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Amir Khusrau was a genius who left a mark on the cultural part of the Indian subcontinent. Moreover, he was a wonderful poet, musician, scholar, Sufi mystic and so much more during the Delhi Sultanate from 1226 to 1526 AD. Khusrau’s work went beyond religious and social boundaries, hence giving him the title of “Tuti-e-Hind” or Parrot of India for his mastery of languages. Read on to learn more about Amir Khusrau.
Table of Contents
| Overview of Amir Khusrau | |
| Birth Name | Abul Hasan Yamin ud-Din Khusrau |
| Date of Birth | 1253 |
| Mother | Bibi Daulat Naz |
| Father | Amir Saif ud-Din Mahmud |
| Place of Birth | Patiyali, Delhi Sultanate which is now in Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Influenced by | Khawaja Syed Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya or Hazrat Nizamuddin |
| Professions | Singer |
| Sufi | |
| Poet | |
| Scholar | |
| Author | |
| Composer | |
| Genres | Qawwali |
| Ghazal | |
| Tarana | |
| Rubai | |
| Death | October 1325 in Delhi, Delhi Sultanate which is now in Delhi, India |
Biography of Amir Khusrau
Furthermore, the life of Amir Khusrau is nothing short of wonderful and amazing, especially with his creative contributions to music, literature and language.
What was the Early Life of Amir Khusrau?
In 1253, Amir Khusrau was born in Patiyali which is now in Uttar Pradesh, India and was a noteworthy person in the Delhi Sultanate.
- He was the son of Bibi Daulat Naz, an Indian woman and Amir Saif ud-Din Mahmud, a Turkic man.
- Moreover, his father was raised in Kesh, in present-day Uzbekistan.
- After the region faced devastation due to Genghis Khan’s invasion it caused Amir Saif ud-Din’s family to flee.
- They first moved to Balkh, now in northern Afghanistan, and then sought refuge in Delhi.
- Sultan Shams ud-Din Iltutmish of Delhi, who had a similar Turkic background, granted them asylum and gave them high offices and estates.
- Thereafter, his father married Bibi Daulat Naz and they had four children, including Khusrau.
- In 1260, at the age of 8, his father passed away.
- Khusrau grew up with a strong foundation in Sufism and Islam and became skilled in Turkish, Arabic and Persian.
- At the age of 9, Khusrau started writing poetry and was a highly intelligent child.
- Khusrau’s first diwan, The Gift of Childhood or “Tuhfat us-Sighr” was compiled in 1271 and had poems penned between the years of 16 and 18.
- Being the Tuti-i Hind or “Parrot of India” highlighted his articulateness in poetry. Additionally, Khusrau’s deep love for his homeland is apparent in all his work.
Amir Khusrau’s Career
After his grandfather’s death, Khusrau joined Malik Chajju’s army and earned recognition at the Royal Court.
- In 1276, Nasir ud-Din Bughra Khan became his patron, and Khusrau wrote his second divan, “Wast ul-Hayat” during this period.
- Khusrau joined Khan Muhammad in Multan in 1281 who was a center of knowledge and culture. Moreover, after Khan Muhammad died in 1285, Khusrau wrote two elegies in his honour.
- Khusrau gained favour with Jalal ud-Din Firuz Khalji and was given the title “Amir.” Thereafter, he composed many ghazals.
- Under Ala ud-Din Khalji, Khusrau wrote “Khaza’in ul-Futuh” and the “Khamsa-e-Khusrau,” a quintet of masnavis which was completed in 1298.
- Furthermore, in 1310, Khusrau became a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya.
- After the end of the Khalji dynasty, Khusrau wrote “Tughlaq Nama” in 1321 which details the reign of Ghiyath al-Din Tughlaq of the Tughlaq dynasty.
- Khusrau died in October 1325, shortly after Nizamuddin Auliya. His last work, “Nihayat ul-Kamaal,” was compiled just before his death.
