Amir Khusrau
أمير خسرو
The Parrot of India
Born: 1253 CE, Patiyali, Uttar Pradesh
Died: 1325 CE, Delhi
Also known as: Abu al-Hasan Yamin ud-Din Khusrau, Tuti-e-Hind, Parrot of India
Amir Khusrau was one of the most versatile literary figures in the history of the Indian subcontinent, composing masterful poetry in both Persian and Hindavi. Credited as the father of qawwali devotional music and a pioneer of the sitar, he was also the beloved disciple of the great Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya.
Key Accomplishments
- Pioneered the ghazal form in Hindavi, laying foundations for Urdu poetry
- Credited as the father of qawwali Sufi devotional music
- Composed a vast literary output in Persian and Hindavi spanning multiple genres
- Served as court poet to seven successive Delhi Sultanate rulers
The Full Story
Born to a Turkic military family that had settled in India, Amir Khusrau grew up at the intersection of Persian literary culture and the rich traditions of the Indian subcontinent. This dual heritage shaped his genius. He served in the courts of multiple Delhi Sultanate rulers, surviving the turbulent politics of seven successive reigns through the sheer indispensability of his literary brilliance.
Khusrau's literary output was immense. He composed a Khamsa (quintet) of narrative poems modeled on the great Nizami Ganjavi, as well as numerous divans of lyric poetry. He is credited with pioneering the ghazal form in the Hindavi language, laying the groundwork for the Urdu literary tradition. His riddles, songs, and word games in a mix of Persian and Hindavi represent some of the earliest examples of the linguistic synthesis that would become Urdu.
His contributions to music were equally transformative. He is traditionally credited with introducing the qawwali form of Sufi devotional music, combining Persian and Indian musical elements into a powerful genre that endures today. He is also associated with the development of the sitar and tabla, though the historical evidence for these specific attributions remains debated among scholars.
The deepest relationship in Khusrau's life was with his spiritual master, Nizamuddin Auliya, the great Chishti Sufi saint. Their bond of love and devotion is legendary in South Asian culture. When Khusrau learned of Nizamuddin's death in 1325, he reportedly went to the grave, blackened his face in mourning, and died within months. He is buried beside his master in Delhi.
Notable Words
“I am a Turk of Hindustan; I answer in Hindavi. I have no Egyptian sugar to speak Arabic.”
- Attributed, from his poetry
Places
Connected Figures
Nizamuddin Auliya
Beloved of God
Beloved spiritual master and Sufi guide
Thinkers & PoetsRumi
The Master of Ecstatic Love
Earlier Sufi poet who influenced the broader tradition
Thinkers & PoetsHafiz
The Tongue of the Unseen
Persian contemporary whose lyric poetry paralleled his own
The Mughal EmpireMirza Ghalib
The Greatest Urdu Poet
Later Urdu poet who inherited his literary tradition
Notes
Sources
- [1]Sunil Sharma, Amir Khusraw: The Poet of Sultans and Sufis (Oneworld Publications, 2005)
- [2]R. Nath, ed., India as Seen by Amir Khusrau (Historical Research Documentation Programme, 1981)
- [3]Khaliq Ahmad Nizami, The Life and Times of Amir Khusrau (Delhi, 1988)