karnama, also known as Guy va Chawgan, depicting polo games; ‘Ashiq va Ma’shuq; Shahrukhnama; Zubdat al-Ash’ar; ‘Umdat al-Ash’ar, depicting Ka’ba and Medina; Saqinama.

Tarikh-i Adabiyyat dar Iran (5/ 717-729); Haft Iqlim (2/ 311-313).