Nusrat Munshibashi (Khurasani)

Biography

Nusrat Khurasani, ‘Abd al-Husayn Munshibashi (1872-1955), son of Muhammad Hasan, Muhammad Husayn, Muhammad. A poet with the nom de plume Nusrat and commonly known as Munshibashi. He was born in Isfahan into a family of financial officials hailing from Isfahan. His genealogy traces back to Mirza Hasan Khushnevish Kirmani and Mu’tamid al-Dawla Nashat on his paternal and maternal sides respectively. He went to Mashhad in his childhood. Having studied jurisprudence under Mirza Habib Mujtahid Shahidi, theology under Muhammad Sadiq Hikami Sabziwari, and philosophy under Mirza Muhammad ‘Ali Fazil, Ghulam Husayn Shaykh al-Islam, and Mirza Muhammad Khadimbashi, he distinguished himself in jurisprudence, theology, philosophy, and literature. Then, having served as a government official, he accompanied Muhammad Taqi Mirza Rukn al-Dawla, Nasir al-Din Shah’s brother, to Shiraz and later accompanied Mirza Muhammad Taqi Mirza to Mashhad as the chief of the secretary. He also served as the governor of Kashmar and Dargaz for a while. His students include Muhammad Taqi Bahar, Farrukh, Shikasta, and Danish. He died in Mashhad. His works include: Mathnawi-yi Furuzanda, in the meter of Sana’i’s Hadiqat al-Haqiqa; Farazanda, a refutation on Baha’ism; Jami’ al-Mutafarriqa, also entitled Jami’ al-Mutafarriqat, composed on the model of Shaykh Baha’i’s Kashkul; and Divan of poetry.

Asar-afarinan (6/ 23); Sukhanwaran-i Nami-yi Mu’asir-i Iran (6/ 3645-3649).