Mazhar (Mirza ‘Ali Akbar Mazhar Hamadani)

Biography

Mazhar, Mirza ‘Ali Akbar (1816-1886), son of ‘Abd al-Rasul. Mazhar was a chancery secretary and poet hailing from Hamadan. Having studied Arabic and literary disciplines, he studied jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence, logic, philosophy, and prosody at the Zangana School and became one of the distinguished masters of his time. Teaching different disciplines, he had mastery in teaching Sabziwari’s Manzuma on philosophy. Having completed his studies, he served Amir Afkham Qaraguzlu as a chancery secretary an office he held till his last days, though his poetry reflects that he lived in poverty as many a time he talked of his financial difficulties. He was a distinguished master of poetry and one of the notables of Hamadan. His mastery of poetry and his poetical vigor is reflected in his poetry, particularly his qasidas and musammats. He was laid to rest at the holy shrine of Hazrat Ma’suma in Qum. His works include Khustuy, composed in the form of mathnawi; Baza’at-i Muzjat, in prose, in two parts, one in the forms of philosophical questions and answers and the other on mysticism and mystical wayfaring; Diwan of poetry running to about 1,000 couplets.

Sukhanwaran-i Nami-yi Mu’asir-i Iran (5/ 3342-3348).