Yaghma-yi Jandaqi

Yaghma Jandaqi, Rahim, Abu al-Hasan (1781-1859), son of Ibrahim Quli. A calligrapher and poet with the nom de plume Yaghma, born in Khur, in the district of Jandaq and Biyabanak. Having studied under the teachers in the administration of Isma’il Khan II, he changed his name from Rahim to Abu al-Hasan and chose the nom de plume Majnun. He assumed the office of the secretary of the ‘Amirin Khan and served later as the secretary of General Dhu al-Fiqar Khan. He fell out of favor by some individual’s envy and had to lead the life of a recluse in Shah ‘Abd al-‘Azim, Rayy, changing his nom de plume to Yaghma. Later, he established the Mufakaha Society together with Mirza Muhammad ‘Ali Mazandarani and Mirza Malik al-Kuttab, Qa’im Maqam’s son-in-law. The society was dissolved after a while and he traveled to Mashhad where he settled in the Mirza Ja’far Seminary. He was later appointed governor of Kashan at the suggestion of Hajji Mirza Aqasi, Muhammad Shah’s vizier. In Kashan, he associated with Hajj Mulla Ahmad Naraqi, the author of Mi’raj al-Sa’ada. Yaghma was of Sufi turn of mind and encouraged by his son, Isma’il bearing the nom de plume Hunar, followed the Shaykhiyya. He returned at the insistence of his son to his hometown where he died and was laid to rest at the tomb of Imamzada Dawud. His works include Munsha’at wa Makatib, in two parts; some letters in pure Persian; letters with Arabic words, including Persian epistles; ghazals, mainly composed on the models of Sa’di and Hafiz in which he skillfully followed those two distinguished poets; invective poems like Sardariyya, constituting some of his best works composed in the form of ghazal, dedicated to Sardar Dhu al-Fiqar Khan Simnani; Qassabiyya, invective ghazals composed with the nom de plume Qassab (‘Butcher’). These satirical poems have been composed with the nom de plume Ahmada; Khulasat al-Iftizah, an account of an event happened in Kashan; Sukuk al-Dalil or Shukuk al-Dalil, an invective poem; Rustam al-Sadat Khwari and the mathnawi entitled Qazinama, an invective poem addressed to Hajji Sayyid Mirza Jandaqi; numerous elegies reflecting his mastery in this form; Nawha-yi Sinazani (lit. ‘breast-pounding elegies’), a form innovated by him; Tarji’at, including two or three long tarji’bands, each regarded as an invective poem addressed to a certain individual; Qit’aas, mainly a selection of his poetry; quatrains, falling into different categories, e.g. Sardariyya, Qassabiyya, and Inabatnama; Muradiyya, an invective poem addressed to ‘Alimurad Khan Tuni; Shabih-i Hajjaj-i Kashi, a satirical poem composed on the model of poems used in mourning ceremonies; Kulliyyat-i Yaghma, including some of the aforesaid works, published (Tehran 1866) and written by Mirza ‘Abd al-Baqi Tabib at the behest of I’tizad al-Saltana, the then Education Minister. Yaghma’s works were collected by Mirza ‘Abd al-BAqi, son of Hajj Muhammad Isma’il Tihrani. The latter unwittingly mingled some compositions by others in the collection, hence the alien compositions in the Kulliyyat-i Yaghma, parts of which appeared twice in India. The earlier edition appeared in 1960. A critical edition of Yaghma’s works was edited by Sayyid ‘Ali Al Dawud which appeared in two volumes in 1978. Yaghma’s unpublished works include: a revised edition of Burhan-i Qati’; al-Mu’jam fi Ma’ayyir Ash’ar al-‘Ajam; Diwan-i Zahir Faryabi; Kulliyat-i Sa’di; Khamsa-yi Nizami; Maqamat-i Hamidi; Diwan-i Kamal al-Din wa Jamal al-Din ‘Abd al-Razzaq Isfahani.

Az Saba ta Nima (1/ 109-127); Chaharsad Sha’ir-i Barguzida-yi Parsi-guy (1196-1197); Sukhanwaran-i Nami-yi Mu’asir-i Iran (6/ 3972-3976).