Also Read: The Eminent Musician Ustad Bismillah Khan
Literary Works by Amir Khusrau
With a wonderful career in the Delhi Sultanate, Amir Khurau also during his lifetime wrote as well as composed many literary works that are famous to date.
| Literary Works by Amir Khusrau | ||
| Year | Title | Description |
| 1271 | Tuhfat us-Sighr (The Gift of Childhood) | It was his first divan containing poems written between the years of 16 to 18. |
| 1279 | Wast ul-Hayat (The Middle of Life) | It was his second divan. |
| 1289 | Qiran us-Sa’dain (Meeting of the Two Auspicious Stars) | The first masnavi of the poet narrates the historic reconciliation between Bughra Khan and his son Muiz ud-Din Qaiqabad, after a prolonged period of tension. |
| 1290 | Miftah ul-Futuh (Key to the Victories) | Khusrau’s second masnavi, praising the achievements of Jalal ud-Din Firuz Khalji. |
| 1294 | Ghurrat ul-Kamaal (The Prime of Perfection) | These are the poems penned between the ages of 34 to 41. |
| 1296 | Khaza’in ul-Futuh (The Treasures of Victories) | Points of Ala ud-Din Khalji’s wars, construction works, and administrative services. |
| 1298 | Khamsa-e-Khusrau (Khamsa of Khusrau) | A quintet or khamsa of five masnavis: Khusrau-Shirin, Matla ul-Anwar, Aina-e-Sikandari, Laila-Majnun, and Hasht-Bihisht. |
| 1316 | Duval Rani – Khizr Khan (Duval Rani and Khizr Khan) | A disaster about the marriage of Princess Duval Rani to Khizr Khan, Ala ud-Din Khalji’s son. |
| 1317 | Baqia-Naqia (Remnants of Purity) | Compiled by Khusrau at the age of 64. |
| 1318 | Nuh Sipihr (Nine Skies) | His masnavi on the rule of Qutb ud-Din Mubarak Shah Khalji includes explicit perceptions of India and its culture. |
| 1319 | Afzal ul-Fawaid (Greatest of Blessings | This was a work of prose that had the teachings of Nizamuddin Auliya. |
| 1320 | Tughlaq Nama (Book of the Tughlaqs) | |
| Qissa Chahar Dervesh (The Tale of the Four Dervishes) | A dastan told by him to Nizamuddin Auliya. | |
| Jawahir-e-Khusravi | It is a divan usually known as Khusrau’s Hindavi divan. | |
Also Read: Ram Prasad Bismil, India’s Revolutionary Poet and Singer
Musical Contributions by Amir Khusrau
Amir Khusrau was a musical genius and brought into our world many instruments that are still used today to make melodious tunes.
Qawwali
In the late 13th century, Qawwali blended Persian, Turkic, Arabic, and Indian musical influences. It is rooted in Sufi devotional music, featuring intricate taans by a lead singer, punctuating chorus, complex Svara combinations, and passionate refrains. Furthermore, terms like “Qawwals” and “Kalawants” later described Khusrau’s disciples who popularised this style.
Sitar
The sitar is a long-necked, gourd-shaped stringed instrument central to Hindustani classical music which originated in the Middle East and was adapted in India by Amir Khusrau from the Tritantri Veena, hence evolving into its modern form. Additionally, it is played with a plectrum and its name comes from the Persian “Sehtar,” meaning three-stringed.
Trivat and Tarana
Khusrau is credited with inventing both Trivat and Tarana which are important to Hindustani classical music. It is the blending of Persian and Hindi words for coherence, however, the musicians that came later struggled to maintain this. Moreover, they sometimes would revert to older, meaningless syllables. Musicologist Jaidev Singh emphasises Khusrau’s originality by contrasting his innovations with the harsher consonants of pre-existing Nirgit songs.
FAQs
Amir Khusro was a legendary Indian scholar who is regarded as the “father of qawwali,” which is a devotional Sufi musical style. Moreover, he also had an important part in shaping Urdu literature and introducing the ghazal form of poetry to India.
Amir Khusro was a renowned poet and musician who succeeded in the court of Alauddin Khilji. Additionally, his talents were admired by the Sultan, who even gave him the title of “Amir.”
Khamsa-e-Khusrau which is a collection of five epic poems, is considered a hallmark of Khusro’s work.
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